These days Vaazha, the plantain plant, is the talk of tinseltown. Vaazha: Biopic of a Billion Boys, a slice-of-life drama revolving around the shenanigans of a group of boys, has brought in crowds to the theatres and cheer to its director Anand Menen and his team.
The title is inspired by an adage in Malayalam which says it is better to grow a plantain tree (vaazha) instead of a person considered good-for-nothing.
The film is about underachievers Ajo Thomas (Siju Sunny), Vishnu (Amith Mohan Rajeswari), Moosa (Joemon Jyothir), Abdul Kalam (Anuraj OB), and Vivek Anand (Anu Anshid), who are not in the good books of their families or teachers right from when they are kids. The coming-of-age narrative explores the challenges they face at various stages of their lives until their early 20s and their complex relationships with their fathers.
In an exclusive interview, Anand Menen, who debuted as a director with the feel-good movie Gauthamante Radham in 2020, mentioned that Vaazha worked for the audience because of its relatability. “We have presented the points of view of both the youngsters and their parents with humour and a dash of satire. We’ve incorporated several nostalgic elements that the audience enjoyed.”
However, Anand calls it the “unplanned movie of my career.” He elaborates, “There was a gap after my first film because I’m someone who is not easily satisfied with scripts. I keep reworking the stories that come to me, and I was almost ready to direct my next when Vipin chettan [filmmaker Vipin Das] gave me the script of Vaazha.” Vipin has crafted the story, screenplay, and dialogues for the movie.
Anand explains that Vipin already had the story of Vaazha back in 2018 when they became friends. “He had named it Vaazha then and had planned it as his second movie [after Mudhugauv]. But as he went on to direct other projects such as Anthakshari, Jaya Jaya Jaya Jaya Hey, and Guruvayoor Ambalanadayil, Vaazha was put on the backburner,” Anand recounts.
The director stresses that several scenes in the movie might resonate with real-life experiences. “Vipin chettan has had such experiences or might have heard them from others. Even I could relate to some of the scenes,” he confides.
The film materialized due to the confidence shown by the producers in the relatively fresh faces of the Malayalam cinema. “The protagonists are comparatively new to Malayalam cinema, and generally producers are wary of investing in them. But Vaazha materialised because of a bunch of people who believed in the project and the actors,” says Anand.
. The five producers of the film are Vipin Das, Harris Desom, PB Anish, Adarsh Narayan, and Icon Studios.
Anand points out that they aimed for originality in the movie, necessitating the casting of these actors. “The actors were placed in a space that was new for them and the audience,” he adds.
The director acknowledges that minimal interference from Vipin Das allowed him creative freedom. “We started the shoot with the song sequence in college, and he was present throughout. Other than that, he seldom visited the set because he was busy with Guruvayoor Ambalanadayil. So, we coordinated the shoot mostly through video calls or voice notes,” explains Anand.
Interestingly, the sequences in the climax, one of the highlights of the movie, are the only “properly written” portions of the script. “The rest were dialogues and situations that Vipin chettan sometimes wrote on the spot. The actors were given the freedom to improvise,” he reveals.
Anand praised the performances of seasoned actors Kottayam Nazeer, Noby Marcose, Azeez Nedumangad, and Jagadish, who received commendations for their roles. “Their characters were well-defined in the script, including their mannerisms and body language. And they have elevated it with their talent and experience,” he says, noting how underutilized they are in the industry.
Regarding the young actors, Anand mentions their chemistry was pivotal to the movie. “I have known Jomon, Amith, and Anuraj for many years. It’s our shared love for cinema that kept us together, bringing an innate chemistry amongst us,” he shares. Through Vipin, he met Siju, Anu, and Saaf Bros, who plays the studious BC Vishwam, the gang’s archrival.
Songs integrated seamlessly into the narrative are composed by five independent musicians including Nomadic Voice, Jay Stellar featuring Rakz Radiant, Rajat Prakash, Parvathish Pradeep, and Electronic Kili, with Ankith Menon handling music supervision.
The film was primarily shot in Irinjalakkuda in Thrissur, with the significant plantain plantation scenes filmed in Chalakkudy. “The plantation is crucial to the story, and it took some time to locate one,” says Anand.
Fans can look forward to more as the makers have announced a sequel, set to be directed by Savin SA, one of the associates from the first part.
