Cinema in the spotlight
Malayalam film Varshangalkku Shesham, directed by Vineeth Sreenivasan, revolves around two friends wanting to make it big in films
popular Malayalam film magazines such as Nana, Vellinakshatram and Chithrabhumi which carried articles and interviews of those working in cinema. It was a different world and most of the news on cinema was shared only through these magazines and not through television or social media. Those inspired me.” He recollects how during stage shows, actors like Mukesh and the late Innocent used to regale the team with stories of life in Madras and cinema.
Vineeth was able to get a ringside view of filmmaking and the action while Sreenivasan was shooting for Priyadarsan’s Chandralekha, starring Sreenivasan and Mohanlal.
“Before I became a resident of the city, it was a place that had always fascinated me. I had stayed for short periods in Kodambakkam, Ashok Nagar and so on… I believe that Varshangalkku Sesham has captured that mood of tinsel town in the Seventies and Eighties.”
Starring many of the actors he worked with in his previous film, Hridayam, Varshangalkku Shesham has a huge star cast, including Nivin Pauly, Aju Varghese, Basil Joseph and Kalyani Priyadarshan, among others.
Shot in 40 days on sets in Kerala, Coimbatore and Pollachi, the movie recreates the Kodambakkam and studios of Chennai at Aroor, Kochi. Some of the oldtime studio scenes were shot in Coimbatore and Pollachi. “A lot of hard work and planning has gone into this shooting. Art director Nimesh Thanur reimagined Madras for us at Aroor.”
Multi-faceted
Vineeth wears many hats — writer, actor, director, lyricist, singer and composer — all with elan. He has also brought in several newbies who are now making waves in movies. This time, he introduces musician Amrit Ramnath, who makes his debut as a music director. “He is in his twenties and I felt his perspective would be interesting and enhance the film.”
Vineeth admits that his decisions to choose a teammate are largely based on intuition.
“Usually, I narrate stories that are in my comfort space. Varshangalkku Shesham is a completely different film. It is a movie about cinema. I like working with newcomers as they bring in fresh perspectives and ideas.”