The façade of a modest hotel has been constructed in a corner of the famous Parade ground in Fort Kochi. A group of young men stand in front of it, sharing a laugh with their friend Aaron (Jayasurya).
It is a scene from director Boban Samuel’s forthcoming film that is yet to be titled. The camera captures all the smiling faces. As Aaron is about to step into his car, one of the guys takes him aside and whispers something to him. The shot is okayed in the first take and the unit breaks for lunch soon after.
During the break Boban talks about his new film. “Aaron lost his eyesight in an accident, at a young age. Most people in such a situation would become depressed and pessimistic. But not Aaron. His positive attitude helps him tackle challenges with gusto and live life to the full. After several setbacks and mishaps, he is trying to get into the cricket team for the visually challenged. The movie narrates how Aaron overcomes his hurdles,” says Boban.
He says the movie has been inspired by a story of a member of the Indian cricket team for the visually challenged, which appeared in a daily. “It is not a sports film but focuses on the courage and resilience of a youth facing some difficult situations,” he adds.
Genial actor Jayasurya is riding high on two successive hits – Philips and the Monkey Pen and Punyalan Agarbathis. Naturally, he is gung ho about this film too.
“It’s about a young man’s inspirational journey to the big league; a young man who never perceives his disability as a handicap,” says Jayasurya.
How difficult is it to play a visually challenged character on screen? “Actually its not tough. What is tough is breaking free of how visually challenged people are stereotyped on screen. I believe that imitation is limitation,” adds Jayasurya.
Aparna Gopinath, the heroine in ABCD and Bicycle Thieves , plays the female lead. Her character, Sia, is a student who runs away from home. Lal is Gopikrishnan, a cricket coach.
The shot after lunch has Jayasurya talking to his friends, Freddy and Pranchi. Balu, who had a notable role in Honey Bee, plays Freddy, while Indian Pallassery, who played Ravindran’s younger version in Idukki Gold, plays Pranchi. Lalu Alex, Lena, Edavela Babu and Sunil Sugatha are also in the cast.
The film is being produced by Aashiq Usman, under the banner of Milestone Cinemas. Mahesh Raj is the cinematographer and Gopi Sundar is the music director. Stills are by Antony.
