The unique cultural legacy of Thekkepuram, comprising the famous Kuttichira area and its centuries-old settlements, will unfurl in a 90-minute documentary film to be produced by Thekkepuram Creations, a cultural collective in the city.
Though there are a number of books and other forms of literary works published on the life and cultural characteristics of the historically significant place, this is for the first time a documentary film is being made, said M.V. Ramsi Ismail, chief coordinator of the collective.
The film, for which research work and other preparations are under way, will be completed in a few months and its switch-on ceremony will be organised in November, said Mr. Ismail.
A team of three veteran journalists K. Aboobacker (Abu), K.P. Kunhimoosa, and Hassan Vadiyil, who have personal connection with the region, will write the script for the film. Historian M.G.S. Narayanan and writer N.P. Hafiz Mohammed will be the chief patrons of the project.
The documentary, to be directed by Suno Varghese, will cover a wide range of aspects, including the sociological, cultural, educational, religious, and entrepreneurial facets of its people. It will also focus on inter-religious co-existence, rare customs and traditions of the matrilineal society, celebrated hospitality, and the unique cultural contributions of the region to society, said Mr. Ismail.
Thekkepuram as a region is geographically defined with the Arabian Sea in the west, railway tracks in the east, Kallayi River in the south, and the Silk Street in the north.
“However, the film will approach the region with a cultural boundary in mind,” said members of Thekkepuram Creation, who convened a meeting to discuss the production in the city on Wednesday.
The film, which will be a comprehensive visual document on the region, will be brought out in two compact discs with duration of 45 minutes each and will be produced with the help of sponsors from the region.
“The total expense is expected to be Rs.5 lakh,” said Mr. Ismail, who maintained that the film would be ready for release before March next year.
