Announcement of Kunchacko Boban starrer as the first Malayalam film to be selected in the main competition category at the 75th Locarno Film Festival. The announcement is the first Malayalam film to be screened in the main competition section of the festival, which started 75 years ago. The fair will start on August 3. After 17 years, Anthaya also holds the distinction of being the first Indian film to be selected in the main competition category.
The film is written, directed and edited by Mahesh Narayanan with Kunchacko Boban as the lead. In the backdrop of the epidemic in Noida, the film tells the story of a distressed Malayali couple trying to migrate out of the country for a better life. A fake video clip is circulating among colleagues at the factory where the couple works. This causes an emotional upheaval in their relationship. Starring Kunchacko Boban and Divya Prabha in lead roles, the film also stars famous theater and film stars like Loveleen Mishra, Danish Hussain, Faisal Malik and Kannan Arunachalam.
“It is truly an honor to have ‘Ariyip’ selected for the international competition category of such a film festival. I have woven the film with great honesty and I am happy and grateful to have been rewarded for it.” – Mahesh Narayanan responded.
Kunchacko Boban said that he is very happy that this film has received such an honor even as the family film production company Udaya Pictures, founded by his grandfather and father, completes 75 years. “This is a personal honor for me as well as a dedication to my grandfather and father who have a long tradition of making great Malayalam films. I am grateful to my dear friend, writer, co-producer and director Mahesh Narayanan, co-producer Shebin Bakar and the entire team of “Aariyip” for being a part of such a beautiful film. It was an unforgettable trip,” says Kunchako.
Earlier, Rituparnaghosh’s Bengali film ‘Antarmahal’ was selected for the Locarno Film Festival competition category. Antarmahal was unveiled in 2005. The last Malayalam film screened at Locarno was Adoor Gopalakrishnan’s ‘Nizhalkooth’ in 2011.
