Adventures of Jomon Sathyan Anthikkad’s new film, Jomonte Suvisheshangal, slated to be a Christmas release, is a family drama that centres on the father-son bond The classic Sathyan Anthikkad film centres on a youngster, his family and the challenges he faces in an increasingly insular society. The narrative is located in a particular period, place and space. But the universality of the theme that is discussed in the film outlives the constraints of time and space to acquire a timelessness that makes Sathyan’s films a collector’s pride. And also acquire a fan- following that has crossed generation and gender divides. His latest creation, Jomonte Suvisheshangal, follows the Sathyan template of a man, a woman, a family and the world, as they see it. It is his first film with young heartthrob Dulquer Salmaan and, not surprisingly, Dulquer went to town to proclaim how excited he was to work with a director whose films were part of his growing-up years. Scripted by Iqbal Kuttippuram, who had also written Sathyan’s Oru Indian Pranayakatha, Jomonte Suvisheshangal is a sort of coming-of-age story about the travails and triumphs of Jomon and how he comes good when the family faces a setback. Speaking over the phone, Sathyan says since many recent films seem to have done away with the family, he wanted to make a film with a hero with a large family to reckon with. “And it is not just his father and siblings that he has to deal with. There are uncles, aunts and in-laws of siblings. Jomon has lost his mother but his relatives are all over the place. Mukesh and Dulquer play father and son and their on-screen chemistry enhanced the film’s close-to-life story.” Sathyan does not bother to hide his appreciation of Dulquer’s talent and hard work. “Dulquer has had a good run in 2015 and we saw him in action roles and as romantic hero in films like Kammattipadam and Charlie. But Jomon, I believe, is his first family drama and he did exceedingly well in the role. His father [Mammootty] is a dear friend but Dulquer charmed and impressed every one with his hard work and commitment.” Sathyan adds that working with young actors such as Dulquer, Fahadh Faasil and Nivin Pauly has convinced him that Malayalam cinema can only get better with dedicated actors like them who are always willing to put in their best and then some more to make their roles stand out. He feels that is why Jomon will join the pantheon of Sathyan heroes who have become part of Mollywood lore. Jomon is the laidback son of an affluent businessman, Vincent, and life is on a roll when his father lands in a spot of trouble. Jomon’s elder siblings are money-minded and his brother, a medical practitioner, is more into real estate than healing. Muthumani, who enacts Jomon’s elder sister, is no better. “That is when Jomon’s street smart skills come in handy and the father sees his son in a new light,” narrates Sathyan. He adds that the romance factor is not as important in the film as the father and son bond. Innocent, Muthumani, Vinu Mohan, Anupama Parameswaran, Indu Thampy and Aishwariya Rajesh play some of the important characters in the film. Although Mukesh is a member of the legislative assembly and Innocent is a Lok Sabha member, they ensured that the shooting was not hampered in any way because of their schedules. “The location was teeming with cars with beacons. Innocent and Mukesh play brothers in the film,” laughs Sathyan. The veteran director feels that since Dr. Kuttipuram and Dulquer share a close relationship with their families, they were able to convey that bonhomie and warmth in the story and on the screen as well. “For instance, even after a late night’s shoot in Thrissur, Dulquer would travel back to Kochi to reach home. However, the next day morning, he would be there on time, no matter how early we had scheduled the shooting. That is the kind of discipline these youngsters bring to the sets,” says Sathyan. While there are many filmmakers who blindly follow trends, there are some like Sathyan who prefer to make their kind of movies. He says with his characteristic subtle humour that like his previous movies, Jomonte... also has a message that has been woven into the film. “There is no preaching but I have conveyed what I wanted to say through my film and characters,” says Sathyan. Cinematography is by veteran S. Kumar while Sathyan brings in current favourite Vidyasagar for scoring the three songs, two of which are already climbing the charts. Produced by Sethu Mannarkkadu under the banner of Full Moon Cinemas, Jomonte…promises to be that classic holiday film for the family. The reel men These are some of the heroes in Sathyan Anthikkad films who have been immortalised on screen. Think Dasan and Vijayan, Sethu, Gopalakrishnan Panicker, T.P. Balagopal, Reji, Bhaskaran, Pavithran, Sukumaran and, more recently, Roy, Benny Chacko, Preman, Aymanam Sidharthan and Vineethan N. Pillai. Although the women in a Sathyan Anthikkad movie are no pushovers, he has not made that many women-centric films either. Two of them are Achuvinte Amma and Manassinakkare.
