Why would a man willingly change his religion? T.A. Razak has been perturbed by this question since his childhood days, growing up in a village near Kondotty, Kozhikode.
Moonnaam Naal Njaayarazhcha , starring Salim Kumar in the lead, which reaches cinemas today, is Razak’s answer to that question. The film is the award-winning scriptwriter’s directorial debut too.
As a scriptwriter of some thought-provoking films such as Perumazhakkalam , Kaanakkinavu , Ghoshayathra and Ghazal , he has always tried to give something different to viewers through the films that he wrote for other directors. “I believe a work of art should have a message, too. I have directed my first film after writing more than 40 screenplays. I wanted my first film to focus on a serious issue,” says Razak.
He adds that he chose the sensitive topic of religious conversion because it was very relevant issue in today’s society. “The consequences of religious conversion can be pretty grim, as M.T. Vasudevan Nair showed us all those decades ago in his novel Asuravithu . I have seen instances of religious conversion in my own village. One of my neighbours and his family converted to Islam. Prior to the conversion, in a completely unrelated incident, one of his sons had fled the village after getting into trouble with the law. I wondered how he would react if he returned home to find his family practising a different religion. My film originated from that thought,” he explains. “Also, when my younger brother, late scriptwriter T.A. Shahid, married a Hindu, there were some suggestions that my sister-in-law convert to Islam. But, I opposed the idea. You should not ask anyone to change their beliefs, their way of life, for any reason whatsoever,” says Razak.
In Moonnam Naal Njayarazhcha , the family of Karumban, a Dalit, converts to Christianity. “But Karumban is uncomfortable with the whole deal. The film is about how he struggles to cope with the situation,” the director explains.
Salim Kumar plays Karumban. He has also produced the film. “When I told Salim about Karumban and his story, he was keen to play the role. If not for him, this film would not have been possible. And he has done a great job; I believe it is his best performance after Adaminte Makan Abu ,” says the director.
Jyothi Krishna plays Pennamma, Karumban’s wife. “Babu Antony also has an interesting role. Seethalakshmi, Janardanan, Jagadeesh and Prem Prakash are part of the cast. I have introduced a new cinematographer, Anil Eswar, while Nadirshah has composed the music,” says Razak.
