National Award-winning film on plight of conservancy workers releases today

A few minutes into the Malayali film Perariyathavar (Names Unknown), a man riding a bike on the wrong side of the road dashes into a garbage truck. Visibly livid, he rants to the truck driver: "You drive a garbage truck. But you act like you're driving a Mercedes."

This scene sets the tone for Dr Biju Damodaran's fifth feature film. For its focus on indiscriminate garbage dumping and the marginalisation of conservancy workers and tribals, Perariyathavar bagged two awards at the 61st National Awards for Best Film on Environment Conservation/Preservation and Best Actor (Suraj Venjaramood). Venjaramood, a famous comedian and mimicry artist in Kerala, was lauded for his nuanced portrayal of a widowed sweeper struggling to make ends meet as he travels with his eight-year-old son, observing firsthand the plight of the nameless people like themselves.

On the eve of the film's release through PVR Director's Rare, Dr Biju spoke about the challenges of filming at dumping sites, his upcoming film on Kasaragod's Endosulfan disaster and outlook for the Malayali film industry:

Garbage dumping is a pressing concern not just in Mumbai, but in all our cities. What problems has it led to in Kerala?
Most dumping yards in Kerala are in places where the economically backward live, not in cities or 'affluent' areas. Strikes are still organised about garbage being dumped in villages. The tribals and marginalised communities bear the brunt to this day.
Like other places, conservancy workers aren't given any protection like gloves and masks. Remuneration is low since most of them are contract employees. Not only do they live on society's fringes, but they also have no job security.
Apart from this, I've highlighted the usurping of tribal lands, forced eviction in urban areas and the issue of migrant labourers in Kerala — of which there are approximately 20-30 lakh.
There was a time politicians in Kerala were actively involved in social issues. Not anymore. They stay away from resolving problems that directly affect people. Only votebank politics and superficial issues are taken up. For instance, the tribals are having a 'standing strike' (standing continuously for 130 days) to demand their land back. But it's falling on deaf ears.

What were the most challenging scenes to film?
The portions shot at the dumping grounds were most difficult. Those were mountains of garbage. The smell was unbearable and some of our crew members vomited. But we still didn't use masks. Conservancy workers have been toiling for years in the same conditions. Out of the 26-day shooting schedule, we were there for just 1-3 days. It's the least we could do.

Considering the subject of Perariyathavar, was it difficult to convince your leading man to slip into character?
Suraj didn't even flinch in the scene where the character falls in the blackwater (foul water emanating from garbage and fecal matter) at the dumping site.
I'd approached a few actors before him, but they kept me hanging even after giving a commitment. I needed a character with an 'ordinary' appearance, someone who'd cut across society's invisible barriers. Suraj was perfect. He's an instinctive actor, but since this was his first serious role, I told him to come with a blank slate. So when I gave Suraj the script, he didn't even read it. He was given a brief before each shot. The execution is there for all to see.

You're also the District Medical Officer in Kasaragod. Did this prompt you to make the upcoming Valiya Chirakulla Pakshikal on the Endosulfan disaster?
Valiya Chirakulla Pakshikal is the most difficult, heartbreaking film I've made. The visuals are distressing. We shot real people affected by the Endosulfan disaster, almost all of whom are malformed. These malformations are being passed down from generation to generation. The mortality rates are alarming. And India's still one of the largest producers and consumers of Endosulfan despite the pesticide being banned in almost 70 countries.
What happened in Kasaragod is one of the world's worst pesticide disasters. More than 10,000 children are suffering. The gravity is the same as the Bhopal Gas Tragedy, but not many outside Kerala are aware.
The issue was taken up by the United Nations Conference in Geneva. Apart from the official Indian delegates, other participants included corporates and representatives of Endosulfan itself. This shows how they're manipulating the discourse too. I've portrayed this in my film.

What's your outlook on Malayalam cinema in the near future?
There's a lot of commercial cinema now. Although the '80s was the golden age of parallel cinema, many Malayali filmmakers now are debuting with small budget, non-commercial films.
Alternative films are well-received at international film festivals, but they don't get theatrical releases despite the critical acclaim. Neither the government nor TV channels broadcast such movies. And audiences only go to watch such films if they win awards and create a buzz.
In fact, I say that making a good movie in Malayalam is like committing suicide.

Perariyathavar (Names Unknown) releases today in theatres across Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore, Pune, Hyderabad and Kochi.