Kottayam Nazeer is a happy man. The preview of his debut directorial – a short film titled Kuttichan—is just over. At Lal Media, where the preview happened, he is busy meeting his friends. He sounds thrilled as he speaks about Kuttichan, which tells the story of a handsome and hardworking farmer from the high ranges. The story is told through the words of Paili, Kuttichan’s best friend, as audience sees it through the latter’s eyes. Kuttichan’s eyes serve as the camera. The audience never gets to see the protagonist.
“That was a conscious decision,” says Nazeer. “I wanted to try a different format. I felt telling Kuttichan’s story without showing his face would be a novel technique.” Besides Kuttichan and Paili, there are three other characters, played by Maala Parvathi, Maya and Maria. The entire story is revealed through their conversations, taken in a single shot.
Though viewers don’t see Kuttichan, they could fathom his emotions from the way his eyes move and, at last, well up. The vision becomes blur when he cries. “We had doubts about the blurred part. Fortunately, it came out well,” sighs Nazeer.Jaffer Idukki, who appears as Paili, is the highlight of Kuttichan. “I had approached a few actors before zeroing in on him. I feel he was the right choice. Be it in cinema or real life, hero’s sidekick has certain mannerisms. The way they talk and walk is something unique. I saw those features in Jaffer ikka. And, he showed justice to the character. Usually, when you act as a character above your age, you tend to go artificial. However, he has done it smoothly and naturally.”
The film, which weaves friendship and love, was shot in 2018 soon after Nazeer’s art exhibition. “In short film, you convey a message within a small frame. I felt that love and friendship, two universal themes, would be apt for that.” Cinematography is by Kanakaraj while Gopi Sundar has done the background score.
This is a small step as Nazeer is working on his first feature film. “Making a movie is not an easy task. It is a long process. Everything including the actor’s date has to fall into line. I am working on a project. If everything goes well, it will come out this year,” he signs off.
