The character poster for an upcoming content-driven movie from the Malayalam film industry is on the board. The movie, titled “Kishkindha Kaandam” (The Story of Monkey Land), focuses on biodiversity and forest conservation. Loosely based on the Valmiki Ramayana, it is the fourth book of the epic. The movie provides a first impression by summarizing the plot, which revolves around “The Tale of three wise monkeys” and shows the perspectives of three different members of the same family.
The story is set in the Kallepathi forest division, located on the Kerala-Tamil Nadu border, and highlights the impact of imposing CrPC or BNSS Section 144 on a family. The family considered the most advanced and civilized species – humans, encounters this impact. The main lead explains the monkey species living in the forest and hints at their lineage as descendants of Lord Hanuman and Sugriva from the great epic. The story also aims to explain the concept of human anthropology.
In terms of production, the script requires significant effort in art and craft. The cinematography, editing, production design, and screenplay are expected to be of high quality.
One of the challenges the movie might face is the potential for concept repetition. Many films and books about wind, water, and woods have been created, along with various interpretations of the Ramayana. A recent movie called “Paradise” was released, narrating from Devi Sita’s perspective of the epic, among others. However, what sets this movie apart is its unique approach to the established themes.
Also there might be inspiration and reference related to author Yuval Nova Harari’s popular non-fiction like ‘Deus’ and ‘Sapiens’.
Actors such as Asif Ali, national award winner Aparna Balamurali, and recent State Award winner Vijayaraghavan are expected to deliver powerful performances.
The movie aims to delve into the world of evolutionary biology, exploring the transition from monkeys to humans from the Indian epic perspective.
The movie is all set to release on September 12. Dinjith Ayyathan will be director and Joby George Thadathil will be it’s producer for Goodwill Entertainment Productions.
The teaser trailer for the movie is available for viewing on YouTube.