Shwetha Mohan's dulcet voice greets you as you enter the Desaposhini Community Hall in Kozhikode on a wet Sunday morning. The opening lines of Shwetha's song are played over and over again as director Rajasenan plans the shots for his new film, ‘Innanu Aa Kalyanam.'
It is a song sequence that he is going to shoot. The song, scored by Bijibal for a Muslim wedding scene in the film, has lyrics by Vayalar Sharathchandra Varma.
The hall has been decked up to resemble a venue for a wedding.
A group of dancers dressed in white and with green shawls draped over their heads are getting ready to enter the stage. Shanti, the movie's choreographer, shows the dancers the steps for the opening line of the song.
Sharanya Mohan, dressed in a green and maroon ghagra-choli, enters the frame in the role of a Muslim bride. Sudheesh plays the groom. The song is played again and the girls begin to dance. Rajasenan okays the shot after a couple of takes.
Tale about friends
“This film is about two friends – Neelima (Malavika Wales) and Aisha (Sharanya), both engineering students of a college. Karthik (Rejith Menon, who made his debut in Kamal's film ‘Goal') is a student at the same college. He comes from a poor family. How he and Kunjumon (Roshan), who also studies in the same college, influence the lives of Neelima and Aisha is the main plot of the film. And there are several humorous situations right through,” says Rajasenan.
As the dancers practise their steps for the next line of the song, the director explains the next shot to Saikumar, Rohini, Manian Pillai Raju, Ashokan, Kunchan, Bindu Panikkar and Indrans, who are all onlookers of the dance. He makes slight changes in their seating arrangement and discusses the shot with cinematographer Vinod Illampally.
Rajasenan, who has written the script along with Bakaruddin, says his film also touches on the issue of opulent weddings. “Some parents waste so much money on their daughter's wedding. Sulochanan Pillai (Saikumar) is one such parent. The title of the film, ‘Innanu Aa Kalyanam,' refers to the wedding of his daughter, Neelima,” he elaborates.
Rohini plays Neelima's mother. But she doesn't look like the typical on-screen mom – set mundu, gray hair and all. Dressed in a simple sari and sans grey hair, she looks like a mom next door. “All I have done is put on a pair of spectacles for this role; it's nice to play a mother who doesn't look very ‘filmy,”' she smiles.
The next shot has Malavika singing a few lines of the song. She is dressed in a white-and-maroon sari. A few rehearsals and a couple of takes later, Malavika, who had made her debut in ‘Malarvadi Arts Club,' talks about her role: “It is an excellent character and the film revolves around her. It offers me a lot of scope to emote. I am glad that this is going to be my second release in Malayalam.”
The film stars Jagathy Sreekumar, Suraj Venjaramoodu, and Mamukoya also.
‘Innanu Aa Kalyanam' is being produced by Ghevarghese Yohannan under the banner of Yohan Productions. It will reach theatres in October.
