Behind the scenes of

Clockwise from left) (Left to right, standing) Vinay Forrt, Madan Babu K, Sudheer Babu, Jolly Anthony and Sijin Sijeesh; (sitting, from left) Prasanth Madhavan, Sanosh Murali, Aji Thiruvamkulam, Nandan Unni, Anand Ekarshi and Santhosh Piravom; Sudheer Babu teaching dramatics; Ananthakrishnan Gopinathan; (below) Zarin Shihab. freewheeling discussions reveal how the actors had to learn and relearn to act for the camera.

Jolly Anthony is a tile layer; Aji Thiruvamkulam works as a painter; Santhosh Piravom has a vegetable shop and also drives an autorickshaw; Sijin Sijeesh runs a motor winding workshop; Sanosh Murali is a percussionist in a temple; Prasanth Madhavan is a tour operatorl; Sudheer Babu is a teacher of drama, Madhan Babu K is a senior government employee and so on. Writerdirector Anand was Sudheer’s student in school and that is how he came to Lokadharmi.

Of camaraderie

“But once they are together, it is their camaraderie that is noteworthy. And it is not that they discuss only theatre. They are like any group of friends hanging out. Their lives and their struggle are integral to their evolution as actors. That struggle is not unique and it is relatable,” believes Ananthakrishnan.

Thespians of Aattam is also a tribute to Lokadharmi and its school of acting that has shaped the actors.

Towards the end of the documentary, it is heartwarming to listen to the actors talk about how Aattam has given them the hope that they might be able to make a living from cinema and also aspire to make their name as film actors.

Ananthakrishnan says depending on how the film is received, the team plans to send it to festivals. Although documentaries on select films from Hollywood have a wide audience, not many documentaries have been made on the making of a Malayalam film.

Hopefully, Thespians of Aattam might inspire other filmmakers.

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