“It is a new-generation Sanskrit film with a contemporary theme,” maintains P.K. Asokan, who has co-produced and directed Anurakthi , which is billed to be the maiden 3D feature film in Sanskrit.
Anurakthi , he argues, pairs the best of both worlds — the old and the new — as a modern narrative is developed against the backdrop of the ancient Koodiyattom theatre.
Koodiyattom
“There’s a Koodiyattom performance as well and noted Koodiyattom artiste Kalamandalam Sivan Namboodiri essays a key character in it. It contains a strong love story and an emotional tussle born from a misunderstanding between a Koodiyattom maestro and his son,” says Asokan, who plans to take the film along the festival circuit in India and abroad.
“A Punjabi danseuse arrives to learn Koodiyattom in the traditional gurukul system and the maestro’s son falls in love with the danseuse. The love grows so intense that the son starts looking at the relationship between his father and his disciple with suspicion and ire. That’s the crux of the narrative,” says Asokan.
“There’s a strong market for the film in Europe, especially in Germany, where Sanskrit is part of the curriculum. We are also submitting the film for the national film awards. But it can’t be called an art house venture.”
Colloquial Sanskrit
The 80-minute film, shot on a frugal budget of about ₹28 lakh, is in ‘colloquial’ Sanskrit, with a song to boot. But its release in India will have to wait till February next.
“I’m also planning to release the song in 3D,” says Asokan, a software professional who is producing two ongoing 3D film projects – Dabbagul in Marathi and After School in Gujarati — for children.
Sanskrit teachers
“ Anurakthi could be shot on a shoestring budget as the actors are all people known to us, barring Bollywood actor Vani Vasisth who plays the female lead. A team of Sanskrit teachers who are part of the collective ‘Live Sanskrit’ led by Mahesh Babu worked hard on the language of the film and has made it intelligible to everyone,” says Asokan.
Written by Sanal Machad, the 3D film has its camera handled by Anmol. Meanwhile, cinematographer Sasi Ramakrishnan has canned the film in the regular 2D format. The film was shot in and around Thrissur.
