The innkeeper’s guests

Film director M. Mohanan enjoys a well-crafted story like most of us. But, for him, a film has to be more than just an interesting story. He believes that it has to be based on a bedrock of social commitment. So each of his four movies, right from his Katha Parayumbol, his directorial debut, has had that social component woven into its warp and weft. And so it is with his fifth film, Aravindante Adhithikal, starring the father-son duo of Sreenivasan and Vineeth Sreenivasan after a fairly long interval.

Written by Rajesh Raghavan, the story is about residents and pilgrims in the temple town of Kollur, where the famous Mookambika temple is situated. “Since the temple is surrounded by wilderness, lodging has been never easy for pilgrims visiting Kollur. A few decades ago, many of the visitors used to stay in the house or guest houses of the Adigas (priests) of the temple or in humble lodges,” says Mohanan.

Film director M. Mohanan   | Photo Credit: special arrangement

“Even today, despite the presence of hotels with modern amenities, accommodation during the peak seasons and during the vacations can be a problem. Many pilgrims then turn to lodges run by small-time entrepreneurs. Vineeth, essaying the lead role of Aravindan, acts as a tout for a lodge he runs with Madhavan, his foster father, played by Sreenivasan. Aravindan scouts for tourists arriving at the bus stop to stay at the lodge,” narrates Mohanan.

As Mohanan points out pilgrim centres attract people from all over India and there are many who try to make a living catering to the pilgrims and place of worship there. So, there are flower sellers, teashop owners, small-scale shopkeepers and so on... all of whom depend on the temple to earn their living. He adds that the movie is about Aravindan and his interactions with the pilgrims who visit the temple town from all over Kerala.

Illustrious cast

What was it like to work with Sreenivasan again after his superb role as Balan, the barber, in Katha Parayumbol, his first film as director? “He is a veteran and, with him around, there are no difficulties at all. He was at home while giving life to Madhavan. There are quite a few senior actors in the film and it was a pleasure to watch them go about their work with confidence. Even youngsters like Nikhila Vimal did a good job,” avers Mohanan.

A still from Aravindante Adhithikal   | Photo Credit: Special arrangement

After a while Urvashi returns to cinemas with her character Girija, a rustic woman who reaches Kollur with her daughter Varada, enacted by Nikhila, while Aju Varghese’s Rasheed operates a jeep that takes pilgrims to Kodachadri. KPAC Lalitha, Vijayaraghavan, Baiju, Kottayam Nazeer and Premkumar are also in the cast. Shanti Krishna plays a cameo. “It is about life in a pilgrim centre. But there is an underlying thread in the story — that of Aravindan who was abandoned by his mother during the festival of Navaratri, when he was just five years old. Madhavan takes him under his wing and brings him up but the youngster hopes, someday, he would be able to meet his mother. He strongly believes she would return to the same temple where she had abandoned the child,” narrates Mohanan.

Since Kollur’s landscape has changed a lot from the serene place it was, Mohanan decided to shoot in Kumbakonam to get the right ambience. Swaroop Philip’s camera captures the ebb and flow of life in a pilgrim centre.

“We also shot extensively in and around the temple and also Kodachadri and the famous sarvajna peetha,” adds the film director.

Music for Aravindante Adhithikal has been composed by Shaan. “He was roped in on Vineeth’s suggestion and since he is an accomplished singer and director, I did not have to break my head over the music. Shaan and Vineeth are old friends and so I was happy to involve Vineeth in all the discussions about music,” says Mohanan.

The filmmaker candidly says that the movie is a feel-good one that tries to cater to families making the most of summer vacations. However, he adds that he is not raising his hopes high as two of his previous films, 916 and My God, did not do as well as his first two flicks, Katha Parayumbol and Manikyakkallu. “It is difficult to gauge what will click with the audience but I am glad that the film has been received well at most centres. It was made with a lot of passion,” he says.