The film, directed by T. Rajeevnath, was mostly shot in the Washington, DC, area.
Aniyankunjum Thannalayathum, which was produced by Indian American Salil Sankaran’s Senn Productions, hit the theaters in Kerala August 30. Directed by the national award-winning filmmaker T. Rajeevnath, the film brings back to the screen veteran Indian American actresses Geeta, Maathu and Abhirami in prominent roles.
The story of the film, which was mostly shot in the Washington metropolitan area, revolves around Aniyankunju, portrayed by Kiaan Kishore, who lives with his uncle, played by Renji Panicker, a well-known traditional physiotherapist, or marmani healer. Despite Aniyankunju’s lack of interest in the tradition, his uncle has taught him the basics of the therapy and Ayurveda.
Aniyankunju, a lazy young lad like many of his peers, prefers to lead a comfortable life in a small town in central Kerala, with the money sent by his sisters, who work as nurses in the United States. His aspiration is to become a politician. Then comes a major twist: an unexpected criminal investigation forces him to leave the shores of Kerala and land in America.
Aniyankunju’s marmani skills come in handy during his forced exile, and he realizes the value and the power of knowledge.
The script for the family drama was written by Vinu Abarhama, who wrote the script of two notable movies, Parudeesa (2012) and Celluloid (2013).
Sankaran, a Northern Virginia tech entrepreneur, produced the film, in association with Narayanan Kutty Menon, an Indian American based in the Washington area. Aniyankunjum is the second film produced by Sankaran’s Senn Productions.
His first, Paharganj, the Little Amsterdam of India!, a Bollywood crime thriller, was released earlier this year.
“It was a dream project of Rajeevnath, a National Award-winning filmmaker and one of the senior most directors in the Malayalam industry,” Sankaran told the American Bazaar. “This script by Vinu Abraham was terrific. The icing on the cake was that we could also bring Geetha, Maathu and Abhirami back to the Malayalam film industry. All the three yesteryear actors did a fantastic job.”
Geetha, who lives in New Jersey, was one of the most celebrated actresses in South Indian films in the 1980s and early ’90s. Her epic performance in Panchagni, a 1986 movie based on the life of well-known revolutionary Ajitha, is considered an acting tour de force.
Maathu, a fellow East-Coaster with a similar pedigree, is making a comeback after nearly two decades. The Malayalam film audience will forever remember her role in the 1991 blockbuster Amaram, in which she played the role of Radha, the doting daughter of fisherman Achootty, played by Mammootty.
Abhirami, the third Indian American starred in the film, has acted in a number of Malayalam, Tamil, Telugu and Kannada films.
Another notable performance comes from veteran actor Nandhu, who returned to the US after the critically acclaimed film Ranam.
Aniyankunjum also features two other Indian American actors, New Yorker Josekutty Valiyakallumkal (Akkara Kazhchakal fame) and Tharun Mahesh, based in Yuba City, CA.
Renji Panicker plays the role of Pappichayan, a marmani expert, while Bhagyalakshmi plays his wife. Prominent comedian Indrans plays a villainous role, perhaps for the first time in his career.
Lyrics for songs in the film were penned by Kavalam Narayana Panicker. M.Jayachandran and Ronny Raphael composed the tunes, sung by Mamta Mohandas, M. Jayachandran, and Vishnuraj.
The film’s songs were released by Malayalam superstar Mohanlal at a special event held in Ernakulam on August 14. Speaking on the occasion, the actor spoke about his relationship with the director, which goes back several decades. “Mr. Rajeevnath is someone who is very dear to me,” said Mohanlal, who has acted in a number of films by the director.