Filmmaker Jude Anthany Joseph still can’t digest the fact that someone wrote a script with him as the protagonist. The director of hits such as Ohm Shanthi Oshaana and Oru Muthassi Gadha is basking in the success of the “first full-length role of my acting career” in the short film, Mattoru Kadavil, directed by Rahul K Shaji. The short has crossed eight lakh views within a week of its release on YouTube.
Jude Anthany Joseph and Swasika in a still from the short film ‘Mattoru Kadavil’ | Photo Credit: Special arrangement
Jude is Rameshan, a guy with an inferiority complex on account of his looks and receding hairline. His confidence goes for a fall after marrying lissome and outgoing Geetha (Swasika). Even though she has no hangups, Rameshan becomes suspicious, especially when she goes to the riverside for her bath daily. He tries in vain to stop her. But Geetha is aware of her husband’s plans and decides to play along to teach him a lesson.
“He is another Thalathil Dineshan, a memorable character in Malayalam cinema,” says Rahul, referring to the character created and portrayed by Sreenivasan in his own directorial venture Vadakkunokkiyanthram. “People might be misled by the title. But there is no skin show. The film explores the mindscape of a husband with a inferiority complex,” he adds. Story is by Rahul and Summesh Maddhu.
Upbeat mood
Although the subject is not new, Jude was enthused about playing Rameshan. “I enjoy acting and have never hesitated to request for a role, be it to Alphonse Puthran in Premam or Shine chettan [Abrid Shine] in Action Hero Biju. Only few roles have come in search of me and those have been turning points of my career. Like the one in Velipadinte Pusthakam. Even though some portions were edited out, thanks to my performance in the song, ‘Jimikki Kammal’, I was invited to judge a dance reality show! So I feel something positive might come out of Rahul’s film as well,” laughs Jude.
- Jude was forced to stall his project 2403ft, based on the floods in Kerala in 2018, because of the lockdown. “We had finished one schedule. We don’t know when we will be able to restart the project because it can’t be shot with social distancing norms in place,” he says. However, he is pleased that he has received four “terrific scripts” after he posted a call from scripts on his social media page during the lockdown. “They are by new writers. If 2403ft gets delayed, I might start working on one of those scripts,” he says.
He adds that positive feedback for the film has uplifted his mood during the pandemic. “We all have been at home for the last five months. Even though this project was shot much before the lockdown, it felt as if I had done some work,” he says.
Saju Navodaya (Pashanam Shaji) makes his début in short films with this project. Director Boban Samuel, last seen as an actor in Anjaam Pathira, is also in the cast.
Rahul K Shaji | Photo Credit: Special arrangement
Rahul says that it was a deliberate decision to cast familiar names. “A leading actor told me that Malayalam short filmmakers don’t know how to handle popular artistes in their projects. I wanted to prove him wrong,” says Rahul.
The film is also being promoted as a sequel to Rahul’s first short film, Kuliscene, released in 2013. “It is a sequel as both films revolve around a bathing ghat,” he says. Kuliscene is about Sunny (played by radio jockey, Mathukutty), a peeping tom, who becomes the laughing stock after he is caught red-handed.
Shot in and around Mannoor in Muvattupuzha by cinematographer Rajesh Subramaniam, Mattoru Kadavil has music by Rahul Raj.