Film director Dijo Jose Antony narrates the story of two unemployed youngsters in his third film Malayalee from India, which released on May 1. Dijo explains that, as the title hints at, it is the story about a Malayali in a fictional village in Kerala.
Political satires have a special place in Malayalam cinema with movies such as Panchavadippalam and Sandesham becoming cult classics. Dijo’s Malayalee from India aspires to be a political satire. The film has its moments thanks to an in-form Nivin Pauly but it falters and splutters at several places. Nevertheless, it is a laudable attempt to talk about the current political scenario in Kerala and the divisive politics that has lured many.
Talking over phone, Dijo says Alparambil Gopi, Nivin’s character, has many of the traits we associate with the typical Malayali. Gopi’s politics is right of centre and he lives off his hardworking mother and sister in Mullakara, a village that is a microcosm of the State. Shot in Palakkad, the film is the “life story of Gopi”.
“We created a village that has many of the elements of rural areas in Kerala. You cannot keep apart a Malayali and politics. So, it is a village that has its share of those who support all kinds of politics,” explains Dijo.
Working with scenarist Sharis Mohammed for the third time, Dijo has more or less retained the same crew that he worked with in his sophomore film, Prithviraj-starrer Jana Gana Mana.
Dhyan Sreenivasan and Nivin Pauly in Malayalee from India | Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT
“Cinema is a team effort. There is a comfort zone while working with a team that I know. That takes care of a certain set of aspects during the shooting,” says Dijo, who made his directorial debut with the sleeper hit Queen (2018). Sharis had written the story of Queen with Jebin Joseph Antony.
The director asserts that he wants to work with different themes. Since Malayalee from India was “worlds apart from Queen and Jana Gana Mana, I was eager to direct it.”
“When Sharis shared with me the story of Gopi, I felt that Nivin would be ideal as the laidback youngster. Nivin burst into laughter when he heard the story and came aboard the project enthusiastically,” says Dijo.
As Nivin and producer Listin Stephen were already discussing a project, Listin agreed to produce it under his banner, Magic Frames, adds the director.
Dijo Jose Antony (right) on the location of Malayalee from India | Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT
Dhyan Sreenivasan essays Malghosh, Gopi’s best friend. Anaswara Rajan, Manju Pillai, Shine Tom Chacko and Salim Kumar are in the cast.
The director says he aims for freshness in his movies, whether it be in the cast or theme. He feels the casting of Nivin and Anaswara as the lead pair would be interesting as both were acting together for the first time.
“It is a typical idyllic life in a village but for Gopi’s and Malghosh’s politics, which land them in trouble. One particular incident, sparked by their ignorance and hot-headedness, culminates in violence and that becomes a turning point in his life,” says Dijo.
Gopi is forced to flee abroad for his safety and he is forced to removes the filters of polarisation that clouds his vision and sees the world anew.
With eight songs, all scored by Jakes Bejoy, it is clear that Dijo, a techie-turned-filmmaker, has not turned his back on his days as a music director. “Of course not, it was music that brought me to tinsel town. I had a band and had participated in live shows. Jakes was an inspiration. But it was when I directed Queen that I realised how much I enjoyed being behind the camera.”
He believes that it is music that gives enables him to work as a director too.
