Southern spice: Hit duo MT and Hariharan back

Theirs is a combination that has always worked, not only at the box office but also critically, fetching awards galore.

Now, iconic Malayalam writer M.T Vasudevan Nair and director Hariharan – who together tasted success with Panchagni, Nakhakshathangal, Sargam, Parinayam and Pazzhasi Raja – are back with Ezhamathe Varavu, which explores the relationship between nature and man.

If Panchagni was a landmark film in actress Geetha’s career, Nakhakshathangal, a love triangle brought a National Award for late actor Monisha on her debut. Scoring high with its musical compositions was Sargam, another love triangle and a film remembered for Manoj K Jayan’s outstanding performance as Kuttan thamburan. Parinayam was progressive in its outlook, about a young widow who dared to love again, besides questioning age old rituals followed by her community – again a winner of several Kerala state awards.

And who can forget the historical drama Pazhassi Raja of 2009 – a film that kept the box office collections ringing and swept away most awards that year?

Ezhamathe Varavu, the writer-director duo’s 14th venture – starting with Edavazhiyile Poocha Minda Poocha in 1979 – is about the hunter being the hunted, says Hariharan.

Set in the forests of Waynaad in north Kerala, this multilayered story while pivoted around three lead players pushes across an important social message: The film traces the link between man and nature and examines how the latter can wreak vengeance when its harmony is disturbed.

“Indrajit plays Gopi, an estate owner whose passion is hunting tigers, while Bhavana plays his wife, Bhanu, who yearns for her husband’s attention. Vineeth is an archaeologist working at Wayanad who incidentally happens to be Bhanu’s former lover,” explains the director, who says the forest is like a character in the story.

“Here, the hunter is hunted. Today with forests on the decline, animals living there have nowhere to go, but are forced to come out and attack people.”

While the film was shot in Tellicherry, Waynaad and Cannanore, Hariharan said, “We had to go to Australia to film a tiger as it is not allowed in India.”

Besides directing the film, Hariharan (whose father, N. Madhavan Nambeesan was a musician and dramatist) has also written the lyrics for and composed the music for the film.

Interestingly, this story was already made into a film by Hariharan in 1979. Titled Evideyo Oru Shathru, it featured Sukumar, the current film’s actor Indrajit’s father, Venu Nagavally and Bahadur. But the film never saw the light of day.

Posting on Facebook, Indrajit said he remembered his father talking about this film during his childhood days and recalling his portrayal of Gopi, which he described as a career best. “I feel it’s my dad’s blessing that has brought me here to fulfill a dream he had left undone,” he said.

A native of Thrisur, Hariharan assisted several directors including M. Krishnan Nair, M.S. Mani, P.B. Unni and cameraman U. Rajagopal, before kickstarting his directorial career in 1973 with Ladies Hostel.

“Thirty decades in the industry has been a great learning experience and I have grown with each and every film,” said the film maker who aspired to become an actor when he first arrived in Chennai in the sixties.

Commenting on the present stock of films he said filmmaking today is more about money and fame and less about passion.

“As a filmmaker I believe I have a commitment to the audience,” he said. “The visual medium which is leading the world today ought to be used for the betterment of society and for the good of people, but that seems to be missing in today’s films.”