Thomas, a three-year-old boy, went missing from his home 27 years ago. However, his mother Mary still waits for him. PorulThe web series produced by Malayalam content creator Kariku unravels the mystery behind the incident. Directed by Gautham Surya, this five-episode investigative thriller keeps the audience hooked to the story with its making and performances.
The story begins with the protagonist Ravi, who works as a clerk in the cyber cell, visiting Mary. Apparently, her father Venugopal, an honest police officer who had investigated Thoma’s disappearance, had recovered Thoma’s shirt from a lake, concluding that he must have drowned. But Mary refuses to believe this and keeps sending letters to Venu, blaming him for not finding out the truth behind her son’s disappearance. Ravi comes to Mary’s house to tell her that her father is no more. But he soon realizes that Mary’s suspicions are not wrong and sets out to find out the truth.
Gautham, who co-directed the acclaimed feature film Your sleepless nights (2018), has released two of his music videos – ‘Chiri Pattu’ and ‘Thorathe’ – on Kariku’s record label Kariku Tuned. He wrote and directed his first web series for Kariku, priyappettavan piyushThis is an interesting story of a bachelor who wants to get married in five days as per the advice of an astrologer.
A scene from Mala Parvati Porul
| Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
” Nikhil Prasad [founder Karikku] They asked me if I could work on serious content – crime or investigative thriller. I discussed this with my wife Malavika, [editor of the series] “We created an outline and then I sat down with my co-writer Vivek Joseph Varughese and developed it into a story over the next two weeks,” says Gautham.
With 9.42 million subscribers, Kariku is a household name for his humorous content. “The audience is eager to see comedy in all his productions and this is what happened when Priyappettavan… was released. But since the series was not entirely light-hearted, the audience expressed disappointment in their comments and I was not prepared for that. Perhaps, they expected a lot of laughter after watching the trailer. However, in the case of Porul“There were no such adverse comments,” he said.
Filmmaker Gautham Surya | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
Gautham explains that the Karikoo team did not interfere during the production. “The process is that first I submit a rough draft, then a one-page synopsis and if that gets approved, I give the episode details. Once that is approved, we develop the script. There was no interference from their side except for any viewer doubts and clarifications. As content creators with such a large subscriber base, they know what will work,” he says.
He said that the cast was selected after discussions with the Karikku team. Mala Parvathy as Mary, N Salim as her daughter Annie and James Elia as Mary’s husband Jacob have left their mark throughout the series. The cast from the Karikku team are Anu K Aniyan as Ravi and Unni Mathews as the civil police officer.
Having received positive reviews from all quarters, Gautham gives all the credit to his team, who worked on the film. Priyappettavan…. He says, “We were overly ambitious, especially in shooting in multiple locations. The story was based on a large canvas and we managed to pull it off with limited resources, thanks to the selfless crew. The visuals (TR Vishnu) and music (Rithu Vaisakha) have been appreciated.”
Anu K Onion and James Elia in a scene Porul
| Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
While the indoor scenes were shot in different parts of the same house in Fort Kochi, the outdoor scenes were shot in Thekkady and the surrounding areas of Cumbum, Gudalur and Theni. The shooting was completed in about 15 days.
Gautam believes that writing for films and web series involves the same kind of character and emotional progression. “The challenge is to pace the work in a way that the viewer doesn’t stop in the middle and start again. Every episode should have a great ending, with a hook for the next episode. In fact, this is more important in the first episode. Otherwise people won’t bother to watch the rest of the episodes,” he explains.
N Salim and Anu Onion in a scene Porul
| Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
The filmmaker, who is currently working on a few scripts, insists that he doesn’t consider writing and directing as separate. “For me, they are part of the same process,” he says. Gautham explains that though he loves films of all genres, he cannot write horror or slapstick content. “I prefer writing thrillers or investigative content. I would love to write science fiction or fantasy stories if there was a space to make films,” he says.
Gautam says he is open to working in both web series and films. “When the opportunity comes, I will decide. There are filmmakers who have been working on the same story for years and are waiting to bring it to the screen. I may not be able to emotionally involve myself in the same story like them. I prefer to move on to new stories that give me satisfaction,” he says.
Porul Streaming on Kariku’s YouTube channel.
