Wednesday Sep 19 2007, Trivendrum

Shyamaprasad: “Every film is a new experience”

Shyamaprasad, who came up with his latest film Ore Kadal this Onam, seems to be happy now as his family is reportedly picking up, of course in a gradual manner.Though the film got rave reviews, it failed to pull crowds especially because during Onam they were looking for films with the so-called ‘festival mood’.Anyhow the film, which was labeled a ‘class film’, is now finding viewers and getting noted as a good film.Ore Kadal, produced by Vindhyan, who had been a longtime friend of Shyamaprasad, is based on a Bengali novel Heerak Deepthi by Sunil Gangopadhyay and has Mammootty, Meera Jasmine, Naren and Ramya Krishnan donning the lead roles.In an interview, Shyamaprasad talks about the film and his experiences after the film was made and released.

Excerpts:

So, how is Ore Kadal doing now?

It’s getting good response from all across the state.People are coming to the theatres to see the film and they are accepting it as a good film, touching chords in their hearts.That’s what the feedback suggests.

Did you expect the film to be accepted in such a way at least, especially since it was released in a festival season?

Of course Ore Kadal may not seem to have the ingredients that the so-called ‘festival films’ have.But is there any hard and fast rule that says that only such and such films could be released or would be accepted during a festival season.

The sensible audience of Kerala have shown that they are ready to accept films like Ore Kadal too during a festival season.I did expect the film to get a good response as it had many things to say and I have attempted to say those things in the simplest way possible.

Please tell us about the title of the film?

The film, as you know, is much more than a love story.It is about life, the many diverse stages in life and it delves into the sea of relationships too, in a very complex manner.And it was thus that we, I and the producer Vindhyan, who were hunting for an apt title for the film, chance to stumble upon the word ‘Kadal’ meaning ‘Sea’, referring to the sea of relationships, the sea of life.

And then we worked upon it and got Ore Kadal, which seems to be the most apt title for the film.When you cast Mammootty, Meera Jasmine, Naren plus Ramya Krishnan in key roles, were you attempting a deliberate casting coup?

It definitely is kind of a casting coup.But there was no deliberate attempt to do so.We had decided, at the initial stage itself, that is, at the discussion stage itself, that the key roles should be played by the most versatile artists we can get.Mammootty, as we all know, is one of the subtlest and finest actors in the country.

And Meera too had proved herself.Naren had what I wanted to play the role of Jayakumar and Ramya is one of the most sensible actresses, in my honest opinion, in South India.And it was thus that we zeroed in on these actors, who were convinced of the subject and got ready to team up with us.In all this I had the support, real big kind of support, of Vindhyan, the producer, who has been a close friend of mine as well as a lover of good Cinema.Mammootty and Meera Jasmine and their characters of course need not much discussion.

Let’s come to Naren.Why did you choose him for the role of Jayakumar?

Naren, I have always felt, is an actor with a kind of charm that touches your heart