‘Panchavadipalam’ posters reappear as a campaign tool

KOCHI: When the assembly election was announced, it was almost sure that the LDF would make the plight of the Palarivattom flyover a hot topic. Now, as expected, the posters of the movie Panchavadipalam have reappeared in many parts of Kalamassery constituency. Whenever a bridge, whose quality is called into question in the state, people refer to it as  ‘Panchavadipalam.’

The Palarivattom flyover which was rebuilt after it developed cracks soon after commissioning, is becoming a hot topic in the assembly poll, especially in Ernakulam and nearby constituencies. The flyover, which was constructed during the UDF Government’s tenure, was commissioned in 2016.  However, it was closed in May 2019 after nearly 2,000 cracks were found on the girders and pier caps. The bridge was later reconstructed and opened for traffic.

Adding to the reappearance of the poster at Kalamassery is the fact that it is the son of V K Ebrahim Kunju, the minister who is accused in the Palarivattom scam, is the UDF candidate in the constituency.
While hearing the case related to the Palarivattom flyover, the Kerala High Court too had observed that the plight of the flyover reminds one of the film ‘Panchavadipalam,’ the theme of which centres around a bridge that collapses on the day of inauguration.The movie is also touted as one of the finest political satires ever made in Mollywood. Directed by master filmmaker K G George, the movie is regarded as a cult classic.