Arikomban, the wild elephant that has been hogging Kerala's news headlines for the last few days, is now getting a film based on its life. Sajid Yahiya, who earlier made films like IDI and Mohanlal, is directing Arikomban. It is scripted by lyricist Suhail Koya. NM Badusha, Shinoy Mathew and Rajan Chirayil are part of its production. The makers announced the project on Saturday by sharing a title poster featuring two elephants -- a cub and an adult. It is presumed to be Arikomban and its mother, who reportedly died when he was two.
Arikomban, named for his raids on local shops and houses for rice, has reportedly killed seven people in various parts of Idukki. It sparked a huge debate after locals demanded it to be relocated to some other place. Following a long legal tussle, the court recently granted permission for its relocation. After a few unsuccessful attempts, the officials finally managed to sedate it and transport it to the forests in Periyar Tiger Reserve.
Arikomban's capture and relocation was telecast live on TV channels inviting divided opinions. While a section came out in support of moving the wild animal away from human settlements, many were against taking it from its natural habitat.
Sajid Yahiya's film has Sharon Sreenivas as the cinematographer and Prakash Alex as the composer. Interestingly, the same team is collaborating for another upcoming film titled Qalb, which also has Sajid as the director. It's reportedly a romantic musical starring Ranjith Sajeev and a bunch of newcomers.