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A GROUP of Bahrain-based creatives has bagged four out of seven awards at a film festival organised by a popular expatriate group in the kingdom.
Their five-minute silent movie, Replica, is set to be released this month and the team is hoping to create more meaningful art that will get people in Bahrain talking and thinking.
ARHA, an acronym with the initials of friends and local talents Ashitha Hariz, Ranju Ransh, Hariz Ekkachu, and Asar Ziya, bagged the honours for their creation at the award ceremony of Bahrain Keraleeya Samajam’s (BKS) film festival, which took place earlier this month.
A total of 22 entries were put to the test by a stellar panel of judges, featuring renowned figures in the South Indian film industry. It included reputed director and Film Employees Federation of Kerala Directors’ Union general secretary G S Vjayan, accomplished cinematographer and director Vipin Mohan, and the multi-talented director, art director and member of Kerala State Film Awards Committee Roy P Thomas.
Replica won awards for the Best Actor and Best Director, which were received by Ranju; Best Editor by Hariz; and the Best Film.
Celebrated industry talent and chief guest Sibi Malayil, who has directed more than 40 films in the span of his illustrious career and won numerous awards including the famed Filmfare for the South Indian film industry, presented the coveted trophy to the winners.
The silent movie transcends language barriers and will strike a chord with a wide audience. It showcases how society views physical appearance and revolves around a supremely gifted artist who cannot reach his full potential due to a skin condition for which he keeps getting judged. He then decides to ‘mask’ his illness in order to succeed.
East Riffa resident Ranju, who also plays the artist, tugs at hearts with his tear-jerking performance while doing a splendid job of orchestrating the film’s other characters. The disgust of a muse, the hesitation of an employer, the pain of rejection and self-loathing are some of the emotions that he brings to life in his directorial venture.
“I wrote the script and discussed it with my friends who were super excited and we decided to work on it,” 34-year-old Ranju told GulfWeekly.
“I had already decided to cast Anil Issac as the owner of a shop, and Anupama Binu and Ayra Baby as the clients. When I approached them, they agreed and we went ahead.
“The movie was shot within a day at the Indian Institute for Performing Arts (IIPA). We are very thankful to them, especially IIPA founder Ambili Kuttan, Asha teacher, and the Bavahara team, who helped.
“The most highlighted part in the film was makeup and we got what we expected, thanks to the magic of Sreejin Cheenical.
“As a silent film, music plays an important role and Biju Rajan has done a wonderful job along with vocal support from Arun Kallingal.”
ARHA is committed to producing thought-provoking films that have the potential to spark debate and discussion.
The BKS film festival was the first competition that they entered together. In the past, they have produced music videos and covers by artists based in Bahrain and Kerala, India. These are available on the Harchka Media channel on YouTube and have a fan-following of their own.
“We are so happy with this milestone and hope to create more meaningful art,” Ranju added.
“We have finished working on a 30-minute anthology film Dice Death, which is currently in the editing phase and will be released soon,” the creative and full-time sales executive noted.
Those who wish to watch Replica can subscribe to the Ransh Creations channel on YouTube where the film will be available for viewing this month.
