Vijay Sethupathi’s production venture, Merku Thodarchi Malai, has already made a mark at several international film festivals. The movie, directed by Lenin Bharathi, focuses on the landless labour class living on the borders of Kerala and Tamil Nadu. The film had its international premiere at the 17th annual New York Indian Film Festival.
At the screening, the audiences were moved to tears. Speaking from NIFF, director Lenin says, “The screening of Merku... at the NIFF was a great event because people from various cultures came to see the film. There were people who have never been to India nor watched an Indian film, and yet they understood what I wanted to convey and the subtle things I intended to put forth when writing the story, which we discussed after the screening.”
Lenin adds that an American man thanked and questioned him why he made a film of such a genre. “I replied, as a director/writer there are certain issues we want to emphasise on. The audience in New York, even though they are from different cultures, were touched by our story when they saw it on screen. Seeing them receive the film this way was a wonderful experience,” he concludes.
