Palam Friends were pleasantly surprised when Agriculture Minister V.S. Sunil Kumar mentioned them in his Facebook post.
Their short film, Nimitham - Oru Kunju Padam, had captured the Minister’s interest for its simple message effectively delivered during the COVID-19 crisis.
Nimitham is a very short film of less than five minutes directed by Rahul Maruthonkara. The story and script are by Aneesh Kuttiyil. Behind the film is a much bigger crew of around 15 persons, known as Palam Friends, for they usually get together on the bridge at Maruthonkara near Kuttiadi in Kozhikode.
The film is the result of a casual effort by these friends to use the lockdown period creatively. It is amateurish, and the voice quality is very poor in certain parts. However, it is the message that makes Nimitham special.
The plot surrounds a group of youngsters being ridiculed by a wealthy man for taking up agriculture on a vacant plot. However, the produce comes in handy for him when he fails to get vegetables during the lockdown. With a change of heart, he joins the youngsters in their endeavour.
“We had taken up agriculture during last summer. But we had no experience as shown in the film,” said Rahul Maruthonkara, adding that they never expected such a positive feedback.
The film ends with a message encouraging people of the State to take up agriculture instead of depending on imported vegetables and wishing that the COVID-19 crisis would serve as an eye-opener.