Malayalam film appuram to be screened at new york indian film festival

Malayalam film _Appuram_ (The Other Side) has been selected for screening at the 25th edition of the New York Indian Film Festival (NYIFF). The film is scheduled to be screened on June 21.

Written and directed by Indu Lakshmi, it has earned nominations in three categories at NYIFF: Best Film, Best Actress, and the New York Women in Film and Television’s Excellence Award for a

Woman Filmmaker. _Appuram_ stars actors Jagadish, Mini IG, and Anagha Ravi among others. Told from the perspective of a teenage girl, Janaki (Anagha Ravi), the film is a sensitive

exploration of a woman’s battle with psychological issues and entrenched superstitions. The film premiered at the International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK) in December 2024, where it won

the award for Best Debut Director and received a Special Jury Mention for performance. Since then, the film has garnered considerable attention, having been showcased at the Bangalore

International Film Festival (BIFFs) in Karnataka and the Eikhoigi International Imphal Film Festival in Manipur. It is also scheduled to be screened at the 17th Habitat Film Festival in

Delhi and the Women’s International Film Festival in Kerala’s Kottarakara. Elated by the recognition, filmmaker Indu Lakshmi told TNM, “I feel extremely happy that our film is being screened

in another geographical location and receiving global recognition. I worked in the United States for two years and had to move back 15 years ago on June 20. I feel it is some kind of

destiny that my film is being screened on June 21 this year.” Before she decided to pursue her passion for storytelling, Indu had a long career in the IT sector. “I eventually realised that

it was time for me to break free and start writing, something I had always wanted to do,” she said. Her first film as a director, _Nila_, was released in 2023, though she also wrote the

script for another film that was released in 2023, _Daayam_. _Appuram_ is her second directorial project. Remarkably, the film was shot in just nine days, which Indu described as an

enjoyable experience. Recalling the early days of the project, Indu said that _Appuram_ almost didn’t get made due to the absence of a producer. “When I pitched the idea to Bijibal sir, Appu

[N. Bhattathiri], and Rakesh [Dharan], I was relocating to Germany and we didn’t have time to find a producer. So I decided to use my personal savings.”  Despite budget constraints, the

trio — who took on the roles of composer, editor, and cinematographer, respectively — chose to work without remuneration and co-produced the film, she said. Indu had high praise for veteran

actor Jagadish, who plays a key character in the film. “Jagadish sir was very cooperative. The character he played had to be subtle. Only a seasoned actor would have been apt for the role.

As an experienced actor, he quickly understood the emotional depth of the character. It was a great experience working with him,” she said. She also lauded the discipline and commitment of

the actors from the Surya Theatre Group, many of whom played supporting roles. Due to time constraints, multiple rehearsals were not possible, so the actors memorised their dialogues in a

short span of time. “I just had to control the meter of their performances during the shoot,” Indu said, crediting the entire cast and crew for the film’s success.  Other Malayalam films

that have been recognised at NYIFF include _Kammatipaadam_ (2016), _Moothon_ (2019), and _Saudi Vellakka_ (2022) among others.