The Mayor's Bungalow, on P.T. Usha Road in Kozhikode, wears a busy look on a Sunday morning.
The bungalow has been turned into the Thiruvananthapuram city traffic police station for the day, for director Jayaprakash’s new film, 3G . “We will be shooting today scenes involving three male leads of the film, John, Arun Narayan and Mehul James. Today is the day they join the Kerala Police as sub-inspectors,” says the director.
He adds the film is about a non-violent battle against corruption.
“These three friends dream of becoming police officers, but they realise that it is not merit that counts in the selection process. They find out that there is a racket that helps the moneyed to join the forces, at the expense of the more qualified,” he says before he turns his attention to the monitor in front of him to check the frame.
In the frame, through the lens of cinematographer Manoj Mundayat, we see Arun coming out of the building and talking to Sajeevan, who dons the role of a senior police officer. The senior officer is advising the youngster how he should use his prerogative while booking offending drivers. After a couple of takes, both the director and the cinematographer are happy and they plan scenes featuring John, the film’s hero, and Mehul.
Dancer-turned-actor
John, the dancer-turned-actor who was seen in the movie Tournament , hopes 3G will give him a break.
“I could not have asked for a meatier role at this stage of my career. My character, Manu Menon, offers me plenty of scope to emote and there is one nice dance sequence for me too, with Vidya Unni, who is the film’s heroine. That song is really catchy and could be a chart-topper,” says John, who was the runner-up in Amrita TV's reality show, ‘Let's Dance’, four years ago.
Vidya plays a Government employee who supports the youngsters’ cause. She is actor Divya Unni’s sister.
“This is the first film I am doing after Doctor Love , in which I made my debut. I was the second lead in Doctor Love , but I play the sole female lead in this film, so the focus would be on me, which is a nice thing,” she says.
Saikumar plays an important role in the film, says the director.
“He plays a disillusioned politician, who wants to fight against the evils in society, irrespective of politics. He is a big support for the three youngsters,” say Jayaprakash.
Ramu, Sukumari, Rekha, Tamil actor Ravi Mariya and Irshad are also in the cast. Lyrics by Rafeeq Ahmed, V. Madhusoodanan Nair and Engandiyoor Chandrasekharan have been set to music by Mohan Sithara. Stills are by M.K. Mohanan.
3G , produced by K.P. Anil Kumar under the banner of Tharakaroopini Creations, will reach cinemas in November.
