Wasn't Ranjith telling Sreevidya's tale?

Scenarist-turned-director, whose latest directorial venture Thirakkatha has been released last week (as one of the Onam releases), has come out with the clarification that the film is not based on the Srividya-Kamal Haasan love affair.

The film, which has Prithviraj playing Akbar Ahmed, a young director who decides to make a film on the life and love of actress Malavika, who had disappeared years back, has Priyamani donning the role of Malavika, a character that bears resemblance to the late Srividya. Ranjith, who directs and co-produces the film and also acts in it, was addressing the media at a recent press conference in Kozhikode.

Co-producer Subair, actress Samvritha Sunil (who plays Akbar Ahmed's lady love Devayani) and actor Augustine, who plays the role of a producer in the movie, too attended the press-meet. Ranjith emphasized that the film should be seen as a work of fiction and not as the real-life story of Srividya or any other actress. Ranjith also pointed out that Srividya didn't care to meet people during the last days of her life, while Malavika in the film is not like that.

Thirakkatha has popular television actor Anoop Menon, who has also done some movies earlier, donning the role of matinee idol Ajayachandran, who had been Malavika's lover in the past and had even married her, only to b e separated soon after. And it is this character that's seen to be representing Kamal Haasan.

The reasons for speculations regarding the Srividya-Kamal Haasan angle are obvious. Simultaneously with the release of the movie, the makers had come up with posters paying homage to Srividya and also to directors Bharathan and Padmarajan. In the movie Malavika resembles Srividya in many ways and finally is afflicted with a terminal ailment, just like Srividya in real life. The fact that Ranjith knew Srividya very closely makes it all seem plausible.

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Thirakatha