Writer-director Anvar Sadik’s Manoharam , set to hit the marquee today (September 27), zooms in on the life of an individual left “outdated” in a fast-changing world against the backdrop of “a modern-day village.”
“ Manoharam revolves around the story of Manoharan, played by Vineeth Sreenivasan, a painter and design artist striving to cope with the changing times. Fondly called Manu, he’s a purist at heart. Though talented, he feels the world has overtaken him. Not willing to give up and reposing faith in his own gifts, he sets about proving his worth,” narrates Anvar over phone from Chennai.
Manoharan is inspired by his deceased father, himself a design artist in the film. “The popularity of easy-to-learn design software such as Adobe Photoshop puts a technophobe like Manu out of employment. The rest of the plot is about his endeavour to “stay updated”, says Anvar, not wanting to divulge more. “It is a feel-good drama peppered with humour and romance,” the director adds.
The Palakkad native says the movie evolved from his observation of lives and sketches familiar to him. “I have seen people like Manoharan around me. I think even the idea of villages has changed, with technology bridging rural and urban life to a large extent. So the script germinated from this seed of observation and I have promptly tried to capture the traits of such characters and their lives in the film. About 90% of the events depicted is perhaps inspired by real events. As the backdrop was clear in my mind, I was confident about breathing life into it on screen,” says Anvar, who scripted the film.
Anvar says Manoharam is set and shot in some bucolic locations in Palakkad, mainly in and around Nenmara. “We have tried to capture all the trappings associated with a modern-day village in Kerala. That amount of research is reflected in the script,” he explains.
Manoharam is the 40-year-old’s second film, having previously directed Vineeth in the 2014 romantic musical Ormayundo Ee Mugham , inspired by the Hollywood rom-com 50 First Dates based on the theme of anterograde amnesia. On associating with Vineeth again, Anvar says he felt “the subject” perfectly fit the actor. “It also helped that we have known each for a long time now and hence share a good rapport on sets. Also, from my Ormayundo Ee Mugham experience, I had an idea as to how Vineeth would be in front of the camera,” he says.
Others in the cast include actor-director Basil Joseph, who plays Manoharan’s bosom buddy, Indrans as Varghes ettan , Hareesh Peradi, Jude Anthany Joseph, Deepak Parambol and Nandini Nair, while Aparna Das, who essayed a minor role in Njan Prakashan , plays the protagonist’s love interest. Cinematography is by Jebin Jacob. Sanjeev T, who formerly played the guitar for AR Rahman, has composed the songs.
Anvar says that after his first project, he did take his time to shape his craft better, explaining the five-year gap between his two films. “Looking back, I do admit that my début was done in a bit of a hurry (laughs). And I think it perhaps showed the shortcomings of a newbie. This time, I wanted to bide my time and chisel out the project. The taste and sensibilities of the Malayali audience have changed. I have also been waiting for a good story,” he explains.
So what’s ‘beautiful’ about Manoharam ? “Mainly, the down-to-earth characters any Malayali can relate to. I have tried to steer clear of needless drama to add a touch of realism,” Anvar says.
