“What is the moral responsibility of us as citizens of a society today?” asks ad filmmaker Sudheer Ambalappad in his debut film, “Breaking News Live.”
“Do we just remain mute spectators to any incident happening around us, especially one that violates a woman’s morality and her life?” That’s another of the many questions that Ambalappad poses in the woman-centric film, penned by Ambalappad. Kavya Madhavan plays Nayana, a hotel management student, while Mythili plays a Sneha, a character around which the story is pegged.
“An incident occurs in the life of Sneha which not only affects her badly but also disturbs Nayana’s life. My film brings several socio-political issues out into the open and on how the media handles sensitive issues concerning women,” he said.
“It is a travelogue of several characters. I have taken a risk and explored something not attempted before in a Malayalam film, not just with the story but also in its presentation,” said Ambalappad, who gained recognition for producing the 100 episode VKC Street Light, a real show on street singers that was broadcast in 2010.
“We can do nothing to reclaim a life that is lost. How can we protect a woman’s life? That is the message I wish to pass on through this film.”
Praising Kavya Madhavan for her performance in the film, he said, “she is a brilliant actress who was completely involved in the making of the film.”
“Mythili has worked hard on her role and did not use a double for scenes that involved great risk,” added Ambalappad, who shares the credits for screenplay with G. Kishore.
A native of Kozhikode, Ambalappad worked his way through college and began his career as a journalist before writing a telefilm for Doordarshan. He started his ad agency, News Value, with a mere Rs100, a gift from his grandmother. Today the company has more than 100 ad films to its credit.
Sudheer’s “VKC Street Light” was a unique experiment in portraying true life stories of street singers from different parts of India and giving them platform with dignity. At the end of the program, they were all provided with homes and health care cards.
“Breaking News Live” is his first feature film. Produced by Ranjith Kumar, music is scored by Mohan Sithara.
Late actor Tilakan has a short part in this film. Other members of the cast are Vineeth, Anoop Chandran, Mamu Koya, Sukumari and Vijay Thalaivasal. Newcomer, Navin plays a negative character in this story.
