Directed by Sarath Chandran RJ, the film stars veteran actor Raghavan in the lead role.
A son comes to visit his parents after 41 years. The old father is not excited about his arrival. There is no mother, lying on the bed for many years. She prefers silence to conversation. Lives with a caretaker couple. malayalam short film base, Villain, may sound familiar in that it explores the scenario where grown-up children leave their parents. But a twist at the end leaves the audience stunned.
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Directed by Bengaluru-based photographer-cum-advertising filmmaker Sarath Chandran RJ, the heartwarming film is based on a short story by GR Indugopan. “It is a universal theme and I was impressed by the way the author has developed it,” says Sarath, a native of Thiruvananthapuram.
“It’s a story of abandonment, fading memories, indolence and family ties,” the director said in his brief note about the brief, which narrates how the son is distraught about being the cause of the mother’s illness. The son was looking for his parents for many years. As the scenes unfold, we learn that he has now settled abroad with a foreign wife and children. He tries his best to bond with his parents but in vain. He leaves with a heavy heart. And the suspense is revealed later.
One of the highlights is the return of veteran actor Raghavan, who shines as a non-acting father. The role of the son has been done by Shrikant Murali. Roslyn is the mother and Vinod Kovur is the caretaker Suku.
“In the short story, the father is 90 years old and the son is 70 years old. Raghavan sir, now 80, was the best choice for the film. It was exciting to work with him. He was a bundle of energy on the sets. When I narrated the story, Srikanth was immediately on board,” says Sarath, whose wife Pooja has written the script for the film. “While we have remained faithful to the short story, we have added some scenes according to the narrative,” he says.
So who is the villain? Sarath says he has left it for the audience to decide. “It could be the father because he hid a truth. Or maybe son, because there could be an ulterior motive behind his coming after four decades,” says Sarath, who has also done the cinematography. The film was shot in Kuttikanam over two days when the lockdown restrictions were in place. Produced by Edwin Antony, the film has music by Bijibal. The editor is Sriraj Ravi.
Check it out on YouTube.
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