Vikraman and Muthu need no introduction if you have grown up on Mayavi , a comic strip series in children’s magazine Balarama . Two thieves on the run always plan a heist that invariably goes awry; the duo’s misadventures and escapades have regaled readers for several years in the written as well as animated form. The dumb pair also found a place in master filmmaker Lijo Jose Pellissery’s film Amen , as the two goons imported by the heroine’s father to finish off her lover, Solomon (Fahadh Faasil).
Murali Krishnan S
They are now protagonists of a ‘photo story’ by Murali Krishnan S. Although ‘photo story’ is a concept wherein a story is narrated through a series of photographs, Murali has included script and dialogues with each photograph. “The opinion is divided on how a photo story should be. Some feel that snaps alone should convey the theme. I always post script and dialogues along with each photo because that helps in developing the story,” says Murali.
Although the comic revolves around Mayavi, the good imp, and his friends, Raju and Radhu, who are always up against Kuttoosan, Dakini, Luttappi, Vikraman and Muthu, Murali has tweaked the narrative in his photo story. The plot is about how Lottulodukku and Gulugulumaal, the evil scientists in the comic strip, experiment with their new gadget, which they hope would get them the Nobel Prize. It is a time travel machine, which they try out on Vikraman and Muthu, who often tamper with or steal their inventions. Fooled by the scientists, they first end up in 1970 where they meet Puttalu, another character from Mayavi and later travel to the future, 2070.
A still from the photo story
“The scientists have no control over the gadget now. To know more, you will have to wait for the second and last part of the series!” Murali says.
The artistes, Kannan Nayar as Vikraman and Anand Manmadhan as Muthu, wear the same clothes as those worn by the characters in the comic strip — Vikraman in his trademark T-shirt with yellow and brown/black stripes and blue pants, and Muthu, sporting blue sleeveless vest and red pants. Perhaps the only difference is that Vikraman has a thick beard, an aftermath of a broken heart.
What makes the series captivating is the script, laced with humour and based around several contemporary incidents. “It is my dream to write in movies and I am testing the waters through my script in the photo stories. Comedy reaches out to more people,” says Murali, an electrical engineer who quit his job in West Asia early this year to try his luck in cinema. “I didn’t want to make a short film, which is what every aspiring filmmaker does these days. Photography has been a passion for me and ever since I bought a camera in 2014, I have been fully into it,” adds the 27-year-old.
A collective effort
Murali already has five other photo stories to his credit, the recent one being a different take on three mythical characters in Fazil’s Manichithrathazhu — Nagavally, Ramanathan and Sankaran Thampi. He adds that the work is a collective effort, with many of his friends contributing to the storyline.
Other actors in the series are Rahul Nair R (Puttalu), Gibin G Nair (Lambodaran), and Ravi Sankar (Gulugulumal). Murali says that many more surprises are in store for the second part. He plans to focus on women for his next photo story project.
