Taking on bold subjects in Malayalam movies

PANAJI: Turning his lens on the draconian Unlawful Activities Prevention Act that the government and police are misusing to clamp down on dissenters in Kerala, award-winning Malayalam filmmaker Biju's latest film ‘Kaadu Pookkunna Neram' (When the woods bloom) made its Indian premiere at the 47th International Film Festival of India (Iffi), to a packed audience in Goa on Tuesday.
Malayalam cinema rarely sees political films being made, Biju also known as Bijukumar Damodaran said, adding that his film, based on true incidents in Kerala, explores the controversial Maoist issue and focuses on the politics of humanity. "It's a humanitarian issue. I took a bold stand to tell the truth," says the three-time national award-winning filmmaker.
In the recent past, 200 people, including activists and lawyers, were arrested in Kerala under the act, Biju said. He cited the case of a tribal lady Gouri who was jailed for campaigning for a poll boycott during the run-up to the assembly elections in Kerala in May. "Her only crime was putting up posters. She continues to be in jail," said Biju, who is also a homeopathic district medical officer.
In the film, shot entirely in the forest area, a special battalion has been deployed to do away with the Maoist menace. The force occupies a small primary government school to carry out their duty. A twist in the film occurs when a policeman chases a tribal only to find that she is a woman. He arrests her and returns to the village with her only to realise that he has lost his way and needs her help to navigate out of the wild.
Unlike the mild characters usually given to female actors in Malayalam movies, she is bold and fights back, even challenging him to shoot her, explains Biju.
whose debut film ‘Saira' in 2005 featured as the opening film in the Cinema of the World Section at the Cannes Film Festival in 2007. He has served as jury member for India's national film awards as well as for India's Oscar selection. This is his fourth film in the Indian Panorama Section at Iffi.