Ottal, a film that was inspired by a photograph in The Hindu, won director Jayaraj international acclaim. Viewers from different parts of the world had spoken to him, in admiring tone, about the poignancy of the plot and the stunningly beautiful frames of Kuttanad.
But, Jayaraj was acutely aware of a largely untold pain of the land of backwaters even as he was happy to hear those words of praise.
“The incidence of cancer is abnormally high in certain parts of Kuttanad, such as Kainakary,” the National award-winning director told The Hindu here on Tuesday. “A survey that covered 8,091 people from 1,809 houses of the panchayat had found that 91 deaths, that is 27 per cent of the total 334 deaths,were due to cancer. Pesticides and water pollution are the main culprits, according to studies. Long after I completed the shooting of Ottal, the issue refused to leave me,” he said.
That serious issue has found an eloquent expression through a short film Jayaraj has recently completed shooting. The film, titled Prakriti, runs into about nine minutes and is told through the point of view of a photographer, played by Sabitha Jayaraj, who is on a tour of Kuttanad. She meets a little girl (Krishna Theertha), who makes her realise that there is more to Kuttanad than just natural beauty.
The film is rather easy on the eye, thanks to some fine camera work by Nikhil S. Praveen. Jayaraj succeeds in making his point using so few frames.
This is only his second short film, though he has made about 40 features in a career that began in 1990. With films like Kaliyattam, Shantham and Desadanam, he has proved himself as one of the most significant directors of his generation.
His only short film before Prakrithi was Vellappokathil. That was in 2008 and it was based on a short story by Thakazhi.
The film had won Jayaraj the national award for the best director of non-feature films. Prakriti is ready for screening.
“It will be premièred at an international film festival soon,” he said.