‘Kutty Srank' sails through

It has been smooth sailing for Shaji N. Karun's ‘Kutty Srank' (Sailor of Hearts), right from its world premiere in Montreal and its Pusan outing. The only Malayalam feature film that was selected for the ongoing Indian Panorama at the International Film Festival of India at Goa, ‘ Kutty Srank' will have its Indian premiere today (November 27) and then go to the Dubai Film Festival.

Ace cinematographer-turned-director Shaji says ‘Kutty Srank,' enacted by Mammootty, is the story of a traveler who was at home in the waters of Kerala. Set in the mid-Fifties, the film unfolds through the eyes of three women – Revamma, Pemenna and Kali – whose memories resurrect the life and times of this man.

Superb portrayal

“Mammootty has come up with a superb portrayal of this enigmatic, multifaceted man who seems to go beyond religion and region. He even speaks in the three distinct dialects of Onatakkara, Kochi and Northern Kerala. Even his name ( ‘Kutty') does not give us a clue to his religion. ‘Srank' goes back to the days when Arabian traders visited the shores of Kerala for black gold – pepper; the ‘Sranks' used to pilot the ships into the ports,” explains Shaji.

As the three women's memories weave a picture of the man, the film also touches upon the trade links of the emerald State and its ties with countries and people, far and near. Colonial and post-colonial repercussions, its impact on society, economy, faith and culture are reflected in the film. It touches upon the ripple effect of Ambedkar's decision to embrace Buddhism.

“It was a period of great idealism. Revamma, played by Padmapriya, is one such youngster from North Kerala, who becomes a Buddhist nun to atone for, what she perceives, her father's sins. While Revamma meets him in Northern Kerala, Pemenna, enacted by Kamalini Mukherjee, meets him in Kochi where he is a member of a Chavittunatakam troupe and Kali, essayed by Sri Lankan actor Meena Kumari, encounters him in Travancore. The film progresses through the narratives of the three women, blurring fact and imagination,” says Shaji.

He points out that he was keen on having Anjuli Shukla as the cinematographer as he wanted a woman's perspective to bring alive the women's memories of Kutty Srank. P.F. Mathews and Harikishan have written the script of the story conceptualised by the director himself.

Shaji's directorial ventures include ‘Piravi,' ‘Swaham,' ‘Shyam's Vision,' ‘ Vanasprastham' and ‘AKG.' After his stint as jury chief for the international short film competition in Goa, Shaji plans to begin work on his next film, ‘Gadha,' starring Mohanlal in the lead.

“It is about a playback singer and her possessive husband who fails to understand his wife. Eventually, her dairy helps him understand her better,” narrates Shaji. He plans to make it as a musical, a first for the director.

Admitting that his work with Aravindan played a great role in shaping his outlook towards cinema and filmmaking, he rues that those halcyon days of Malayalam cinema seems to be taking a beating because of hackneyed and thoughtless attempts to imitate films from other languages.

“Fortunately for us, all our top actors have always supported good cinema but we need bold directors and script writers who will experiment and go beyond the beaten track. Most importantly, we need bold producers who will back those directors. In the Seventies, we had a producer like Ravindran Nair who had the courage of conviction to back directors like P. Bhaskaran, Adoor and Aravindan,” explains Shaji. A little wistfully he points out: “Till now, I regret, none of my films were produced by someone from Kerala. I had to find others to bankroll my projects. My next film will also receive some funding from French agencies.”

Shaji believes Malayalam cinema has to find its mooring to go places in world cinema.

Shaji N. Karun is jury chief for the international short film competition in Goa. He was one of the members of the five-member international jury of the 11th Mumbai International Festival, which included the likes of Paul Schrader, Jafar Panahi and Philippine filmmaker Brillante Mendoza. Shaji had honoured Theo Angelopoulos, renowned Greek filmmaker, for lifetime achievement in cinema, at a function in Mumbai. According to Shaji, festivals inspire him to aspire to make world-class films in Malayalam. “It shows me how far I have to travel,” he says modestly.

Cameron’s ‘Avatar’ wins best drama honour at Globes

The science-fiction blockbuster “Avatar” won best drama at the Golden Globes and picked up the directing honor for James Cameron on Sunday, raising the “Titanic” filmmaker’s prospects for another Academy Awards triumph.

It was a repeat of Cameron’s Globes night 12 years ago, when “Titanic” won best drama and the directing prize on its way to dominating the Oscars.

This time, though, instead of being “king of the world”, as Cameron declared at the Oscars, he has become king of an alien landscape, elevating space fantasy to enormous critical acclaim.

“’Avatar’ asks us to see that everything is connected, all human beings to each other, and us to the Earth. And if you have to go four and a half light years to another, made-up planet to appreciate this miracle of the world that we have right here, well, you know what, that’s the wonder of cinema right there, that’s the magic,” Cameron said.

Winning the dramatic-acting honors were Sandra Bullock for the football tale “The Blind Side” and Jeff Brides for the country-music story “Crazy Heart.” The crowd gave a standing ovation to Bridges, a beloved veteran generally overlooked for key Hollywood honors.

The acting prizes for musical and comedy went to Meryl Streep for the Julia Child story “Julie & Julia” and Robert Downey Jr. for the crime romp “Sherlock Holmes.” The supporting-performance Globes were won by Mo’Nique as an abusive welfare mother in “Precious” and Christoph Waltz as a gleefully bloodthirsty Nazi in “Inglourious Basterds.”

The Vegas bachelor bash “The Hangover” won for best musical or comedy, bringing uncharacteristic awards attention for broad comedy, a genre that often gets overlooked at Hollywood honors.

“I just want to thank my mom, who supported my decision to become a director when she realized I wasn’t as smart as my two sisters,” said “Hangover” director Todd Phillips.

As he accepted the directing Globe, Cameron had kind words for ex-wife Kathryn Bigelow, nominated as best director for “The Hurt Locker”.

“Frankly, I thought Kathryn was going to get this. She richly deserves it,” said Cameron, whose “Titanic” earned the directing and best-drama Globes 12 years ago on its way to Academy Awards triumph.

The blockbuster “Up” came away with the award for animated film.

While Streep is a perennial at awards shows, the prize marked a dramatic turning point for Mo’Nique, who was mainly known for lowbrow comedy but startled audiences with her ferocious performance in “Precious: Based on the Novel `Push’ By Sapphire.”

“First let me say, thank you, God, for this amazing ride that you’re allowing me to go on,” the tearful Mo’Nique told the crowd.

She went on with gushing praise for “Precious” director Lee Daniels and newcomer Gabourey Sidibe, a best dramatic actress nominee at the Globes with her first film role, playing Mo’Nique’s abused, illiterate daughter.

“Lee Daniels, the world gets a chance to see how brilliant you are. You are a brilliant, fearless, amazing director who would not waver, and thank you for trusting me,” Mo’Nique said. “To Gabby, sister, I am in awe of you. Thank you for letting me play with you.”

Streep’s competition for best actress in a musical or comedy included herself. She also was nominated for the romance “It’s Complicated.”

“I just want to say that in my long career, I’ve played so many extraordinary woman that I’m getting mistaken for one,” Streep said. “I’m very clear that I’m the vessel for other people’s stories and other people’s lives.”

Waltz, a veteran Austrian actor who is a relative newcomer in Hollywood, won the supporting—actor Globe as a gleefully bloodthirsty Nazi in Quentin Tarantino’s “Inglourious Basterds.”

“A year and a half ago I was exposed to the gravitational forces of Quentin Tarantino,” Waltz said. “He took my modest little world, my globe, and with the power of his talent and his words and his vision, he flung it into its orbit, a dizzying experience.”

Though one of Hollywood’s biggest parties, the Globes bore somber reminders of tragedy in the real world, many stars wearing ribbons in support of earthquake victims in Haiti.

Films from Pixar Animation, the Disney outfit that made “Up,” have won all four prizes for animated movies since the Globes introduced the category in 2006. Past Pixar winners are “WALL-E,” “Ratatouille” and “Cars.”

“Up” features the voice of Ed Asner in a tale of a lonely, bitter widower who renews his zest for adventure by flying his house off under helium balloons to South America, where he encounters his childhood hero and a hilarious gang of talking canines.

“When it came to finding the heart of the film, we didn’t have to look very hard,” said “Up” director Pete Docter, whose film also won for musical score. “Our inspiration was all around us. Our grandparents, our parents, our wives, our kids. Our talking dogs.”

Jason Reitman and Sheldon Turner won the screenplay honor for “Up in the Air,” which Reitman also directed. The foreign-language honor went to “The White Ribbon,” a stark drama of guilt and suspicion set in a German town on the eve of World War I.

“Mad Men” won for best TV drama, while Michael C. Hall won for best actor in a TV drama for “Dexter,” in which he plays a serial killer with a code of ethics, killing only other murderers. Hall’s publicists revealed this past week that Hall is being treated for Hodgkin’s lymphoma and that the cancer is in remission.

“It’s really a hell of a thing to go to work in a place where everybody gives a damn. That’s really the case with `Dexter,”’ Hall said. “It’s a dream job. I’m so grateful.”

“Dexter” also won the supporting-actor TV honor for John Lithgow. Other TV winners included Juliana Margulies as best actress in a drama for “The Good Wife” and Toni Collette as best comedy actress for “The United States of Tara.”

Sunday’s winners could get a last-minute boost for the Oscars, whose nominations balloting closes Saturday. Last year’s big Globe winner, “Slumdog Millionaire,” went on to dominate the Oscars.

The Globes are presented by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, a group of about 90 reporters covering show business for overseas outlets. The show airs live on NBC.

Shah Rukh Khan dubs Hindi version prologue of ‘Pazhassi Raja’

Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan has dubbed the prologue of the Hindi version of multi-lingual film ‘Pazhassi Raja’, a film based on the revolutionary hero from Kerala.

Khan has dubbed the prologue for the Hindi version of the Mammootty-starrer movie, which is releasing simultaneously in five languages including Hindi and English on Friday.

When the film’s director T Hariharan approached Shah Rukh for the movie, the actor readily agreed to do the prologue without even charging a penny.

Praveen VC, Executive Producer of the movie says, “Shah Rukh comes from the family of freedom fighters and feels happy to be associated with such project.”

The Tamil prologue of the movie was also given its due worth when superstar Kamal Haasan dubbed the prologue. The Malayalam original has Mohanlal introducing ‘Pazhassi Raja’ to the audiences through a 45-second prologue, Praveen said.

Priyanka to play Mohanlal's wife in 'Seven Husbands'

Bollywood actress Priyanka Chopra is now set to play Malayalam superstar Mohanlal’s wife in Vishal Bharadwaj’s next movie Seven Husbands.

“Mohanlal will be playing one of Priyanka’s husbands in Seven Husbands. The names of other actors are being kept under wraps as of now,” a source close to the actress told IANS.

This will be for the second time that Priyanka will play multiple characters in a single film. She had essayed 12 roles in Ashutosh Gowariker’s What’s Your Rashee?, but the film failed to pull in audiences.

Seven Husbands” is Bharadwaj’s next venture after his acclaimed movie Kaminey, which also starred Priyanka. The movie is said to be co-written by Bharadwaj and author Ruskin Bond.

'Chemmeen' writer's grandson set for film debut

Doctor-turned filmmaker Raj Nair, who is legendary Malayalam writer Thakazhi Sivasankara Pillai’s grandson, says he is looking forward to the release of “Punyam Aham”, his first full-length feature film.

Dr. Nair, who works as a professor in Oral Medicine in Australia, says he is racing against time to tie the last loose ends of his film, which releases Friday.

“All my leave is over and I am on loss of pay because I was here for the shooting of my film and for the post-production five times last year. I am leaving Sunday and before that my film would be released,” Dr. Nair said.

His first love has always been films and if not for his grandfather, the writer of the award winning “Chemmeen”, he would have headed straight to the film institute in Pune to do a course in cinematography after he graduated in dentistry from Manipal in Karnataka.

Thakazhi was a Jnanpith awardee and the film adaptation of his “Chemmeen” won the National Award for the best film in 1964.

In 2004, Dr. Nair made a feature length docu-drama about his grandmother called “Kazhchavasthukkal” (The Exhibits). It had garnered critical acclaim and was shown at several places outside the country.

“Punyam Aham” is about a son’s journey to learn more about his father and popular actor Prithviraj plays the lead role along with Samvrutha Sunil.

The films also stars veterans like Nedumudi Venu, K.P.A.C. Lalitha and M.R. Gopakumar, among others.

“Punyam Aham” is produced under the banner of Mirabilia Films and the film’s music has been composed by Isaac Thomas Kottukappilly.

But why isn’t Dr. Nair staying on to see the audience’s reaction to his film?

“I am of course happy with my film and now it is for others to judge. It is immaterial that I am not here when the film is being released. If it brings in the audience I will be able to know when I check my bank account,” Dr. Nair said.

The director added that the film would also be released with English sub-titles and would be screened in Australia as well.

Actress Navya Nair weds businessman

South Indian actror Navya Nair, noted for her roles in Malayalam, Kannada and Tamil films, tied the knot with businessman Santosh N. Menon at Cheppad near here on Thursday.

Ms. Nair, who began her movie career with the hit Malayalam movie ‘Ishtam’ in 2001 and went on to win the State Best Actress award the following year for her performance in ‘Nandanam’, has around five yet-to-be completed films in her bag as she tied the knot with Mr. Menon, vice-president of a Mumbai-based exporting firm and son of Narayana and Shantha Menon, originally hailing from Changanassery in Kottayam district.

Ms. Nair, a native of Muthukulam in Alappuzha, is the daughter of Raju, a BSNL employee, and Veena, a school teacher.

The wedding, conducted between 12 p.m. and 12.30 p.m. at the C.K.H.S.S. Grounds, Cheppad, was attended by over 1,500 people, including several film stars such as Suresh Gopi, Thilakan, KPAC Lalitha, Kaviyoor Ponnamma, Divya Unni, Menaka Suresh, Sona Nair, Tamil actor and director Cheran, apart from CPI(M) State Secretary Pinarayi Vijayan, Ministers G. Sudhakaran and Paloli Mohammedkutty, Kerala Congress (B) leader R. Balakrishna Pillai and his son K.B. Ganesh Kumar, among others.

I'm happy with my profession, says Asin

She has worked with the two and is looking forward to work with the third, but actress Asin Thottumkal has already formed an impression about the three Khans in Bollywood.

The Southern beauty started her career in Hindi film industry with Aamir Khan starrer blockbuster ‘Ghajini’ in 2008 and went on to work with Salman Khan in her second film ‘London Dreams’ Last year.

When asked to pick out adjectives to describe the three Khans, Asin said, “Aamir is very focused, Salman has a cool attitude and Shah Rukh, from what I have seen of him, seems to be very charming.”

The 24-year-old actress was in the capital recently to announce the 55th Filmfare Awards to be held on February 27 this year.

Asin has already bagged three Filmfare awards — the first one in 2003 for being the Best Telugu Actress, second was the South Filmfare Best Actress Award for her performance in Tamil film, ‘Ghajini’ and the Filmfare Best Female Debut Award for the Hindi remake of the film.

“I hope to be nominated this year too, but my favourite film for this year’s awards would be ‘3 Idiots’,” said Asin, adding that the film was an “obvious choice” since it has been appreciated by all.

Even though she stepped into the film industry as a teenager, Asin, who hails from Kerala, never dreamt of becoming an actress in her childhood.

“It might sound like a cliche, but becoming an actress was never my ambition. I would have probably gone into academics like my parents. I am the black sheep in my family as no one else has any connection with films,” said Asin.

Having said that, the Southern beauty, who has been a prominent face in Tamil and Telugu films for years now, does not regret her choice.

“Back then, I was too young to think about what I was doing, but now, I am happy with my profession,” she said.

Asin has been often compared to another South Indian actress who has made it big in Bollywood, Sreedevi. When asked about the comparison, the actress said, “She is a great actress and is very close to me as we are neighbours. But I would like to make a name and place for myself in films.”

The actress might be a newcomer in Bollywood, but is not jumping at every offer and taking it slow and steady in terms of film projects.

“I’m taking up select films which excite me, which is why I do not have a number of releases one after another. I have some films in hand now but none of them have gone on floors yet so I cannot reveal anything about them,” said Asin.

She is also one star who believes in staying fit and positive but has no faith in the concept of size zero.

“Do I look like I could believe in size zero? To each his own, but I like to stay healthy and I think confidence, positivity and a good diet can achieve that,” Asin said.

‘Aayirathil Oruvan’ was a brave effort by Selvaraghavan, says Karthi

Young hero Karthi Sivakumar is certain that three years of hard work is bound to result in the success of Pongal-release ‘Aayirathil Oruvan’.

"The feedback about the movie from the fans and those in the industry has been very positive. The film’s distributors are also very happy with the performance of the movie at the box-office," Karthi says sporting an air of confidence.

Karthi feels ‘Aayirathil Oruvan’ was a brave effort by the director Selvaraghavan. "I am proud to be part of this magnum opus. It was a wonderful experience working with Selvaraghavan."

Karthi asserts that the movie was rather in the category of fantasy adventure. "I did a lot of homework for the film. I had learnt ‘silambam’ for my earlier flick ‘Paruthi Veeran’ and it was handy. I had seen the amount of hard work my brother Surya puts in for each film and it certainly inspired me," he says.

Karthi’s next release will be ‘Paiyya,’ directed by Lingusamy. The actor plays the role of a city youth. "It is a youthful subject and it should hit the screens in a month’s time," he informs.

Karthi visited the city theatres on Wednesday where his latest flick is being screened, much to the delight of the audience.

Veer Salman meets real-life heroes

Unlike his contemporaries in Bollywood who popularise their films under the subterfuge of supporting a social cause, actor Salman Khan on Tuesday openly admitted that he was taking the All-India Anti-Terrorist Front chairman M. S. Bitta’s help to promote his blockbuster “Veer” that releases in theatres on January 22.

Salman, who was presented “Pride of Nation Award” at the function for spreading patriotism through ‘Veer,’ himself honoured several awardees. He presented swords to parents of Delhi police officer late M.C. Sharma; Rukhsana Kauser; Kuldeep Singh; Anuradha Gautam; wife of ANI cameraman Vikram Bisht; wife of late Sanjiv Suri and wife of Hindustan Times photographer Pradeep Bhatia.

“To be a brave heart you don’t have to ride a horse and brandish a gleaming sword to frighten the adversary. Some might think it is masochistic to indulge in fisticuffs. All this is nonsense; Generation X must maintain their cool even against greatest provocation. But when it comes to saving an innocent person you shouldn’t think twice before endangering your life,” said Salman, after presenting “Anti Terrorist Front Veer Bravery Awards” at a packed FICCI Auditorium here.

Cautioning the voters

Salman had a word of caution for prospective voters. “As students, you don’t say what political parties and leaders are doing for you? But as voters it becomes your duty to vote for the right candidate and the right dispensation. These days peace can be brokered by signing deals on the negotiating table.”

Taking a dig at media’s constant attention to his marital status Salman said, “Not just wars, even marriages are solemnised on the table. But I am still looking for the table on which my marriage can be registered.”

Referring to incidents of suicide by children under pressure of studies Salman said, “Even if they flunk in exams of Classes XII, IX or VIII they shouldn’t commit suicide by jumping on rail tracks. I know students who very rarely open their textbooks, but they don’t take their lives; it is only the studious lot who due to some compulsion take such unfortunate decisions. Repeating another year in a class shouldn’t become an embarrassment.”

Sharing details of the film, Salman said, “I wrote the script of ‘Veer’ 20 years ago when the trend was of hero-worship. We need to have heroes who we can look up to. Let us the see the fate of my film, if it succeeds then it is everyone’s film and if it flops then I will say the film is mine,’’ he declared.

Singing hosannas of the actor, Bitta said: “I will like to address him as Veer Salman Khan. He can be Salman Khan, Salman Singh, Salman Kumar and Salman Isai. He is a symbol of Hindu, Muslim, Sikh and Christian unity. Media has portrayed him as a hero or associated him with some controversy but they should show his secular side. In his house, every religion is practised. I could have invited some big neta but I know Salman loves children.”