Eco-friendly hoardings for Kamal's Pranayameenukalude Kadal

In a move that may compel others to follow suit, the team of director Kamal’s Pranayameenukalude Kadal has decided to forgo PVC-based hoardings in favour of eco-friendly ones to promote their film. Keeping environmental sustainability in mind, the team has opted for the relatively more expensive but aesthetically less appealing fabric-based alternative.

When we reached out to Anuja Deepak, wife of co-producer Deepak John, she said that though they made no compromises in terms of the overall production quality, they decided to make a slight compromise with regard to the promotional material. “Despite not being a star-driven film, we put our money to good use and hired the right people for it. While discussing the promotion strategy, we felt the need to be more responsible and go for eco-friendly options even though we knew it would be less appealing and incur more costs.”

Anuja added that the producers, especially Johny Vattakuzhy, was quite adamant about doing something for the environment. “We initially had decided upon using around 100 or more plastic-based flex hoardings but then felt a lesser number of biodegradable alternatives would be more apt, with a plan to bring out more after the film’s release. Though financially it’s not advantageous for us, we wanted to leave a mark. We don’t know for sure if we will be in the film business for long but we wanted to do our part as long as we are active.”

When asked if the invigorating experience of shooting in the Lakshadweep islands was the impetus behind the commendable initiative, Anuja said, “You could say that. Lakshadweep is so clean and serene. We can’t compare our beaches to theirs. Though we are educated and aware, we are reckless and negligent. We discard plastic with no concern for the environment. When we were shooting, we sometimes forgot to pick something up and the natives reminded us not to pollute the place as they’re dependent on the water for their livelihood. Since a major chunk of the film depicts the Lakshadweep way of life, we were very responsible and wanted to do justice to it. We did whatever we could to keep the surroundings clean, with co-operation from the inhabitants. We were there for a 52 day-shoot, isolated from the mainland and devoid of technology. There were more human-to-human interactions. It was such a calming experience that we didn’t feel like coming back. By the time we got to Kochi port, we were worried about going through the demands and pressures of everyday life once again. (laughs)”

Starring newcomers Gabri Jose and Ridhi Kumar along with Vinayakan, Dileesh Pothan, and Saiju Kurup, Pranayameenukalude Kadal has been jointly written by Kamal and John Paul. Cinematography is by Vishnu Panicker, editing by Shameer Muhammed, and music by Shaan Rahman. The film will be hitting theatres on October 4.