Exploring the depths of the heart of darkness and the wild is one of the most awaited films during this Onam – Ezhamathe Varavu , scripted by M.T. Vasudevan Nair and directed by filmmaker Hariharan. In the lead is Indrajith, who has had a great run in 2012-13. Memorable characters, diverse roles and hits have come his way, proving that he is no flash in the pan who can only give life to a certain kind of hero or villain.
Hariharan says Gopi Muthalali, Indrajith’s character in the film, will be a landmark in his career, a turning point. The actor agrees. “Who would not want to work with this dream duo? It is a dream come true for me,” he gushes.
A multi-layered theme with a myth that plunges the characters into frontiers of the unknown and the mystical, Ezhamathe Varavu is set in the forests of Wayanad. Contemplating on the delicate balance of Nature, it examines how Nature wrecks vengeance when that harmony is upset.
“Man-animal conflicts make headlines and that got us thinking about a film that spoke about man’s arrogance towards his fellow creations and what happens when he tramples upon everything in his way to achieve mindless goals. Ezhamathe Varavu is about a beast that is unleashed. Is the beast a creature of the jungle or is it the bestial side of man? Is it imaginary or real? Ezhamathe Varavu talks about all that in the midst of a romance and a passionate man-woman relationship," says Hariharan.
Gopi, the wealthy planter is an Alpha male, a hunter who assumes he knows the jungle and its creatures. Bhavana plays his long-suffering wife, who craves for his company and affection.
Into their turbulent marriage comes Vineeth, an archaeologist on a dig in Wayanad. He turns out to be her college beau. Kavitha plays a tribal who introduces Vineeth to the forests and its inhabitants.
“An emotional storm is on the cusp of erupting, when a myth from the jungle comes back to haunt them. The tribals believe that every seven years, a beast is awakened and it returns to its lair only after it kills seven people. A murder revives the myth that the beast is back,” narrates Indrajith who adds that the brooding jungle becomes a character in the movie as it explores the multiple roles of the wild where every living thing has a cadence and a rhythm of its own.
The forest becomes a metaphor for the mind with its own dense and complex landscape of our passions and emotions. The flora and fauna create a background that evokes primordial fears and sensations in man as he tries to tame the forest.
“The film delineates and explores the tangible and palpable bonds between man and nature. All the films that I have done with M.T. have always had a social content that was grounded in topical issues. This will be no different,” says Hariharan.
Generous in his praise for his actors, he says each has done a superlative job in interpreting M.T.’s characters on screen. “Physical similarity with the characters is the main factor when I choose my actors. That is how Indrajith was cast as the wealthy and feudal planter. Same is the case with Bhavana, Vineeth, Kavitha and Mamu Koya.”
The filmmaker, whose movies have scored high on musical content, has also composed four songs for the film.
“Bombay Ravi was my choice but when he passed away, my friends encouraged me to don the role of the composer and I did it. I have learnt music and am a big music buff, all of which helped me tune in," says Hariharan. He adds that he has always enjoyed pushing the envelope and might even consider stepping in front of the camera if he felt the film warranted that.
Going back to Ezhamathe Varavu , releasing on September 15, he says that many untold stories will be revealed once the film reaches cinemas.
