“I have been a hypocrite all these days and it was a question mark whether I would be able to follow up what I address in my films, till Peranbu happened. An acquaintance inspired me to make a film on those who suffer from spastic paralysis, which is not a disease, but a disorder. But I call it nature,” remarks National Award-winning filmmaker Ram on his upcoming flick Peranbu.
The film, having Mammootty, Anjali and Sadhana in lead roles, has won critical acclaim at prestigious film festivals like Rotterdam, Shanghai and Goa. Ram speaks to DC about the film that is gearing up for Indian theatrical release on February 1.
“Peranbu is all about compassion and resurrection. I didn’t know anything about the disorder called spasticity until a co-passenger on a train told me about it in 2003. It was like an eye-opener for me. I realised how spastics seclude themselves from others,” Ram reveals.
“We don’t notice them. That’s when I decided to make a film on it,” adds Ram.
The film documents the life of a spastic child, the struggles that she and her father go through and how the latter rediscovers him. “Even as I wrote the script, I wanted only Mammootty to essay the role of the father, Amudhavan, as it was my dream to work with a versatile actor like him. I approached him as a performer, rather than a star. I didn’t know how to reach him then. I moved onto Thanga Meengal, in which Padmapriya did a cameo. Since she is a popular name in Malayalam, I asked her help to reach Mammookka. She introduced me to a person called Vivek, but nothing happened for two years. I had started my film Tharamani when I got a call from Vivek asking me to meet Mammootty. I just narrated the story for 20 minutes and he loved it.”
I waited for four years for Sadhana – who acted as the schoolgirl in Thanga Meengal – to grow up for Peranbu, he adds. “I felt Sadhana could do justice to the role of Pappa, the daughter character. And she has done a great job.”
On Anjali, he says, “She debuted with my film Kattradhu Tamizh. She essays a tricky role that any other actress would have hesitated to touch.”
“The response from audiences at international film fests was overwhelming. In Rotterdam, I got all the attention. I travelled free on the local train, and food and wine were served free of cost at the hotel where I stayed. In China, the people who watched the film were so happy that they were taking me to their homes for lunch and dinner (smiles).”
So, what’s the takeaway from the film, we ask. “After watching the movie, everyone would feel blessed and relaxed. It would inspire them to have a positive outlook towards life.”
