Five directors; five short films and one feature film. That is not the only interesting aspect of 5 Sundarikal. Three of the five directors are also hot shot cinematographers in the film industry while an ace cinematographer is the director of photography of one of the movies.
According to the directors involved in its making, 5 Sundarikal is a five-film anthology of love. Each film is of approximately 30 minutes duration and “is a collective realisation of brotherhood and camaraderie between the directors and the core crew.”
Amal Neerad’s Kullante Bharya, Anwar Rasheed’s Aami, Aashiq Abu’s Gowri, Sameer Thahir’s Esha and Shyju Khalid’s Sethulakshmi are the five films.
Each of the films is independent, with the directors given full freedom to decide on their style and cast. The link is the theme and that it is essentially focussed on female characters.
“Still, this one is not a female centric film and every character has an important part to perform,” clarifies Amal Neerad, who is also the producer of the film.
5 Sundarikal hits the screens today and here is a close look into each of the films in the pack.
SETHULAKSHMI
Cinematographer Shyju Khalid makes his debut as a director. His film is based on ‘Photo’, a short story by M. Mukundan. Alby is the cinematographer and Yakzan Gary Pereira is the music director. “It’s about two young school kids and their friendship. One of them has a hobby of cutting out snaps of newly-wed couples from newspapers and pasting the photographs in a book. After a while, they decide to take a photo,” says Shyju. Both the child artistes, Anikha and Chethan, have appeared in several films. Aranya Kaandam-fame Somasundaram is also part of the cast.
AAMI
Aami narrates certain events happening on an eventful night. “The character that I am playing is on a late night drive from Malappuram to Kochi. Certain incidents that he encounters during the trip make him realise aspects that has to do with his own life,” says Fahadh Faasil. Honey Rose and Ashmita Sood enact the female leads.
“I think it is tougher to do this short film than a full-length feature film, because all the movies come together and need to blend perfectly. I found the character exciting. As a short film, it has to be short and simple. I am using a Malappuram accent in it,” he says.
Anwar Rasheed has helmed the flick that has been filmed by Amal.
KULLANTE BHARYA
Based on a Chinese story, Amal Neerad’s Kullante Bharya, scripted by Unni R., has Dulquer Salmaan “in a rather serious role, different from what we have seen until now, with shades of certain persons who are known to us.”
Dulquer agrees, “Yes, I am playing a character who is perhaps a little more worldy wise than what I have portrayed in the past,” adding that he is not supposed to reveal any other details. Reenu Mathews, who played the female lead in Emmanuel, is playing a normal middleclass housewife.
“The other films have the female characters' names as the title, but this one has been narrated as a ‘point of view’ or as a voyeur account,” explains Amal who has handed over the camera to Ranadive. Music director is Gopi Sundar.
GOWRI
”My story unfolds in a hill station like Munnar and is the love story of a married couple,” says Aashiq. Kavya Madhavan, Biju Menon, Jayasurya, Rimi Tomi and Tini Tom are the actors in the film. “I am doing a guest role in the film. I wanted to be a part of the film, when Aashiq called me for the role,” says Jayasurya. Ace cinematographer, director and producer Rajeev Ravi is behind the camera. Music director is Bijibal.
ESHA
”This project started with our film and the shooting was completed in four days or so. For me, it was great to be part of a film, which had quite a number of top-notch technicians in the business, coming together. Teamwork and friendship were the highpoints of the making of this movie. The whole team complemented each other in a beautiful way,” says Nivin Pauly. Director and cinematographer Sameer Thahir directs this film scripted by director-scenarist Siddharth Bharathan and filmed by Shyju Khalid.
Nivin plays a stranger entering a woman’s house on a dubious mission on a New Year’s Eve. Bollywood actor Isha Sharvani makes her debut in Mollywood in this film. The stranger and the woman strike a chord. “She was really friendly and was a great co-star,” says Nivin, about Isha. Prashant Pillai scores the music of this film.
