Exclusive! Pada poses a seminal question about an issue that hasn’t been addressed even 25 years later: Kamal KM

With his debut film I.D., which was widely acclaimed, director Kamal KM addressed a pertinent issue through its protagonist searching for another man’s identity. In his next venture Pada, which releases in theatres on March 11, the filmmaker tackles an equally important subject, but this time on a much bigger scale with a star cast featuring Kunchacko Boban, Vinayakan, Dileesh Pothan, Joju George, Prakash Raj and Kani Kusruti.

The film is based on the true incident in 1996 when a group of Ayyankali members held the then Palakkad collector WR Reddy hostage, protesting the Kerala government’s amendment of the Adivasi Land Act. “It’s an incident that shook Kerala and also posed a seminal political question about governance,” says Kamal, adding that he is hoping to address it with the film that belongs to the neo-noir thriller genre.

The reason for picking the subject for the feature film is the context of the story and its relevance today, says Kamal. “When we think of the incident that happened in 1996, we are also reminded of the political ramifications and what happened after that. That’s when we realise that there still hasn’t been a viable solution to their issue even 25 years later. This movie is aimed to serve as a reminder to the plight of marginalized and less privileged communities, who are displaced,” says the filmmaker.

The movie was shot over a period of two years, accounting for the delays caused by the pandemic. On how Kamal went about the casting, he says, “After we finished the script, it was clear that it was a big project. So, we needed that kind of support from the production team because there are several scenes with thousands of junior artistes. That’s also why we wanted to cast the best artistes, keeping in mind the resemblances to the real-life persons involved in the incident.”

Vinayakan, Joju, Kunchacko, Dileesh, Unnimaya, Kani Kusruti, Salim Kumar, Indrans, Sudheer Karamana and Prakash Raj play the pivotal characters in the film. “The story also deals with an issue that is relatable to a pan-Indian audience and that’s why we have artistes including Prakash Raj from different states,” he says, adding that the veteran actor plays a Tamil officer who works in Kerala in the movie.

Ask him if the actors’ political ideologies had swayed their decision to be part of the film and he says, “More than political ideology, the question that this movie poses will connect with everyone across Kerala, irrespective of their political affiliations. When actors heard this story, they saw it from a human perspective because it dealt with an issue that still hasn’t found a solution. That immediately struck a chord with them.”

With an extensive part of the film playing out in a room, Kamal said he had initial apprehensions that it was becoming like another chamber drama during the scripting process. “However, when I re-analysed whether it connected the events through a single thread like 12 Angry Men, it didn’t. The issue has several perspectives and the challenge for me was to show how it impacts the lives of all the characters. That’s the only way I could bring in a genuine and sensitive portrayal,” he concludes.

Also read: Exclusive! Kunchacko Boban: My politics has always been about humanity and not any political party