Indu Lakshmi says her maiden film ‘Nila’ is about how resilience and willpower in women can bring about positive changes

malayalam director indu lakshmi on her debut film nila that she has scripted and directed

Writer and filmmaker Indu Lakshmi saw the Nila in spate only during the shooting of her maiden feature film, Nila. But the much-celebrated river, the second longest one in Kerala, has a special place in Indu’s heart as a result of her numerous readings of litterateur MT Vasudevan Nair’s works, many of which feature the sandy expanse and languidly flowing waters of the river.

As Nila releases in cinemas on August 4, Indu traces the making of her film and why she titled it after the river.

“To me, the Nila is not only a river. The life-giving river in North Kerala symbolises many aspects of life. During summer, the river bed becomes exposed and the river becomes tiny streams in a sea of golden sand. But come the rain, the Nila is transformed. The majesty and beauty of the river during the monsoon is a sight to behold,” she says.

So, when it came to naming her maiden feature film, Indu decided it had to be Nila. “The river represents hope and resilience in the face of odds. Some people are like that. Even when that person’s life seems desolate, devoid of happiness and love, there are always embers of life in them; a hope that springs forth at the first sign of a life-giving affirmation or challenge,” says Indu.

She points out that ageism marks a woman’s life more than a man’s. Even a woman in her thirties is seen as someone over the hill. “I know so many women whose lives are not circumscribed by their age. My film is about such a woman, 75-year-old Dr Malathi. Her convictions and faith make her age irrelevant. The story rests on her shoulders,” explains Indu.

Since the script was written during the lockdowns Indu wanted to keep her cast and crew small as she was not sure if she would have to shoot during the lockdown when there were stringent restrictions in place on the number of people in a set.

“The four main characters are enacted by Shanthi Krishna, Vineeth, Mamukoya and Madhupal. It is a relationship story about Dr Malathi and her son Mahi, essayed by Vineeth. I was lucky that none of the actors I approached turned me down. On the contrary, they listened to the story patiently and asked for the script. As soon as they read it, they agreed to be part of the movie,” recalls Indu.