When you ask director Khalidh Rahman about what viewers should expect from his new film Unda , which releases today, his reply is: “A good film.” The filmmaker made his debut three years ago with the breezy romance, Anuraga Karikkinvellam. His second film, Unda, has Mammootty playing sub-inspector Manikandan, who, with a team of policemen from Kerala, is assigned for election duty at a region in Chhattisgarh that has been hit by Maoist violence.
The film is loosely based on real events that happened a few years ago. In an interview with Friday Review , the director talks about how he shaped it for the screen. Edited excerpts:
What is Unda about?
Unda has a rather simple storyline, inspired by a newspaper report about an incident in 2014. A team of policemen from Kerala goes to Chhattisgarh on election duty. The story is about certain incidents that happen there.
How was it to recreate the settings that you had only read about?
It was a big challenge. I had only the newspaper article as a reference. It was not easy to meet the policemen who went there on duty because they are not supposed to reveal anything about their official work. After a report came out, a directive was issued to stop the men from revealing anything more about their assignment. So, no reports came out after that. Thus, it was quite a task to collect the details. Chhattisgarh was not a familiar terrain for me. We had to go there to understand the lives of the people, their culture and the political situation.
What was it like to shoot in Chhattisgarh?
The people were friendly and sincere. They helped us when we were scouting for the right locations to shoot. We were cautious while shooting in places that had been affected by Maoist atttacks but there were no big issues as such.
Khalid Rahman
About the main characters in Unda...
There are nine policemen including sub-inspector Manikandan, played by Mammookka (Mammootty). In addition, there is Hindi actor Bhagwan Tiwari. These are the 10 central characters.
How would you respond to comparisons with Amit Masurkar’s Hindi film Newton, which came out in 2017?
The premise is similar in both the films. While Newton is about a government official, Newton, who is sent on election duty to Chhattisgarh, Unda follows the story of a group of policemen who go there for the same purpose. But the storyline, sequences and politics we have dealt with are not the same.
If Anuraga Karikkinvellam was a romantic drama, Unda doesn’t even have a heroine?
The storyline didn’t require a heroine. There are female actors in the film but their presence on screen is limited. For instance, the actor playing Manikandan’s wife is there in one or two sequences only.
What prompted you to turn to direction, while your siblings Shyju and Jimshi are cinematographers?
(Laughs) I have tried cinematography but it is tough. Direction is comparatively easier for me. So I decided to do this.
Are these encouraging times for a filmmaker with more acceptance for offbeat cinema, even without the presence of big stars?
There is a popular theory that there happens a change every 15 years or so. Over the last decade, there has been more acceptance for realistic subjects. I believe the trend was started by Tamil cinema, especially with films such as Paruthiveeran and Subramaniapuram . At the same time, there has always been a steady viewership for hardcore commercial films as well.
About your foray into acting, like playing one of the villains in Parava?
My acting escapades have been mainly with friends because I loved to be part of their movies in some way or the other. I was comfortable doing those roles.
What next?
Nothing as of now.
