Rahul Riji Nair calls his film a tale of survival, a no-frills take on an entirely real, familiar and brutal theme - domestic violence.
Set in a remote hilltop village flanked by woods and decaying tea plantations, Ottamuri Veedu is the story of Sudha, a newly-wed woman trapped in an abusive marriage.
“It explores the subjects of isolation, privacy and violence through a wife who has to brave torture and humiliation,” Rahul says about the film that clinched four State awards including the one for best film.
The film zooms into the single room house where Sudha lives with her husband Chandran, his mother, and brother.
The couple’s private space is separated with thin cloth curtains and inside it is a weird light bulb burning 24x7.
“Chandran, a mechanic, considers it an invention, never allowing anyone to turn it off.”
The director says light is more of a metaphor in the movie. “Usually light is considered a positive motif, something that spreads hope and cheer. But in this situation it assumes another role, often pouring into the room some eerie tints.”
The film was shot in a real single room house at Bonacaud, one of the cramped plantation apartments known as ‘layams’.
“The backdrop of the film is as important as its characters. It once used to be a busy plantation, but when Sudha arrives it’s more of a ghost town with just a few families living there. It’s so cut off from the rest of the world with an air of gloom and despair.”
Female-centric
Basically a female-centric narrative, he says the film has Vineetha Koshy, who grabbed special jury award for her portrayal of Sudha, going through an entire gamut of emotions.
“She is a normal cheerful bride who is suddenly thrown to this ordeal. The film shows how she suffers, revolts and finally finds a way of redemption. The film also deals with marital rape, an act of criminality which still remains largely undefined in India,” he says.
An engineering graduate who quit a lucrative career to pursue this passion, Rahul is also the producer of the film.
“From the concept to final cut, the film took only around five months. Many cast and crew members are debutants like me and many of them didn’t take any remuneration for the film. It’s basically a team work,” he adds.
