Real police shine in Malayalam cinema

This is not an isolated case in Malayalam cinema, seeing as how real-life police officers are now working as directors, actors, screenwriters and screenwriters. metroplus Some of these executives have made a name for themselves in several blockbusters and critically acclaimed films in the recent past.

behind the camera

Three police officers were the backbone of Subin Shahir’s latest release Ilavizhapoonchira, They are director Shahi Kabir, a civil police officer (CPO), now on leave from his job, and visuals Shaji Marad, an assistant sub-inspector (ASI) and Nidhi Ji, a senior civil police officer (SCPO) – both armed. posted in. Reserve (AR) Camp, Kottayam.

“When we worked at AR Camp, we started chumar masala (wall magazine) with other like-minded executives. The turning point was the short film, in a glorious life, directed by Shahi. It was critically acclaimed and won several awards,” says Shaji. The short film landed him the role of Nivin Pauly Action Hero Biju (2016), A realistic take on the Kerala Police. “Director Abrid Shine also wanted me to help actors understand the mannerisms and gestures of police officers,” says Shaji, who has more than 18 films in his filmography.

Ilavizhapoonchira Based on the experiences of the trio working at Elavizapunchira, the highest point in Kottayam district, where the police wireless station is located. The risky terrain and unpredictable weather conditions became the subject of a short story written by Nidish. “Shahi encouraged me to develop the short story into a film. It took Shaji sir and I almost two years to finalize this script,” says Nidhish. Some police officers have also acted in the film.

cop Land

Meanwhile Shahi helped Dilish Thondimuthalam….. His first screenplay of a retired police officer Yusuf(2018) positive reception and open to his other work, nayattu (2021), also about the police department, went on to receive critical acclaim. He is currently working on two new scripts.

Rahim Khader | photo credit: special arrangement

Another police officer turned filmmaker is director Arun Viswam. kolumittai (2016) and Rahim Khader, who directed three films: MakkanaWhich was selected for the Indian Panorama section at the International Film Festival of India 2018, Ante Mavum Pukkum, And vanita Starring Leena, which is slated for release. “Cinema has been my passion since childhood. I used to write plays and write a screenplay for television before turning to directing,” says Raheem, an ASI at Edathala police station in Ernakulam, who is also the visualiser of his films. Piravam’s CPO Arun also tried his hand at acting. Gunda Jayanti,

PS Subramaniam | photo credit: special arrangement

This . had success Yusuf Which inspired Aroor’s Police Inspector PS Subramaniam to work in films. The Sooraj Venjaramoodu-starrer co-stars HeavenSubramaniam says, “He likes to write family dramas. But a thriller is a safe bet for the first project.” Heaven, Streaming on Disney+ Hotstar, based on a case in Kochi, was cracked after five years. “I wanted Hanif Adeni to direct the film. But since he was involved with other projects, he suggested the name of his colleague Unniraja. We co-wrote the script and Sooraj was our first choice for the role,” he says.

actors in league

Thondimuthalam Drikxium was the launching pad for Many film candidates in Kerala Police. The National Award winning film starred more than 23 police officers, all of them were selected through auditions.

Siby Thomas | photo credit: special arrangement

For Sibi and Sarath Kovilakam, the film was their dream come true opportunity. “I wanted to study in Film and Television Institute of India, Pune but could not clear the interview. However, I did meet Rajiv [cinematographer-director Rajeev Ravi] There and we became friends. when the casting call came Thondimuthalam… I did not do it I want to miss that opportunity. It was my luck that Rajiv was the DOP of the film,” says Sibi. Eventually, he wrote the script of Kuttavam Shikshayumfor (2022) Rajeev and also acted in it. The film is based on a real-life jewelery theft that was investigated by Sibi and his team. With 19 years of experience as a police officer, Sibi has acted in over a dozen films including Tamil courtroom drama Jai Bheem,

Sarath Kovilakam | photo credit: special arrangement

In Sarath’s case, it helped that Dilish was his batchmate at Sri Shankaracharya Sanskrit University, Kalady, from where he did his masters in theatre. “I had to find a permanent job after my course. But the love for acting was not extinguished. so when pothan [Dileesh Pothan] called me Thondimuthalam… I didn’t think twice, even if it was a small role,” says Sarath, CPO of Kishore Wing, Kozhikode (city). in his movies Sudanese from Nigeria, Oru Famous Payan, Puzhu And Ilavizhapoonchira,

P Sivadasan, Sub-Inspector, Special Branch, Kannur (city), recalls: “My nephew sent me my picture for the audition Thondimuthalam… without telling me So when I got a call from the film unit, I thought it was a prank!” He played a writer in a police station and has acted in over 35 films since then.

P Sivadasan | photo credit: special arrangement

Sivadasan, who is also a percussionist, says that each role has been special irrespective of the length. “It’s a stress-buster and I’m happy when people recognize me,” he says. He recalls his excitement of working with Mammootty priest. “I heard that it was he who suggested my name for the role. When I first met him it was a fanboy moment,” laughs Sivadasan.

The CPO of the Police Control Room in Thiruvananthapuram, Gibin Gopinath, has been an actor even before he joined the police force 15 years ago. “Most of them used to forget kind of roles in the blink of an eye. But I used to go to every shooting location in Thiruvananthapuram for the occasion.”

Gibbin Gopinath | photo credit: special arrangement

last seen Kuttavam Shikshayum, 12th Manu And Antakshari, Gibbins recently rose to fame with a commercial featuring Dulquer Salmaan and Samantha Ruth Prabhu. The ad was released in six languages ​​and Gibbins has now received offers from other languages ​​as well. A regular in the COVID-19 awareness video made by the social media cell of Kerala Police, he will appear bermuda, har, b, and a bilingual web series for Netflix.

Gibbin Gopinath with Dulquer Salmaan during the shoot of an advertisement | photo credit: special arrangement

The Police Department supports all kinds of artistic and literary endeavors. “There is a separate section that focuses on creating audio/video content for the masses,” says Sharat, who is also into scripting.

“There is no dearth of stories if you are a police officer. So I enjoy writing more than acting,” says Sibi, who has also published a book on his experiences as a police officer.

The inclusion of police officers in films has given a realistic touch to the stories about them and corrected many mistakes in terms of portrayal. Shaji and Rahim both agree.

Sibi, on the other hand, says that being a police officer and an actor at the same time has its advantages and disadvantages. “I was on election duty during the Lok Sabha elections at Koothuparambu in Kannur. It was the last day of campaigning and we were worried about ‘Kottikalasam’ (noisy atmosphere created by political parties). The situation was unstable. Then some of them saw me and started to take selfie. The atmosphere completely changed,” he concluded.