Malayalam cinema has told many a tale of the emotional bonding between father and son. One of the central themes of ‘Aan Piranna Veedu,' which is being shot in and around Kozhikode, is also based on the father-son bond. Innocent plays Ramachandran, the doting father, while Kailash plays his only son, Jithin.
Long-awaited child
“Ramachandran and his wife had waited years for a child. So when Jithin is born, Ramachandran spoils him rotten,” says director K.P. Sunil, shortly after canning a scene featuring Kailash and Dinesh Panikkar, who plays Ramachandran's friend.
The location is a large house in Kozhikode city. It is a bright, sunny day and there are a few curious onlookers trying to get a glimpse of the stars, but they, thankfully, do not create any trouble for the crew. It is only on just a couple of occasions that the assistant directors have to yell at the onlookers for encroaching into ‘the field' (the area covered by the camera).
Sunil, who had earlier directed ‘The Good Boys' (1997), goes to Panikkar to tell him what he expects of the actor in a series of close-up shots. And it is only after a few rehearsals that the director asks cinematographer Anandakuttan to begin filming.
After watching those few scenes on the monitor, a happy Sunil continues from where he left off: “Ramachandran helps his son set up a small business – a cosmetics shop. For Jithin, though, the shop is more of an opportunity to mingle with girls, than a business,” elaborates the director.
Kailash, whose career blossomed with Lal Jose's ‘Neelathamara,' says Jithin is one of his better roles. “The film revolves around my character and I have plenty of scope to emote. The story is very simple and is laced with humour, but there is drama,” he says.
The director, of course, doesn't want to reveal those twists, but he assures that it will pick up the pace of the film.
Aswathy Ashok, who debuted with Fazil's ‘Moz n Cat,' is paired opposite Kailash. She plays Priya, a non-resident Indian.
“It has been a couple of years since I acted in ‘Moz n Cat.' I chose to concentrate on my studies rather than accept every role that came my way. I decided to do this film because my character is a strong one; one who plays a main role in shaping the film's plot. How Priya impacts Jithin's life should come out well in the film,” says Aswathy.
Director Sunil says that Suraj Venjaramoodu also has an important role. “He plays Albi, a director of music albums who exploits Jithin's generosity,” the director explains.
The cast includes Devan, Ashokan, Vinaya Prasad, Geetha Vijayan and Harishree Ashokan. ‘Aan Piranna Veedu' is being produced by C. Dileep Kumar under the banner of Kumar Productions. Lyrics by Kaithapram have been set to music by M. Jayachandran. Stills are by Surya Johns. ‘Aan Piranna Veedu' will open in cinemas in May.
