Kunchacko Boban, Divya Prabha lived with migrant workers to prepare for role in Mahesh Narayanan’s Ariyippu

Mahesh Narayanan, the director of Malayalam film Ariyippu, and actors Kunchcko Boban and Divya Prabha, talk about their new film.

Director Mahesh Narayanan is known for taking up different, rooted issues from the heart of Kerala in his feature films. His latest film, Ariyippu (The Declaration) is a little different. For one, it is set in Noida instead of Kerala and features dialogues in Hindi and Tamil apart from Malayalam, with lots of Hindi actors as well. The director and his two stars--Kunchacko Boban and Divya Prabha--spoke to Hindustan Times about the film prior to its release. Excerpts:

Kunchacko Boban and Divya Prabha in a still from Ariyippu.

Ariyippu is different from the routine Malayalam film as much of the dialogue is in Hindi. It is set in north India as well. Is that a creative decision or a commercial one, to widen the film’s reach?

Mahesh: This is the only film of mine where I haven’t considered the commercial aspect. It is entirely different from what I have tried with my last three films. Most of my films are dependent on migration. I love this concept of setting characters who are alien to a specific region and they explore it among themselves. In this particular story, during the pandemic, I had the chance to visit glove factories in Kerala. The workers there told me there is a route for workers who try to migrate to other Asian countries. They have a transit base in Delhi where they work for a while. They get their papers in order there and fly from there. I wanted to explore that territory. When you place these characters there, you add a few characters who are locals who speak in the local language. That’s where the Hindi dialogue came in. Also read: Mahesh Narayanan says he and Kamal Haasan laugh at rumours about differences between them over Thevar Magan sequel

Divya, you and Kunchacko play migrant workers in a latex factory here. How did you prepare for the role?

Divya: The junior artistes were all the real workers. That helped me a lot. I was one of them during the shoot. I even tried to learn the process from them. Of course, I didn’t know the process of making gloves with so many categories, sections, and machines. But I learnt their day-to-day activities and lives. That helped me a lot to get into the character.

Kunchacko, including Ariyippu, you have had a few films that are direct OTT releases. What actors often say is that when their films release on streaming platforms, they find their visibility and fan following increases outside their state or region. Have you seen that too?

Kunchacko: That’s a fact. During the lockdown period, these OTT platforms have played a very big role in taking Malayalam films to not just the national level but international level. The language barriers have gone. The artistes are getting acknowledged all over. Personally, I have been in this industry for 25 years. But last year, when I attended a South Indian award function, I could sense the difference and shift. Artistes from other languages would come to us and talk about our movies. That says it all.

Mahesh, you come across as a filmmaker who likes working with familiar people. Both these actors have worked with you in Take Off, Divya was also in Malik. But one name that you have collaborated with in every film till now--Fahadh Faasil--is absent this time. Why so?

Mahesh: Fahadh has never played the star in any of my films. I mean, even Malik, which you can call a gangster film, I didn’t portray him as a star but as a weak person. And then, I know Chackochan (what Kunchacko Boban is also known as) equally well. I go to actors based on who will fit that character. Also, I want to push the boundaries for my actors. So, I see that Chackochan has never played such a character. It will be new for him and for the audience too. Let me utilize that as well. I also don’t want to repeat my template.

Kunchacko: I think he knows my inner devil more than me (laughs). He can look through your eyes and see what you are capable of.

Ariyippu, which also stars Danish Hussain, Loveleen Mishra, and Athulya Ashadam, was released on Netflix on December 16. The film had earlier premiered at the Locarno International Film Festival, where it was nominated for the Golden Leopard, the festival’s top prize.