Story & Screenplay © Manoj (Vaz) Ramchandran +91 98203 13809

Story & Screenplay © Manoj (Vaz) Ramchandran +91 98203 13809 [email protected] THE PERIOD God’s own country – Kerala in 1803. Many books and histories have been written about caste oppression in Kerala and the men and women who fought the injustice. The Kerala monarchies of the time ensured the subjugation of the lower castes by imposing heavy taxes on them. Their wealth was built on some of the worst taxes imposed anywhere in the world. Besides the tax on land and crops, peasants had to pay taxes for the right to wear jewelry, the right of men to grow a moustache, and even the right of women to cover their breasts. The heavy taxes ensured that the lower castes were kept eternally in debt, while members of the upper castes flourished. Yet the story of one woman’s protest has almost faded away from the collective memory of the State. Story & Screenplay © Manoj (Vaz) Ramchandran T. Murali’s painting on Nancheli’s Sacrifice. THE TRUE STORY Nancheli alsoknown as Nangeli, who lived in Cherthala in Alappuzha over 200 years ago, gained her place in history. The brave Ezhava woman, protested this mulakkaram (breast tax system). Nancheli refused to both uncover her bosom and pay the breast tax. The tax collector, then called the parvathiyar, came to her house one day and demanded that she pay the tax. The legend goes that, proud woman that she was, Nancheli cut off her breasts and presented them to the parvathiyar on a plantain leaf. The tax collector fled in fear, while Nancheli bled to death at her doorstep.

Story & Screenplay © Manoj (Vaz) Ramchandran THE TRUE STORY - II Nancheli's husband, Chirukandan, seeing her mutilated body, overcome by grief, jumped into her funeral pyre committing suicide. His act is also a unique protest against both the breast tax and Brahminical patriarchy which always required the death of a husband be followed by the wife jumping into his pyre. Following the death of Nancheli, a series of people's movements were set off and the breast tax system was ultimately annulled in Travancore. The place she lived came to be known later as Mulachiparambu (meaning land of the breasted woman).

Story & Screenplay © Manoj (Vaz) Ramchandran THE FILM The feature film Nancheli – The Bare Truth is a fictionalized account of the true story. Many creative licenses have been taken to give cinematic strength to the story. A disclaimer to that effect will be displayed in the beginning of the movie. The movie combines the stories of Nancheli with the story of fiery Dalawa (Prime Minister) Velu Thampi of Tranvancore who was in power around the same time. The movie will have a strong storyline with fabulous action sequences along with a social message.

Story & Screenplay © Manoj (Vaz) Ramchandran THE CAST Jayanthan Raja Bala Rama Nancheli Chirukandan Velu Thampi Ramachandran Napoothiri Verma

Radhika Apte Unni Mukundan Mohanlal Babu Anthony Prakash Raj Gokul Suresh

Story & Screenplay © Manoj (Vaz) Ramchandran Kalari Payatu THE ONE-LINER The film will begin with a beautiful montage of Kerala and a background song with lyrics that gives justice to the title – God’s Own Country. The film then zooms into a Kalari Payatu academy where the fighters are seen doing incredible feats that are beyond human. The stunts will be co-ordinated by an international action director. A man comes rushing to the tall, well built teacher who is instructing the trainees, Ramachandran (Babu Anthony) and whispers in his ear. Ramachandran immediately goes to the headmaster of the academy Velayudhan Thampi (Mohanlal) and is seen talking and gesticulating to him.

Story & Screenplay © Manoj (Vaz) Ramchandran THE ONE-LINER Continued… Velu Thampi smiles and hugs Ramachandran and tells him to leave immediately. Ramachandran and the messenger jump on their horses and race away to a modest house. There are women waiting outside. “It’s a girl,” an old woman whispers as he rushes in. Inside he finds his beaming wife and lying next to her is his new born daughter. He picks up the baby and she starts gurgling with joy. He tells his wife… “She is so pretty… we shall name her tomorrow. Our tehsildar Velu Thampi, himself, shall be her Godfather!”

Story & Screenplay © Manoj (Vaz) Ramchandran THE ONE-LINER Continued… The next day amongst great fanfare, the baby girl is named. Velu Thampi picks up the girl and keeps her on his lap, the girl gurgles … “She is so brave and beautiful … I name her Nancheli – the beautiful one!” He repeats the name three times in the baby’s ears. There is celebration among the guests. Celebratory upbeat song. The dance of the women is juxtapositioned with the acrobatic stunts of the Kalari Payatu trainees during the song.

Story & Screenplay © Manoj (Vaz) Ramchandran Maharaja Bala Rama Verma

THE ONE-LINER Continued… Time passes by. Nancheli is seen as a 10 year old when her father acompanies Velu Thampi when he is summoned to the Royal place by the teenage King of Travancore, Bala Rama Verma (Gokul Suresh). The impressionable young King is misguided by corrupt nobleman Jayanthan Nampoothri (Prakash Raj). In the palace, Velu is humiliated and ask to produce Rs. 3000. Velu keeps his calm and asks for 3 days time to collect the sum. When they leave, Jayanthan tells the king that Velu is not to be trusted and they should have killed Velu when they got the chance, like they murdered Raja Kesavadas, the erstwhile Dewan of Travencore.

Story & Screenplay © Manoj (Vaz) Ramchandran Dalawa Velu Thampi

THE ONE-LINER Continued… Velu and Ramachandran returned to their district and amasses a large number of people to start an uprising. The people along with his small army of Kalari Payatu exponents surround and lay siege to the royal palace forcing the young King to bring Jayanthan Nampoothri to justice for the murder of Kesavadas. The young King relents and Jayanthan is publicly flogged and put in the dungeons. The show of strength also earns Velu Thamphi the coveted position of Dalawa (Prime Minister) of Travancore.

Story & Screenplay © Manoj (Vaz) Ramchandran Radhika Apte as Nancheli

THE ONE-LINER Continued… Nancheli’s mother Vasu is a literate woman, she teacher her daughter herself. One day she when Nancheli is returning from the market with her mother and some other women, a rich nobleman’s chariot passes by. All the women, including her mother, stand on the side of the road looking down with their breasts uncovered. Nancheli is shocked and asks her mother why she did it. Vasu explains the concept of Breast Tax to her. Nancheli is furious, she says she would prefer to cut off of breasts than to display it to noblemen.

Story & Screenplay © Manoj (Vaz) Ramchandran Unni Mukundan as Chirukandan

THE ONE-LINER Continued… Time goes by. Nancheli grows upn into a beautiful girl. She wants to learn Kalari Payatu but Ramachandran is against it. He doesn’t want Nancheli to step out of her surroundings as she will have to expose herself if she comes across a nobleman on the street. Ramachandran knows how proud his daughter is and doesn’t want to take chances. Nancheli disguises herself as Nandan, a boy, and joins the academy. At the training centre, she meets and falls in love with Chirukandan (Unni Mukundan), a young, handsome and well built trainee. He is the best fighter in the academy. At the age of 16, Nancheli is married off to Chirukandan.

Story & Screenplay © Manoj (Vaz) Ramchandran Resident Major Macaulay

THE ONE-LINER Continued… In the meanwhile, the story of the Dalawa continues. The Nair Mutiny of 1804 is suppressed by Velu Thampi with the help of the British Resident Major Macaulay. The British become more powerful and the young King is made to sign the “Subordinate Isolation” Treaty of 1805. It increased the British Indian force stationed in Travancore and the amount of money to be paid as tribute to the British, though the expenditure of the State in maintaining its own army was drastically cut. This caused an altercation between Velu and Major Macaulay.

THE ONE-LINER Continued… The Maharaja is pressurized by Macaulay to dismiss Velu. Macaulay’s ambassador Subba Iyen has a closed door meeting with the King in this regard. The Maharaja’s wife Arumana who is 10 years older than him and is having a clandestine affair with Velu, overhears them and informs the Dalawa. Angered, Velu kills Subba in the King’s court. Now openly against the British, Velu starts recruiting and strengthening the army and join hands with Paliath Achan of Cochin. Ramachandran is made the Commander of the army of Travancore.

THE ONE-LINER Continued… Chirukandan also joins Velu’s army. Major Macaulay calls for reinforcements to curb Velu. The Dalawa pretends to surrender and agrees to resign and retire to Malabar. He is escorted to Malabar by the British army. Major Macaulay celebrates at the Residency at Boghatty Palace. Late that night, Paliath Achan, Ramachandran, Chirukandan and 600 warriors attack the palace. But Majar Macaulay manages to escape to Quilon.

THE ONE-LINER Continued… Velu orders his forces to attack Quilon. The attack is supposed to be a surprise, but the British are ready because a traitor among Velu’s forces gives them the numbers of Velu’s army and their plans. Velu’s army is defeated and Ramachandran dies valiantly in battle while trying to save the Dalawa. Chirukandan carries Ramachandran’s body and escapes along with Velu. Vasu and Nancheli are devastated to see the lifeless body of Ramachandran.

Story & Screenplay © Manoj (Vaz) Ramchandran THE ONE-LINER Continued… Nancheli insists on lighting her father’s pyre himself. On the way back from the funeral, a local nobleman along with the district tax collector (parvathiyar) passes them by. All the women stand on the side and expose their breasts. Nancheli does not, instead she glares at them. The next day, Chirukandan is summoned by Velu. In his absence the Parvathiyar comes with a dozen soldiers to Nancheli’s house and demand an exorbitant tax for not exposing her breasts. In anger, Nancheli, goes inside and cuts off her breasts and presents them to him on a plantain leaf.

Story & Screenplay © Manoj (Vaz) Ramchandran THE ONE-LINER Continued… The Parvathiyar and the soldiers are horrified and flee. Nancheli bleeds to death on her doorstep. When Chirukandan comes to know of his beloved wife’s death. He swears revenge and raids the Parvathivar’s house all by himself and kills him. As he leaves the house, one of the Parvathivar’s guards shoot him in the back. Wounded, he still manages rides back to the funeral of his wife and light the pyre. Suddenly, there are shots fired as the army comes to capture him. But Chirukandan has a plan. He jumps in the funeral pyre of his wife and commits suicide. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ THE END ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~