|
Lusty
profits
Cinema: Shakeela and her ilk
make it happen as sex films in
Malayalam flood Kerala's theatres
Vinu Abraham |
The bare minimum is required. A steamy script, 16 mm
camera and a bungalow far from the madding crowd. And, of course, a heroine who is ready
to bare her assets.
The handful of ingredients are more than enough for a clutch of film-makers in Kerala to
satisfy the insatiable hunger of voyeuristic viewers. Though sex films in Malayalam are
nothing new, the rash of new releases in recent weeks has taken industry-watchers by
surprise, and left aficionados panting for more. Everyone is inspired by the thumping
success of Kinnarathumpikal (Lovebirds), produced on a shoe-string budget of Rs
12 lakh. Today, there are some 20 similar films in the making.
It is not just the film-makers who are raking in lusty profits. The times are good for the
stars who feature in such movies, too. One of the biggest gainers is Shakeela, who is
rushing from one exotic locale to another these days. The actress, who hails from Tamil
Nadu, is such a draw in theatres that Malayali film-makers are hankering to include her in
their next project. "I am asked to be sexy in a very beautiful and attractive
manner," says the buxom actress who has some 10 films in hand. "As long as there
is no vulgarity, there is nothing wrong in sexiness."
Heart-Throbs: Shakeela (above left), Neelam in Pranaya
Manthram
After the success of I.V. Sasi's Avalude Ravukal (Her Nights) in
the late Seventies, a steady stream of porn films surfaced quietly at B-grade theatres.
The present crop of sex films is, however, different because they follow a marketing
strategy similar to that of mainstream productions. These films have tremendous
pre-release publicity, complete with glossy posters, and are released in A class theatres
which otherwise show only films featuring super stars like Mammooty and Mohanlal.
The new sex
film-makers say they are different, too. "Earlier sex films had uncouth frames, gaudy
backgrounds and illogical scenes," says J. Prasad, director of Kinarathumpikal,
explaining the success of the new releases. "My film was an attempt at creating a
sexy ambience through the depiction of adolescent passion. That is an attractive
presentation of sex rather than some bedroom or bathroom scenes."
Agrees Venu B. Pillai, director of Neelathadakathile Nishalpakshikal: "My film has a
theme deeply rooted in sex but I have shot it without compromising on technical quality
and with aesthetic frames."
Interestingly, many of these movies are produced with facilities available from the state
film development corporation. As in the case of mainstream directors, the porn film-makers
avail of the facilities at the state-owned Chithranjali Studios.
Hit parade: Sudhakar Vasant and Bhanu in Priyankari;
Jyothi (above lefft) in NeelathadakathileNishalpakshikal
A number of new releases have run into trouble with the Censor Board,
which refused them a screening certification. But the crafty directors and producers have
a way of overcoming the problem. "I change the script a little bit so that some
steamy scenes are avoided and then put a new title and submit the film to the Censor
Board," says one producer. "Once the film is passed, bits can be suitably added
in the theatres."
The new wave of sex films has peaked at a time when many mainstream productions featuring
superstars Mammooty, Mohanlal and Suresh Gopi have bombed at the box office. But in
Malayalam films where trends appear and disappear very fast, no one is sure how long the
present craze will last. Already a number of directors, technicians and even actors of the
porn film world have started migrating to mainstream cinema. "Actually I am not a
sex-film director but things shaped up in such as way that I debuted with such a
film," says Prasad. "In future I will do serious films with a respectable star
cast."
There is little doubt, however, that porn films will continue to be made as long as the
demand exists. "Sex films have a market and they will be there along with mainstream
cinema," says Venu B. Pillai. That is great news for film buffs like Babu of
Thiruvananthapuram, who admits that "sex films have never been so exciting".
