Director
Krish Bala
, who made the murder mystery,
Meipporul
, way back in 2009, is back with his next. This time around, he has churned out a political fare titled
Neela Manjal Katchi
, which is set in Coimbatore. The film is in a docu-drama format during which scenes from a political committee meeting unfold.
“With just eight hours left to file the nomination papers, a political tussle breaks out among the 12 committee members of All India Neela Manjal Katchi while choosing a candidate for the upcoming by-elections in the east Coimbatore constituency. The film does not have a hero or heroine, but has a few key players. The film shows the different shades of politicians and to what extremes they would go to grab power. It also throws light on how politicians need to debate better and effectively. It does not have any connection with a present political party.”
The entire star cast is from Coimbatore and they are predominantly theatre artistes from the ’60s and ’70s. ‘Some of them have tried their luck in feature films during their younger days. The theatre groups that have worked in the film include Kovai KRS NadagaKuzhu, Kovai Kalalayam NadagaKuzhu, Kovai Poongkuyil KalaiManram, Kovai VannaMayil Desiya Nadaga KalaiKuzhu, Kovai Kadiravan Nadaga Manram, Kovai Aalayam Nadaga Manram and Kovai AGS KalaiKuzhu. If I were to get an experienced person, I would need to consider his or her screen time. We shot the film in 22 days, by shooting only on weekends. Maintaining the continuity was a challenge every weekend. But, the entire cast and crew shared their inputs during the shoot.”
Why the title Neela Manjal Katchi? “When I decided to make the film, I was very clear that the party will have a flag. We did some research on the flags of political parties in the country. We didn’t find any in the combination of blue and yellow. So, we zeroed in on that. But, we had no idea about the title until we were about to register the film. That’s when we decided to go with Neela Manjal Katchi.”
Quiz Bala on the long gap between his first and second film, and pat comes the reply, “By the time I finished making Meipporul, my bank balance was empty. I wanted to make some money before I ventured onto my next. I worked at a software firm in the US and then moved to Coimbatore for good to make my second film.”
Talking about how the industry has undergone a huge change from the time he made Meipporul, Krish Bala says, “It was easy to get funds earlier. But, today, I am facing a serious problem in getting funds. I didnt let that compromise on the making of the film. I am really glad that indie films are getting recognized. It’s good t o see people endorsing and supporting films like Sathuranga Vettai, Joker, Aandavan Kattalai and 8 Thottakkal.”
Neela Manjal Katchi has music by
Pranav Giridharan
, cinematography by Ram T Chandar and editing by Syleesh Lal.
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