Dinjith Ayyathan has been on an interview spree for over a week now. With appreciation coming from all quarters for his film Kishkindha Kaandam, his happiness knows no bounds.
“I had manifested the movie’s success to such a level that it might sound ambitious for others. But, we were confident about the product and I was sure about making my mark as a filmmaker,” says Dinjith.
The layered and gripping narrative of Kishkindha Kaandam, a slow-burn thriller, delves into the lives of Appu Pillai (Vijayaraghavan), a grumpy retired army man, his son Ajay Chandran (Asif Ali), a Forest Department employee, and Ajay’s wife, Aparna (Aparna Balamurali). They live in an imposing old house amidst sprawling greenery, close to a reserve forest teeming with monkeys. Soon Aparna realises that there is more to the lives of her father-in-law and husband than meets the eye. She is the catalyst for the mystery unfolding, leaving the viewers shocked.
Aparna Balamurali and Asif Ali in Kishkindha Kaandam | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
Dinjith says he was thrilled when it was decided to release the film during Onam. “An Onam release is special. The film was supposed to reach theatres early this year but had to be pushed when a couple of Asif’s movies got delayed. Making it a festival release was Joby chettan’s (producer Joby George Thadathil) decision. Many of my well-wishers in the industry had advised me against it because of the content and other strong films in the fray. But he didn’t budge. The film had become personal for him,” says Dinjith.
Kishkindha Kaandam’s success is vindication of his journey as a filmmaker that started with Kakshi : Amminipilla, an engaging family drama released in 2019. “It didn’t do well at the box office, even though many loved the movie. We realised quite late that the movie was not being promoted. So the entire team went out to put up posters across the state. The best thing that happened is that the team is still together,” he adds. Bahul Ramesh and Sooraj ES, the cinematographer and editor of the movie respectively, have reprised their roles in Kishkindha Kaandam.
Bahul has also written the film’s screenplay that is being hailed as among the best in Malayalam cinema. “Emotions run high in the narrative with no relief for the audience. It was important to keep those emotions in the right measure. Since we were not shooting the sequences in chronological order it was a challenge for the actors. Some of the intense scenes in the climax were shot in the beginning. We had to reshoot important scenes featuring Asif.”
The director emphasises that Bahul gave him a wholesome screenplay and with him cranking the camera as well, the filmmaker had little to worry. “He wrote the story during the lockdown and the script was ready in eight days. He knew what he wanted and we were on the same page throughout. That is a pre-requisite for a film to do well. Sooraj is a master of his craft and his editing made it a seamless watch.”
Filmmaker Dinjith Ayyathan | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
It was a conscious decision to have no songs but Mujeeb Majeed, composer of films such as Mandharam, Thinkalazhcha Nishchayam, and the web series Perilloor Premier League has created a soundscape that becomes a character in the movie. “The track, ‘Doore doore’ with Tibetan lyrics is used as a promo song. It was the producer’s suggestion.”
The performances were spot on with so many seasoned artistes on board. “When [director] Fazil sir read the screenplay, he pointed out that we should choose the actors wisely. Kuttettan (Vijayaraghavan), Asif, Aparna, Jagadeesh chettan, Ashokan chettan… we got some of the best talents.”
Dinjith observes that Vijayaraghavan knew how to go about the role. “He acted in my first film and I was blown away by how he designed the character [as advocate RP]. In Kishkindha Kaandam I just had to ensure that he performed within the meter we had in mind.” He adds that Asif’s “potential has to be explored since he has grown so much as an artiste over the years”.
The project was delayed due to several reasons and therefore there is a five-year gap between his two films. “I got the story in 2022 and the plan was to shoot in 2023. But it kept getting postponed. For instance, it took time to find the right house. Although we identified one in Kasaragod, we didn’t get permission to shoot there. Finally we got the current one in Palakkad,” he says.
Dinjith Ayyathan with Vijayaraghavan during the shoot of Kishkindha Kaandam | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
The toughest part of the shoot was the scenes featuring the monkeys. “We spent a whole day at Athirappilly for the shots and ended up with a five-hour footage. From that we had to pick the shots required.”
Chennai-settled Dinjith, a native of Thalassery, had given up his career as an animator to become a filmmaker. “I even had the option to move to New Zealand. But I didn’t want to give up on my dream despite not knowing anybody in the film industry. That was when I was called by a company in Kochi to do some pre-production work for their 3D animation film. Even though my plan was to work there for only three months, I stayed back. Eventually we started doing VFX work and was part of films such as 1983, Philips and the Monkey Pen, Double Barrel and Action Hero Biju.”
Aparna Balamurali and Asif Ali in Kishkindha Kaandam | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
By then he was ready with a script and thanks to Abrid Shine, whom he considers his mentor, Dinjith met Dulquer Salmaan. Since Dulquer was tied up with other projects he was advised to meet Asif. “The project didn’t take off. However he was impressed by one of my animation films, A Mail for Col John Weits. Later, I approached him with script of Kakshi: Amminipilla and he immediately agreed to do it.”
Filmmaker Dinjith Ayyathan with his father Divakaran Ayyathan on the location of Kishkindha Kaandam | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
Before signing off, Dinjith says that Kishkindha Kaandam has given him some moments to cherish. “Everyone is talking about the sequence where Asif hugs Kuttettan, which surprises the latter. In my first film also there was such a hug [featuring Ahmed Sidique and P Sivadasan]. I have never hugged my parents, probably because we are not used to doing it. My father [Divakaran Ayyathan] has done a small role in the film. When I met my parents the other day, he gave me his vintage watch and he was in tears. As they were going back home, I gave it back to him and hugged both of them for the first time. He was overwhelmed by that moment. That was special.”
Published - September 25, 2024 03:24 pm IST
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