KOCHI: The sweetness of realisations that help you move on and keep going in life forms the crux of the recently released OTT film Madhuram. Directed by Ahammed Khabeer, who conceived the story, the movie’s screenplay and dialogues were penned by Ashiq Aimar and Fahim Safar. Fahim is delighted about his debut screenplay project. He has also donned the role of Thajudeen in the film.
The romantic drama revolves around the lives of Sabu (Joju George) and Kevin (Arjun Ashokan), two bystanders who accompanied their wife and mother respectively to the Kochi Medical College hospital. As Sabu waits for his wife’s (Shruthi Ramachandran) recovery, Kevin awaits his mother’s surgery. The duo bonds with each other during the time, and with other bystanders including Ravi (Indrans) and Thajudeen. The life stories they share end up giving each of them strength and support to recover from the trouble they face in life.
For Fahim, Madhuram was a mature script that portrayed an unusual plot. The friendship he shared with Ahammed while working for the movie June, was reinforced while working on Madhuram. According to him, the film showcases the love stories of four characters, Sabu, Kevin, Ravi and Thajudeen. “The film took birth from our friendship circle as most of us worked with Ahammed in his debut film, June. Madhuram is a small-budget film we started during the first lockdown. It is based on the director’s real-life experience of being a bystander for his father when he was admitted to a hospital in Kottayam for surgery a long time ago. The situation could be relatable for many of us, who have felt alone in hospital corridors while dealing with bad news. Strangers end up being friends who help us live through such dark times,” he says. The majority of the film was shot at Kottayam ESI hospital.
Fahim, a 20-something scriptwriter, believes Madhuram was an effort for him to be in touch with himself as a writer. “We have showcased the harsh realities of life Life is a mix of bitter-sweet moments and that is what Madhuram highlights. Jaffer Idukki and Indrans characters are examples of real people who help us see the silver lining in life.
He is all praise for the charismatic acting by Joju and Indrans. “Their acting made the script worthwhile. There is a monologue between Indrans and Joju George. For that, he rehearsed the lines all day all night, and would recite it to us to make it perfect,” says Fahim.
Fahim also points out the criticism the team received regarding their discussion on the concept of divorce. “Being one of the scriptwriters, I want to highlight that we have not tried to endorse divorce as a bad thing. It is all based on the perspective of the characters. The ideologies of Sabu and Kevin’s relationships are different, thus their ideas on divorce are varied too,” he says.