The filmmaker designed the character of Panniyannur Mukundan, played by Suraj Venjaramoodu, by taking inspiration from several real-life politicos.
'Higuita' director Hemanth G Nair . (Supplied)
Higuita, the upcoming Malayalam movie helmed by debutant director Hemanth G Nair, has been in the news for its unique name taken from legendary Colombian goalkeeper René Higuita.
The film features Suraj Venjaramoodu as Panniyannur Mukundan, a prominent political leader from Kerala. The trailer hinted that it is a thriller. The film is releasing in theatres on 31 March. It is produced jointly by Bobby Tharain and Sajith Amma.
Higuita also courted controversy due to its name. Last year, eminent writer-columnist NS Madhavan protested against naming the movie Higuita as it is also the name of his well-known short story which many generations have studied in schools.
Meanwhile, in an exclusive interview with South First, Hemanth Nair talks about his ambitious project.
Q. What made you choose a political story for Higuita?
Director Hemanth in action. (Supplied)
A. Higuita is a thriller and I won’t say it is a political film. It is about Panniyannur Mukundan, a strong leader of a Leftist party in Kannur. At the same time, the movie also deals with a carefree policeman Ayyapadas who hails from Alappuzha and reaches Kannur.
I tried to narrate a story from the point of view of a common man and Ayyapadas played by Dhyan Sreenivasan is a representative of this common man. His views are important in the film.
There is a general conception of Kannur and its politics by people from other districts.
In Higuita, I tried to showcase the views of a non-resident of Kannur (Ayyappadas), how he sees the happenings in Kannur and the political activities of the protagonist.
I hail from the Kannur district and I have experienced various such instances in my life while living here. I wrote a plot and turned it into a thriller.
Q. In that case, is this a real-life based story?
Hemanth G Naor with a crew member of ‘Higuita’. (Supplied)
A. I have seen many leaders in Kannur. The characteristics of these leaders have inspired me to carve the character of Panniyannur Mukundan played by Suraj Venjaramoodu.
But this is not the story of any other party leaders and Panniyannur Mukundan is a fictional character.
The mannerisms, style and other factors of leaders from Kannur inspired this character.
Q. Does Higuita address any sensitive topics or political murders?
A. The issues happening between various parties present in the Kannur district do get mentioned in the movie. But there is nothing sensitive in the movie and political murders aren’t highlighted as such.
Q. What made you cast Suraj Venjaramoodu as Panniyannur Mukundan?
Hemath G Nair with Suraj Venjaramoodu. (Supplied)
A. Suraj Venjaramoodu was the only actor in my mind when I was writing the character of Panniyannur Mukundan. His age was an important factor.
Even though he had a shift from his comedy roles to that of a character actor, I feel that there weren’t any strong roles for him. Most of them were emotional ones.
In Higuita, Suraj has a powerful character. He was my first choice. When I narrated the script to him, he readily agreed to do the movie.
Dhyan Sreenivasan was an easy choice for the movie as he is a talented actor and he liked the subject.
Q. Do the women characters have any importance in the film?
A. Higuita isn’t women-oriented. But there are women characters and their roles are important. But the movie gets momentum with the male leads.
Q. Higuita being a political movie, are you ready to face the criticisms that may come your way after its release?
Hemanth G Naor with a crew member of ‘Higuita’. (Supplied)
A. I have tried to tell a story with full commitment. Of course, we don’t do movies to tarnish someone’s image or target anyone.
I believe in Freedom of Expression and feel that people will see cinema as cinema only.
There are elements of thrilling moments in the movie which are demanded by commercial cinema. At the end of the day, it’s up to the audience.
Q. What do have you to say about the controversy regarding the title?
A. An issue happened due to a misunderstanding that the film is based on the story of the writer (“Higuita” by NS Madhavan). But the story of the movie has nothing to do with the book.
Nobody can claim the name of Colombian goalkeeper René Higuita, right? Anyways the censor board has given us the green card and the censoring is over.
Q. Was it difficult to convince the producers as it’s a political movie?
A. It wasn’t a major hurdle. When I narrated the story, they were impressed and decided to bankroll it. Since it’s fiction and not a biopic, there wasn’t a major problem.
Hemanth G Nair directs Suraj Venjaramoodu in ‘Higuita’. (Supplied)
Q. How optimistic are you about success since the film is releasing at a time when the theatres are witnessing lesser footfalls?
A. I am aware that audiences aren’t visiting theatres these days. But I’m optimistic that people will come and watch Higuita in theatres.
If a movie gets positive remarks, people will watch it in cinema halls. I hope that Higuita won’t fail their expectations as it has many thrilling elements.
Some people like Nanpakal Nerathu Mayakkam, and some don’t. Similarly, some like KGF, and some don’t. Now, the question arises — if the director is doing movies for himself or the audience or any targeted audience?
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