‘Thalappavu’ a wake up call, says Madhupal

Staff Reporter

It is the actor-turned director’s debut film

Film is about the killing of naxalite leader Varghese

Madhupal says film not a reflection of his sympathies

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Actor-turned director Madhupal’s debut film ‘Thalappavu’ is a wake up call for a society that is becoming increasingly meek and submissive.

The film is based on the real-life confession of a police constable about the gunning down of naxalite leader Varghese (played by Prithiviraj) in a fake encounter nearly 30 years ago. It captures the mental agony of the policeman. Addressing a meet-the-press programme held in the city on Sunday, Mr. Madhupal said the challenge was in telling a familiar story in a ‘realistic manner’ devoid of the documentary feel.

“How to adapt a popular political struggle without distorting facts to the big screen was our main concern,” he said. However, Mr. Madhupal denied allegations that the film set against the backdrop of the naxalite movement reflected his sympathies for the political ideology. The film is not an attempt to show my sympathy or political views. It is a reminder to a society that has forgotten how to respond to the problems faced by human beings,” he said.

Babu Janardhanan who penned the script said he had carried out extensive research on the life of the revolutionary leader before capturing it on paper. “The spark for the script came from the revelation made by Ramachandran Nair (the police constable) through television channels that he was forced to kill Varghese,” said Mr. Janardhanan. “The revelation struck me and I started to think about the mental agony he had to endure by suppressing the fact for nearly 30 years,” he said.

Actor Lal plays the role of the distraught police constable in the movie. “I wanted someone who could convey the feeling of being bold and helpless at the same time,” said Mr. Madhupal about choosing Lal for the role.