Freedom Fight, currently streaming on SonyLIV, was conceptualised by Jeo Baby who felt that making a full-length feature film during the pandemic would not be an easy proposition. “That was why I zeroed in on an anthology,” says Jeo, director of the landmark film, The Great Indian Kitchen. Besides him, the line-up includes Akhil Anilkumar, Kunjila Mascillamani, Francies Louis, and Jithin Issac Thomas. Jeo says the accent was on good content and they had to go through several scripts before finalising the four stories.
“While Francies is the editor of The Great Indian Kitchen, it was through my cinematographer Salu K Thomas that I came across Kunjila, who was Salu’s senior at Satyajit Ray Film Institute. In Jithin’s case, I was impressed by his first work, Attention Please, which was screened at the International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK). I met him through a common friend. Akhil came into the project when he called me for the contact number of a streaming platform to pitch the idea of his short film. I asked him to come on board,” Jeo explains.
Jeo says that the title was not a pre-planned one. “When we watched the films together we felt that they all handle the concept of freedom in different ways. The directors had the liberty to shoot as they wanted. So, in a way, it was about giving creative freedom to these filmmakers,” says Jeo.
Jomon Jacob, Dijo Augustine, Sajin S Raj and Vishnu Rajan, the producers of The Great Indian Kitchen, have produced the anthology.
In a chat with MetroPlus, the five directors talk about their respective films and the experience.
Geethu Unchained
Director: Akhil Anilkumar
Geethu (Rajisha Vijayan), the protagonist, wants to break free from the expectations of her family and societal conditioning
Rajisha Vijayan in 'Geethu Unchained' directed by Akhil Anilkumar in the five-film Malayalam anthology, 'Freedom Fight' | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
Akhil, a prolific short filmmaker, had conceptualised Geethu Unchained too as a short. “It was meant to be a two-minute movie. When a guy proposes to Geethu, she imagines how her life would be if she said yes. But even after giving it a lot of thought, she eventually tells him, ‘Let me think about it’. Later on, I weaved in real-life instances into the narrative. Writing the script was organic and so much fun,” says Akhil.
He adds that there are some traits of his in Geethu. “I always worry about what others would think about me, just like Geethu. Also, I grew up in a household where there were lots of restrictions.”
Akhil, also a sound designer, had two of his films released on the same day, that too one in theatres (Freedom Fight and Archana 31 Not Out). “In both the films, I have tried to talk about serious topics in a light-hearted manner. I like that narrative technique. I know there are flaws in both my projects. I haven’t assisted any director and I learnt filmmaking by making Archana 31 Not Out,” he says.
Asanghadithar
Director: Kunjila Mascillamani
How a group of women working in shops in SM Street in Kozhikode fought for access to toilet facilities in 2009. They were led by P Viji, a tailor, founder of Penkoottu.
A scene from 'Asanghadithar' directed by Kunjila Mascillamani in the five-film Malayalam anthology, 'Freedom Fight' | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
“I was half way through a crowdfunded documentary on the struggle and had some footage with me. But the project came to a halt because we couldn’t continue to raise funds. That was when I got this opportunity to be part of the anthology,” says Kunjila. The excitement for Kunjila was that she could experiment with blending documentary and fiction.
Viji and Kabani, who were part of the struggle, play the same roles in the film. Besides Srinda and a few current members of Penkoottu, Kunjila chose the rest of the actors after an extensive audition. She adds that toilets have been constructed in a few shops in SM Street if not all. “We came across an unused e-toilet and when we asked about it, local people told us that it was not being used because it had not been inaugurated yet!”
Kunjila, who has directed several short films, is on a high after receiving appreciation from various quarters, one of them being Sudha Kongara, director of acclaimed films such as Irudhi Suttru and Soorarai Pottru. “OTT is like a digital box office. I actually asked a few friends in the film circle if I can call myself a hit filmmaker now!” she says.
Ration
Director: Francies Louis
A middle-class homemaker (Kabani) is on friendly terms with her well-off neighbour until a piece of seer fish brings out the economic disparity between the two.
Kabani in a scene from 'Ration' directed by Francies Louis in the five-film Malayalam anthology, 'Freedom Fight' | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
Francies has taken an incident from his life in the film. “Our neighbour had given my mother some prawns to keep in our refrigerator. Amma assumed it was for us and cooked it. Later, when the neighbour told us that she would need it the next day, amma was taken aback. My father, who ran an electrical workshop, didn’t have enough money then to buy the costly fish. So, that night itself amma went around borrowing money and we managed to buy the prawns. I often wonder why she didn’t tell the truth to our neighbour,” says Francies.
The film is set in Alappuzha, Francies’ native place. “Some of the vessels shown in the movie are actually used by my mother. I got several calls from viewers who told me that they have had similar experiences.”
He had started out by assisting Jeo in Kilometers and Kilometers. “He took me on board after watching my short films. Since I used to edit them as well to save money, I got the hang of it. That’s how I made my debut with The Great Indian Kitchen,” says Francies, who has edited Jeo’s film in the anthology.
Francies says that Jeo was not his first choice to play the husband. “But as the script developed, it eventually went to him and he was quite happy with it. He did help me in the making process with some suggestions,” says Francies.
Old Age Home
Director: Jeo Baby
The film revolves around Baby George (Joju George) who has lifestyle-related ailments and early symptoms of dementia, his wife, Lali (Lali PM) and their domestic help, Dhanalakshmi (Rohini).
Joju George in 'Old Age Home' directed by Jeo Baby in the five-film Malayalam anthology, 'Freedom Fight' | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
“It is the story of my family. My father, Baby George, had dementia and other ailments. He was extremely unhappy when we became strict about his diet. That was when my mother-in-law came to stay with us and she would give him sweets and snacks without our knowledge. More than anything else, my father was happy to have someone around to talk with him, just like how Dhanu strikes a friendship with Baby in the film,” he says.
Jeo adds that the character Lali was inspired by his mother, Aleykutty. “She would never sit idle. She has been making value-added products from jackfruit and encourage women in the neighbourhood to take it up. My father is no more, but my mother, now 74, continues to surprise me with her drive to pick up new skills and learn new courses,” Jeo says.
Rohini and Lali PM in 'Old Age Home' directed by Jeo Baby in the five-film Malayalam anthology, 'Freedom Fight' | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
Joju had met Jeo’s father when they were shooting for Kunju Daivam in 2016. “He had observed his body language and mannerisms at close quarters then. I cast Lali because she resembles my mother and I needed a not-so-familiar face. Since she is from Kottayam, she nailed the dialect as well. It was a dream to work with Rohini chechi,” Jeo says.
He adds that Rahul Raj’s music uplifted the mood of the movie. Rahul worked with the Budapest Art Orchestra for the film.
Praa.Thoo.Mu
Director: Jithin Issac Thomas
The focus is on manual scavengers . One of them (Unni Lalu) is fatally attacked while working at a Minister’s (Sidhartha Siva) house.
A scene from 'Praa.Thoo.Mu' directed by Jithin Issac Thomas in the five-film Malayalam anthology, 'Freedom Fight' | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
Jithin says that he got the idea from a real-life situation. “The septic tank in our building was blocked and the cleaners said that they would be able to come only after a few days. They instructed us not to use the toilets during those days. Had it been some electrical or plumbing work, we might try to do it on our own. But not cleaning a septic tank. That thought eventually developed into a script,” says Jithin.
Some viewers have expressed reservations about the violent and graphic content in Freedom Fight and observed that the theme looks far-fetched in Kerala’s context. “The subject itself arouses disgust in all of us and I wanted to convey that feeling in the making as well. Besides, the production house had given me the freedom to execute it the way I wanted it,” says Jithin.
It was a conscious decision to shoot this short film for Freedom Fight in black and white. “That has to do with the politics of the movie. White is a colour you associate with politicians and black with any kind of waste. Also, since the theme is dark, we thought that using a colour palette won’t do justice to it,” he says.
Jithin is a self-taught filmmaker since all his attempts to assist a director did not materialise. “I didn’t expect Praa.Thoo.Mu to initiate so much discussion. Some had come up with dimensions that I had never imagined while writing the script,” he adds. Jithin has also written the lyrics of the song sung by Resmi Sateesh and Arun Vijay, the composer.
Meanwhile, his debut film, Attention Please, which deals with caste bias, will be released soon.
