Move over Bahubali, Malayalam film industry has an epic in the making

The Mahabharat has always charmed celluloid. The epic has always offered screen writers in India a variety of tales of valor, emotions and all that concerns the human psyche.

Cinema, more or less, has thrived on these tales from time to time, either by adapting stories into the modern day world, or by re-enacting the characters that stayed close to the human heart and soul.  Not just the Mahabharat, many a mythical tale penned by the sages of yore have formed subjects to Indian celluloid creations, and most of them have set the box office on fire.

The instance of Bahubali, the epic drama made by SS Rajamouli, is currently making all the noises for the humongous manner in which it has been made. Even as the Telugu actor Prabhas is currently being transported to superstardom, riding the Bahubali wave, further down south, in Kerala’s tinsel town of Mollywood, another epic tale has been conceived.

At the helm of affairs is the redoubtable Hariharan, who has made quite a handful of awesome flicks that still are seen with respect. The Pazhassi Raja director is lining up a film that could be termed his magnum opus, with none other than Krishna as the central character.

Krishna, on screen, has always charmed the young and old alike. The valorous, naughty character of the Mahabharat and the Bhagawatam is indeed a screenwriter’s delight. If one looks at the Krishna characters that have appeared in many forms on the big screen, it becomes clear that Krishna is evergreen. The awesomeness gets some added fascination when we know that Hariharan has picked one of the least retold tales from the Mahabharat for his next screen venture.

The tale is that of the Syamantaka gem, and the film is aptly titled Syamatankam. If you happen to be among those who aren’t aware of the tale, the Syamantaka is the gem gifted to King Satrajith by Surya, the sun god. The gem, however, gets stolen, and Krishna is dragged in as one of the suspects. The story takes on an interesting course from then on.

Syamantakam is being conceived on a large scale, with the film to be made in Malayalam, Tamil, Telugu and Hindi too. If you thought Hariharan would have a tough time choosing an actor who would play Krishna, you are mistaken.

For, the director, an ace in his own right, has zeroed in on Prithviraj, to don Krishna’s robes. The actor, who has already proved he is the one to watch out for, for many years to come, has everything in him to play the mythical character. Going by what Hariharan has been quoted as saying in an interview with The Hindu, Prithviraj has the looks and the physique to play Krishna. True, that!

Actors from across India would be cast alongside Prithviraj in Syamantakam. Further technical excellence is what Hariharan would be looking for as he goes about filming the mythical tale. Considering that he had directed widely applauded films of the likes of Oru Vadakkan Veeragatha, Parinayam, Amrutham Gamaya, Pazhassi Raja and many more, we can rest assured Syamantakam would be yet another masterpiece.

The difference this time around would be that it would be a project of immense magnitude. To be produced by Gokulam Gopalan, the film will have Academy Award winner Resul Pookkutty in charge of the sound design. We might get to hear many more international names joining the crew in the coming days.

The film holds promise in the fact that it is a mythological tale with the talented Prithviraj in the lead being narrated by veteran filmmaker Hariharan. And, the production assures a mega venture as the money that would go into its making would flow from an immensely cash-rich production house. Do we have a M-town flick that would cut Bahubali to size?

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