All in a days work

KOCHI: It was on a shoe string budget that Manoj Mopri and Rahul Unnikrishnan set out to make a short film. The movie titled, ‘Idavazhiyile Nazhikakkallu’ had 10 scenes and all of it were completed in a day, beginning from dawn to dusk on the New Year day of 2012.All that the team had with them was a bound script and the cast comprising five, including them. The fledgling filmmakers could not approach professional actors as they had only a meagre amount in their hands. “Initially, we could not even find a producer for the film as no one was ready to financially support a venture by newbies. Yet we were not ready to drop the plan,” says Manoj, director of the film.The next step was to arrange the finances for the film. Manoj, a daily wage labourer, shelled out the maximum amount he could. Shooting began in Palakkad with hired equipment including the camera. It started by around seven in the morning and came to a finish by eight in the evening. “To wrap up all the scenes within that time was a real challenge. We preferred the outdoors and close-up shots were kept to the minimal,” Rahul Unnikrishnan, chief associate of the film, says. Though the actors were all amateurs, a majority of the shots were okayed in one single take and only very few shots took upto three takes for perfection. Still a serious hiccup awaited them at the end. Before shooting the climax, the natural light began to fade. Even a single shot for the concluding part was not taken. The crew then made a slight change in the script and filmed it in the available light. “The climax was a fight sequence. It was unthinkable to rent lights,” Rahul says. The only facility they had with them was two vehicles, an Omni van and a Toyota Qualis. The climax scene was taken in the light from the head light of the vehicles.The plot of the film revolves around a well-educated but unemployed youngster who goes astray with drug peddling. The main cast include Manoj, Rahul and Vivek. Sajeev is the assistant director. Shabeer has wielded the camera and make-up is done by Rajeev.  The locations were Pombra, Kulakkattu Kurussi and Karimpuzha in Palakkad. The film that is in the post-production stage is currently at the editing table. The crew is all set to release it by Vishu this year. With the experience of their first venture, Manoj and Rahul are gearing up to make their next film, a romantic thriller, very soon.