It all started when Ajay’s friend, scriptwriter Siby Kodiyattu, posted a picture of Che Guevara and mentioned that Ajay looked a lot like Che. The two of them immediately got the idea for a short film on Che Guevara and scripted Nine/10, which will go on floors next week.
“We were considering making a short film together for a long time and when this idea clicked we thought there couldn’t have been a better opportunity. Most of the youngsters in our generation know Che Guevara as that guy on the red T-shirt. We hope the short film will shed some light on his life for the Kerala audience and explore the legend that he was. Nine/10 will deal with the last days of Che Guevara — his life in the Bolivian forests, his capture and his execution.
“Since people tell me my face already resembles that of Che Guevara, I haven’t changed my appearance much. The moustache and beard were added to match Che Guevara’s looks and, since we are dealing with a period when he was in exile and living in a forest, I have tried to become thin to make the character appear more authentic,” says Ajay, who was last seen in Aadu — Oru Bheegara Jeevi Aanu.
Referring to the plot, he adds, “The film tries to explore the human and romantic side of Che Guevara, the respect that he commanded even from his enemies and the cruelty that was meted out to him by the commandos. It is based mostly on historical facts, but some elements have been highlighted to make it suitable for cinema. The film is being directed by 20-year-old Rohan Raj, editing by Vishnu Venugopal and music by Tony. An interesting aspect is that the camera for the short film will be handled by a woman, Shani Joseph. We released the first look poster of the short film on June 14, Che Guevara’s birth anniversary. The shoot, which will be for three days, will start next week in Pathanamthitta. The short film will also feature Anand Gopinath, Shabin T.V., Ananthu Balachandran, Nithya Renji, Sajesh Nambiar, Siby K, Ana Aboobacker, Abhi Shivam, Arun M.S., Anoop M.S. and Midhun G, many of whom are actors who have been doing small roles in the industry, just like me.”
