On 7 May, 22 people died after a tourist boat overturned at Thooval Theeram in Tanur; 'Arikomban' shoot from October.
The posters of '2018' and 'Arikomban'. (Twitter)
The Malayalam film fraternity expressed its condolences to the kin of the victims of the boat accident which occurred on Sunday, 7 May, near Tanur area in the Malappuram district of Kerala.
On 7 May, as many 22 people died after a tourist boat overturned at Thooval Theeram in Tanur. The Kerala government already announced ₹10 lakh in aid to the families of the victims.
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Monday, 8 May, reached Malappuram to oversee the situation in Tanur.
After visiting the Tirurangadi Taluk Hospital and the Kunnummel family, which lost 12 members in the mishap, Pinarayi Vijayan termed the accident a “tragedy”. He assured that the government would bear the medical expenses of those under treatment.
Also, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced an ex-gratia of ₹2 lakh each to the kin of the victims.
Meanwhile, the producers of 2018 (2023) announced ₹1 lakh financial aid to the families of each of the victims.
When contacted, one of the producers, Anto Joseph, confirmed the same to South First.
Further, major actors in the Malayalam industry condemned the tragic accident.
Mammootty, Mohanlal, Prithviraj Sukumaran, Tovino Thomas, Manju Warrier, and Mamta Mohandas took to their social media accounts to express their sadness over the incident.
Actor Mohanlal hoped that the people under treatment would be discharged soon and added that he was with the family of the victims.
Mammootty expressed shock over the mishap and wished for the speedy recovery of those admitted to hospital.
2018-actor Tovino Thomas said that the boat accident in Tanur was a major tragedy. He also thanked all volunteers who rescued the people.
The actor also wrote on his Facebook that “security is not an option, but it’s a necessity in our life”. He was pointing out the need for safety and security measures that have to be taken while promoting tourism.
Actress Manju Warrier expressed her condolences to the victims’ families and hoped that those who escaped from the accident get back to their normal life soon.
Meanwhile, Mamta Mohandas was critical of the system which permitted the ill-fated boat that didn’t even have a licence. She said she respected those who have worked during the rescue operations.
The shooting of Arikomban, a new movie based on the wild elephant of the same name — which created terror in the Idukki district in Kerala — will begin in October this year.
Arikomban, the rogue elephant, regularly went to local ration shops and kitchens of houses to feed on rice, jaggery, and salt in the Chinnakanal and Santhanpara regions of Kerala’s Idukki district.
The horror continued for five long years and ended only after the tusker was captured by wildlife experts in April. It was radio-collared and released into the deep interiors of Periyar Tiger Reserve on 30 April.
The tusker was responsible for trampling as many as 11 people to death over the years.
An aerial view of ‘Arikomban’ shooting location. (Supplied)
Arikomban’s life will be depicted in Sri Lanka’s famous Sigiriya Rock Fortress and Idukki Chinnakanal where he was forced to relocate from his abode due to legal provisions.
The film is directed by Sajid Yahiya and produced jointly by Badusha Cinemas and Pen and Paper Creations. Suhail M Koya penned the story.
“The pre-production work has begun. The script is almost done. The story of the little ducks will also be documented in the film. A team has been assigned to do the job. Meanwhile, the auditions are underway,” said its director Sajid Yahiya.
“Like the recent movie 2018, we’re expecting that Arikomban too will get a good response. The impact of making a film out of a real-life situation is huge,” Sajid Yahiya added.
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