The aurally challenged may find their world low on decibels but emotions reach them with subtler, clearer sounds. Portraying emotions hence may come more naturally to them than for those with normal hearing abilities. Probably why Mounaksharangal , which has a cast line-up of over 200 aurally challenged actors, is not a silent movie but one with enough drama and dialogues to match the ‘normal’ films on show.
The movie, which hit cinemas on Friday, is about people trying to make things work despite odds. And it is not just the cast that is specially abled. Its associate director Bavish Bal is paraplegic, yet his being bound to wheelchair did not deter him from ably assisting the director Devadas Kallurutti.
Shot in Palakkad and Kozhikode, it revolves around a young mute girl who makes it to the Indian Administrative Service. “The movie will be an inspiration to all who think that they failed in life,” Mr. Baveesh says.
Explaining why the film was made with a larger audience in view, Mr. Bavish Bal says, “Mainstream cinema has been ignorant of the need to make films enjoyable to the aurally challenged. But we do not want to make the same mistake.” Dubbing by expert artistes has made the film quite an experience to watch. The idea of a movie with a complete hearing impaired cast came up at an expo held at the Regional Deaf Centre more than a year ago. After the storyline of Mounaksharangal was in place, a Statewide talent hunt was launched for the cast. Most of the actors were residents of the Regional Deaf Centre, Thamarasseri. They had to undergo training for over five months to learn to move their lips in a way that seems natural. Sreelakshmi, Ashif, Madhu and Akhila play major roles in the film.
It is produced by Ramesh Mavoor, and Rajeev Kouthukam is the cinematographer. The movie has four songs composed by Salam Veeroli on the lyrics of Premdas Guruvayur. They have been rendered by Biju Narayanan, Shreya Jayadeep, Sindhu Premkumar and Jyothi Krishna.
