Ratheesh Ravi Interview: Why should films always celebrate male heroism?

The world around us has always been rich with stories. Stories of love, hate, hope, despair, dejection, generosity, and vengeance—there's never a dearth of intriguing tales. Ratheesh Ravi loves narrating these stories but with his own interpretations and embellishments. Inspired by the feedback for his storytelling ability, Ratheesh, an editor with direction dreams, decided to try a hand at screenwriting. Even after venturing into writing films, he continued borrowing stories from real people and incidents. After a forgettable debut (Pullikkaran Staraa), Ratheesh didn't have to look too far for a gripping subject for his next, Ishq. The film, which gave him the much-needed break, was based on a harrowing moral policing experience he and his partner endured. 

For his latest, Adi, Ratheesh, once again zeroed in on a real-life incident. "I came across this news about a couple getting attacked publicly on their wedding day. It struck me, and I kept thinking about it. That's how it all started. I'm not consciously looking for stories, but I keep observing what's happening around. I guess that's where my strengths lie," says Ratheesh as we forge ahead to discuss more about Adi, and his writing.

Excerpts

Can you walk us through how a tiny news story became a Dulquer Salmaan-backed project?

Two years back during the lockdown, we were all going through a tough phase. That's when we decided to work on something to lift our spirits. Shine (Tom Chacko) and Dhruvan also expressed their interest. We then approached Dulquer with this subject, and he was also convinced. We shot the film in quick time hoping to release it on some streaming platform. The basic intention was to keep ourselves sane and ensure we had work.

But things didn't turn out as expected. How hard was it to wade through this period of uncertainty?

It was frustrating because we didn't know the exact reason behind the delay. To make things worse, those in the production weren't easily reachable for us. Sometimes, they'll inform us about holding discussions with Sony LIV or some other streamer. But then, there won't be any response for the next six months. Then they said, 'We'll think about it after Kurup's release.' After Kurup, came Salute, and our film's release was once again put on hold. It kept delaying for some reason. But I'm happy that after all the wait, we finally got a festival release.

Many films with similar themes about male ego and toxic masculinity got released during this period. Did it ever concern you?

It was worrying because many films even had the exact dialogues as ours. We were anxious if our film would be termed outdated. There's also a section that's clearly intolerant of films exposing patriarchy and the male ego. During Adi's shoot, many asked me if it will be yet another 'female-empowerment film'. I was bemused because we've had thousands of films celebrating male heroism. Then what's the problem if a couple of films choose to show the other side? 

Your last film Ishq also had a similar theme. Though it was well received, it also got its fair share of criticisms. Were you extra cautious with Adi?

I generally respect feedback a lot. I make it a point to discuss all my scripts with my family and friends, particularly the women in my circles to understand their perspectives. During Ishq, it was Kani (Kusruti) who helped me with a lot of valuable suggestions. It was she who pointed out the lack of depth and agency for the female characters. But for Adi, we didn't have the time and space for such brainstorming. As I said, it was a project born out of desperation to help many among us who were struggling mentally and financially. The entire script was completed in about two weeks.

Is that why a lot of scenes and dialogues had an impromptu feel?

With every film, I'm trying to attempt something new. In Ishq, we wanted the dialogues to be minimal and it worked. But Adi demanded a different treatment as it had a lot of intimate conversations between the newly-married couple. So we let Ahaana and Shine figure out most of their dialogues. I did have a full-bound script with me, but the actors had all the space to improvise. I used to constantly interact with them, and if any dialogue didn't feel apt, I would let them know. There's a 9-minute-long conversation towards the end; it was stunning to see them acing it in a single go.

In Adi, the representation of people residing in low-income areas (Diamond Colony in the film) hasn't gone down well with many... 

I realised it only after the release when people started pointing it out. It was a mistake on our part, but we didn't do it consciously. The idea was to show that such egoistic and toxic men exist everywhere; be it in a Nair tharavadu or a place like Diamond Colony. But I guess we failed to communicate what we intended. Just like the criticisms from Ishq, this is also a learning experience. I'll ensure such representation that reinforces the existing stigma won't be there in my films henceforth. 

Malayalam cinema is going through a period of severe crisis with over 95 per cent of films tanking at the box office this year. Does this impact your choice of subjects?

Post-pandemic, the audience has become more particular about what they want to watch in theatres. Big-scale films like RRR and Pathaan have always had takers; it's the smaller films that are being ignored now. To overcome this, filmmakers have to ensure that there's something new in terms of story or treatment. People should feel that this film deserves a theatrical experience. It need not always be a visual spectacle. My upcoming film Maharani is conceived completely for a fun theatre experience. With a lot of artists and hilarious situations, it's one of those films that demands community viewing.

What more can you tell us about Maharani?

It was supposed to be my next after Adi, but that's when the pandemic worsened. It's again inspired by a true incident; something that happened in a friend's family. The idea is to convey how an apolitical society is born. It has Roshan Mathew and Shine Tom as brothers, while Johny Antony plays their father. So far, we've seen stories of how women are affected by men, this time it will be a role reversal.

We also heard you are collaborating with Fahadh Faasil...

I go a long way back with Fahadh. In fact, Ishq was originally planned with him with the title Cartoon. But he didn't want to risk it then as some of his films continuously failed during that time. We postponed the project, but then Trance happened and he got busy with it for a long time. It's great that we're now finally set to work together. It will be directed by editor Noufal Abdullah. Like all my other films, it's also based on a real incident. It's a cop story, but it won't be the usual kind. I can't reveal more as things are still in the early stages.