The morning mist adds to the beauty of the picturesque Kannimalai Estate bungalow at Munnar, where writer-director Lenin Rajendran is shooting his forthcoming film, ‘Edavappathi - No Man's Land'.
The shooting is inside a room that has some eye-catching paintings on the wall, lamps, and a bed with brightly-coloured sheets. Cinematographer Madhu Ambat is in deep discussion with the director as they plan the next shot, which has a close-up of Uthara Unni, who is making her debut in Malayalam.
“The movie is set against a political backdrop. It is on the emotional turmoil of Tibetan refugees in India, who dream of returning to their homeland. There is a large group of Tibetans living in Kushal Nagar in Karnataka. Some of these youngsters haven't even seen Tibet. The pain of living away from their country haunts them. A Tibetan Buddhist monk named Siddharth is one such youth,” says Lenin.
Siddhartha Lama, still fondly remembered by Malayalis as the Nepali kid or the ‘Rinpoche' in the 1992-hit movie ‘Yodha,' returns as the Buddhist monk named Siddharth. Actor Urmila Unni's daughter Uthara plays Yamini, who lives with her mother, Sumithra.
Yearning for Tibet
“As a Buddhist monk, he has to overcome emotions and temptations. For him, it is the yearning to return to Tibet that dominates his thoughts. Yamini's father is an estate manager, whose whereabouts are unknown. Her mother is linked with a wealthy estate owner, Ouseppachan. As Yamini grows into a young woman, Ouseppachan sets his eyes on her. The hapless Yamini, who lives in a state of fear starts imagining herself as the mythological character Vasavadatta. Yamini has a crush on Siddharth,” says the director.
Lenin adds that he has given a different interpretation to the legendary story of Vasavadatta, to suit the movie's plot.
Bollywood actor Manisha Koirala dons the role of Sumithra who has her reasons for not leaving the place with her daughter.
Jagathy Sreekumar who was cast as Ouseppachan has now been replaced by Prashanth Narayanan after the former was critically injured in an accident. Prashanth was much-appreciated for his role in ‘Unnam'.
Uthara made her debut in a Tamil film and is all set to do another one. She admits to taking acting tips from her mother. She is dressed as Vasavadatta and is all set to face the camera.
Says Uthara about her character in the movie: “The two phases of the character make it interesting.”
Siddhartha smiles when he narrates his experiences while shooting for ‘Yodha': “I was eight years old when I acted in ‘Yodha' and barely knew what I was doing. I have done a couple of Nepali movies after that. I am currently doing my masters in management and am working for an NGO.”
‘Edavappathi' is being made under the banner of Green Cinema. Lyrics by D. Vinayachandran and Rosemary have been composed by Pandit Ramesh Narayan and Mohan Sithara.
Still photographer is Noushad Kannur.
