K.S. Chitra's melodious voice greets visitors to the set of T.K. Rajeevkumar's latest movie ‘Thalsamayam Oru Pennkutty' that is being shot at the scenic Chitranjali Studio in Thiruvananthapuram. A music sequence featuring Nitya Menon and Unni Mukundan is being canned. Before the lights are switched on, choreographer Prasanna and an assistant go through their paces, closely observed by the lead actors.
Then Nitya and Unni take the floor and prepare themselves for the take after a few rehearsals. Nitya's floppies get replaced by a pair of sleek stiletto sandals and her curly hair springs alive as the restraining scrunchie is removed. Her make-up man steps in with a mirror, a dab here and there, a dash of lipstick… the star is ready to face the camera, dressed in a mirror-worked black sari and blouse. Unni, dressed in all black, steps into the frame and the camera starts rolling. Nitya mouths the lyrics of the song as she and Unni dance to the romantic number composed by Murugan Kattakada and tuned by Sharreth.
As Rajeev goes for another take, Nitya rushes to the monitor to see how the scene looks on screen. Post an animated discussion with Rajeev on how and where he wants her to look for the scene, she goes back for the shot and cinematographer Vinod Ilampally cans it without any problems. As the next frame calls for a change of dress, the crew and cast take a break for lunch. That is when Rajeev gets talking about the film that he has scripted.
“It was inspired by the profusion of reality shows on television. Without being judgemental or critical, this satire is perhaps a pointer of things to come,” laughs Rajeev.
Satire is a new genre for Rajeev and he is all smiles when he says that though the film focusses on reality shows, it also zooms into the reality that the camera sees but which is sometimes missed by the human eye. So, the money that changes hands in the wink of an eye to lubricate a corrupt deal is captured on camera and so are many heart-warming scenes as the cameras follow the participants all the time.
Channel wars
‘Thalsamayan Oru Pennkutty' is all about the war for TRP ratings and the different but important roles played by television producers, channel heads, viewers and small-screen stars in deciding who sees what on the idiot box. “Swetha Menon, a producer in a television channel, comes up with an idea to begin a reality show that has 12 girls competing with each other for the dream prize. Manju (Nitya's character) is the first participant. Each of the girls has to live their lives from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. under the eye of the camera. Nothing is edited, everything is live on air…Baburaj is a rival producer in the same channel,” explains Rajeev.
Manju, a village girl, finds her life being taken over by the camera as she participates in the reality show. The thin line between real and reel starts blurring as her life begins to get manipulated by the many players involved in television.
“It is all about identity and Manju's fight to maintain her space in the face of all odds. The theme should be familiar to all actors as most of us also go through a similar experience just because your profession happens to be that of an actor. Many people seem to be under the delusion that if you are an actor, your life should be in the public domain,” says an indignant Nitya.
In the meantime, Unni joins the crew after changing into a checked shirt and navy blue trousers. It is a major break for this three-film-old newcomer to Mollywood. “My character Suryan is an assistant choreographer. Unsure and diffident, this guy with a stammer comes as a refreshing change to Manju who is not amused or pleased by the swift changes in her life,” says Unni.
Maniyan Pillai Raju, KPAC Lalitha, Suraj Venjarmmodu and Kochu Preman are among the cast of the film that is proving to be a technical challenge. “We are shooting a movie in which we show a television crew shooting a show… There are multiple media at work and blending all these into a smooth film is a challenge,” says Rajiv.
‘Thalsamayam Oru Pennkutty' is being produced by Reel 2 Reel Cine productions and should reach theatres in January.
