Punyam Aham a Raj Nair film web: www.punyamaham.com email: [email protected] Press contact: Raj Nair [email protected] Registered Address Cauvery, Old Thirumala Alappuzha 688010 Kerala, India Phone +91 477 226 2144 ~ Produced by Mirabilia Films Representives in India, Hong Kong, UK, USA & Australia. web: www.mirabiliafilms.com email: [email protected] www.punyamaham.com ©2009 PUNYAM AHAM SYNOPSIS Punyam Aham is the rhythm and colour of limpid souls, those belonging to men, women and communities. Set in the very heart of the small South Indian State of Kerala, self- proclaimed "God's Own Country", with the realm of globalisation as a backdrop. A film about people with dreams; living within those dreams. A search that may not necessarily hold the answer to the questions of minds akin. The crossroads in ones' sacred pilgrimage for the simple truths, the sins and an unexpected end of a new beginning is Punyam Aham. The mother, the bigotry a feminine gender is born with, the tone of the skin she inherited… The father, who married the low caste woman with a darker tone, left home in pursuit of the right coloured womb… The son’s sacrificial trip, his homage into the discoveries of true motherhood, fatherhood and the ultimate realisation of a mere fact that, we are nothing but helpless slaves in the bequest of blood and ‘genes’… The crossroads in ones’ sacred pilgrimage, the simple truths, the sins, and the unexpected end of a new beginning is Punyam Aham, a feature film in Malayalam with English subtitles by Raj Nair. www.punyamaham.com ©2009 DIRECTOR’S PROFILE RAJ NAIR WRITER, DIRECTOR & PRODUCER Raj Nair was born in Kerala, India, a published author of fiction (poems, short stories and novels). His first novel “Nishabdathayilae Theerthadakan” (A Pilgrim of Silence) was serialised in “Samakalika Malayalam Vaarika” and published by DC Books, Kerala in 2001. He made a feature length docu-drama about his own grandmother called “The Exhibits” (Kazhchavasthukkal) in the year 2004. This film was garnered wide critical acclaim and has shown at several festivals around the world. He is currently in the post-production stage of his first feature film in his native Malayalam language entitled, Punyam Aham; under the banner of his film company, Mirabilia Films. Raj Nair has been educated in India, Hong Kong, England (University of London) and USA (Harvard University). He lives with his wife and two children in Australia. LINKS www.rajnair.com www.mirabiliafilms.com www.punyamaham.com www.punyamaham.com ©2009 TREATMENT “A man’s character is his fate”, said Heraclitus in a long bygone era of time. Perhaps we should now rephrase this to “a man’s character and the genes” in this millennium? “Punyan Aham” is such a saga, a man’s scuttle in search of the true meaning of love, the mother, the father and the self. In the foothills of the northern region of Kerala, on a not that fine morning, following his dreams the protagonist Narayanan Unni set forward a trip to the capital city in the South, Thiruvanandapuram, to find an end to the mysterious agony afflicting his mind. A fallen leaf from a banyan tree afloat in the stream guides him through. Naarayanan Unni discovers more on real life outside his life then far with the three women, his resolute mother, and two elder spinster sisters. The stream (in his life) widens to a river, and narrows and expands until it reaches its destiny! Narayanan Unni promised to make no mistakes himself in search of his father, the escapist, a congressman while Gandhi visited Kerala before the independence, who turned to become a leftist, then a hardcore bureaucrat and most of all a Brahmin, the highest in the cast chain. Perhaps the only greatness was he marrying a low caste Paraya woman from Southern Kerala. Blame the ‘isms’ and the term ‘comrades’ turned lovers during the freedom struggle of India. Does Narayanan Unni make it without kissing a sin, stamping on the landmines of realities of the present day Kerala? In search of the truth, his father, and so the man, he himself...? A Malayalam feature film inspired by an infamous myth named “Naaranathu Brandhan” (“The madcap/madman of Naaranathu”, son of Vararuchi, a Brahmin scholar and Panjami, a low caste woman extraordinaire) and his family. THE TITLE, “PUNYAM AHAM” 'Punyam' and ‘Aham’ are Sanskrit words adopted by Malayalam language. ‘Punyam’ the word literally translate to the following such as purity, holiness, virtue, blessedness, and auspicious deed. The second word Aham" means "I" "self". In essence, if one would join the words punyam and aham, 'Punyaham' is a substance such as holy or sacred water used as sacrificial, ritualistic potion, usually made by priests of Hinduism in temples of South India. In fact, the ‘substance’ could be anything, organic or inorganic, spiritual or secular or the ultimate, one’s state of mind. It could be a handful of muddied water, turning into a blessed potion in a spiritually acquired status, a holy substance in the hands of a pure, innocent and often clandestine mind. Punyaham could even be one’s transitional or transformed state of mind, perhaps at a point of time, with a possible remedial power on another tainted or errant mind or state of mind, at least in this milieu, the story. In English the preferred title would be, “Limpid Minds” or “Soul of Limpid Minds” or just “Soul”. www.punyamaham.com ©2009 NOTES ON SOCIAL ISSUES The caste system and skin colour, one of the most complex perhaps in the universe making Malayalees (people of Kerala who speak the language Malayalam) racists of a different kind. In other words, different shades of brown as skin colour with a white version and a darker black version of brown! The peasants of virgin villages are under distress now more than ever. The globalization and invasion of multi-national institutions into the tiny state of Kerala has jeopardized the life of commoners, especially the poor, the farmers, the peasants. They have been under tremendous stress with the increasing debts they are forced to acquire and so suicides are more common amongst them. Pristine minds of these peasants are not equipped with the strength of modern day men of the cities (with university degrees on how to survive modern day calamities of humanity). These peasants often end their life because of pride; taking with them their entire family since he the peasant, the homemaker do not trust the world without him. The collapse of idealism, Kerala boast to the fact that, they elected the first communist leader through democratic polling in the world! Malayalees are accustomed and proud to quotes from elsewhere in the world when it comes to local issues, from their leaders. Ignorance and pretence does often get in the way of believing the facts local politicians proclaim through media or a simple pedestal microphone. www.punyamaham.com ©2009 CAST PRITHVIRAJ Prithviraj is an award-winning (Kerala State Award), popular Malayalam & Tamil film actor. Making his debut with the critically acclaimed film Nandanam, Prithviraj has since established himself in the Malayalam film industry through a variety of roles including those in "Stop Violence", "Chocolate", "Vaasthavam" and "Classmates". He has made strides in Tamil with hits like Kana Kanden, Parijatham & Mozhi. Prithviraj is also making his presence felt in the Telugu Industry through films like Kalakanidhi & Police Police. Filmography 2007 Kangaroo 2007 Dayanayak: Licenced to Kill 2007 Chocolate 2007 Veeralipattu 2007 Nadiya Kollappetta Rathri 2007 Khaki 2007 Mozhi 2006 Oruvan 2006 Pakal 2006 Vasthavam 2006 Classmates 2006 Vargam SAMVRUTHA SUNIL South Indian actress, introduced to the film industry through a Malayalam film Rasikan opposite Dileep. She had acted in several films in Tamil and Malayalam. Filmography Chocolate (2007) Arabikadha (2007) Vaasthavam 2006 Janmam (2006) Moonnamathoral (2006) Nottam (2006) Achanurangatha Veedu (2005) Nerariyan C.B.I (2005) Chandrolsavam (2005) Rasikan (2004) www.punyamaham.com ©2009 CAST NEDUMUDI VENU Award winning popular Malayalam film actor. He has also written some screenplays and has directed one film. National Awards 1990 His Highness Abdullah & 2003 Margam State Awards 2003 Maargam & 1987 Oru Minnaminunginte Nurungu Vettam Filmography 2006 Pothenvava 2005 Anniyan 2005 Thanmathra 2005 Mayookham 2005 Anandabhadram 2005 Finger Prints 2004 Amrutham 2004 Maampazhakkaalam 2004 Yanam 2004 Vettam KPAC LALITHA Award winning Malayalam film and stage actress and the wife of famous Malayalam film director Bharathan. She is a versatile actor known for her naturality in handling a wide range of characters and her comical timing. Filmography 2007 Nasrani 2007 Alibhai 2007 Aakasham 2007 Rakshakan 2007 Vinodayathra 2007 Mayavi 2006 Red Salute 2006 Bhargavacharitham Moonnam Khandam 2006 Aanachandam 2006 Rasathanthram GOPAKUMAR MR Unique Malayalam film and TV actor introduced by Adoor in his acclaimed film, Vidheyan Filmography 2005 Nerariyan CBI 2003 Padam Onnu Oru Vilapam 2001 Thotram 1997 Bhoothakkannadi 1996 Oru Neenda Yathra 1994 Vidheyan www.punyamaham.com ©2009 CREW Screenplay, Direction & Producer RAJ NAIR www.rajnair.com Filmography 2004 The Exhibits (Kaazhchavasthukkal) Novel: Nishabdhathayilae thherthadakan (DCBooks, 2001) Producers RAJ NAIR SHYAM PRASAD JANARDHAN MENON Film Company MIRABILIA FILMS www.mirabiliafilms.com Director of Photography MJ RADHAKRISHNAN Filmography 2008 Oru Pennum Randaanum 2007 Ottakkayyan 2007 Naalu Pennungal 2007 Thakarachenda 2005 Makalkku 2004 Sancharram 2004 Koottu 2003 Arimpara