Turn a producer for Rs 500!

Jisha Surya
Express News Service
First Published : 02 Feb 2011

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: It might sound like the Odessa Collective of the legendary John Abraham and his group. Surprisingly, this time, the idea of a collaborative effort in filmmaking has been put forward not by a group of intellectuals or anarchists, but by a team of employees of Technopark.
With a tagline ‘You can be a film producer with just Rs 500’, these youths are set to realise their dream of making a commercial film by breaking the traditional constraints. Without waiting for a rich producer or anticipating huge profit, they just aim to realise the aim of a genuine film enthusiast.
Not just the way, the subject too is of great importance. P I Bijoy, R Praveen and Prasanth P Nair, employees of SunTech Business Solutions, are pondering over the reason behind the Perumon tragedy of 1988, which has baffled us for years.
The guys conducted a thorough research on the subject and even met one of the lead investigating officers. “But, no! This is not a documentary. The film, titled ‘Island Express’, is a purely  commercial film. The script, a fiction in the backdrop of the Perumon tragedy, is ready. We are busy with the pre-production works,” said Bijoy. The film will be jointly directed by Bijoy and Prasanth.
The film, touted to be a thriller, will reveal the real cause of the Perumon tragedy. “For some time, a tornado was said to be the cause of the tragedy. Later, it was found out that some technical snag was the reason. But the exact cause of one of the worst train tragedies in Kerala, which killed 105 people, is yet to be known. This film will tell you the real reason,” Bijoy said.
As part of inviting participation of interested people, the group has created the website www.megawave.in. Those interested can register their names and specify the amount of investment at this site.
“We are planning to market the idea with the support of some FM channels in the coming weeks in Technopark. However, we have got overwhelming support from techies, who have so far offered ` 2.5 lakh. And also, many came forward expressing interest to be a part of our team. I never imagined that techies would be so interested in various aspects of cinema,” Bijoy said.
Interested persons can contribute amounts starting from ` 500. The team is planning to gather around Rs 60-70 lakh.
Bijoy, Praveen, Prasanth and Balu have made short films in the past, which were successfully screened at Technopark. These include ‘The Shadow’ (The story of a cop suffering from somnambulism. The film is about his alter image which acts without his knowledge),  ‘Myth’ (about some secrets hidden in the Sri Padmanabha Swamy temple) and ‘Lady in the Dark’ (ghost story).
The technicians who co-operated with the team during the making of these short films will help them in the new venture.
 Bijoy and his team are planning to cast freshers in the film. The shooting is planned during the end of this year and the release is scheduled for 2012. If these youths could bring about a wave with this new film, it would script a new chapter in the film history of the State.
jisha@expressbuzz.com