Differently-abled boy to play the lead in Makan

With unique themes and out-of-the-box subjects, Mollywood filmmakers are on an experimental spree. Actor Rajeev Rangan, who will turn director with Makan- The kid, is also trying out an experimental subject.

The protagonist in his film is a differently abled 17-year-old boy, Eldo. "This is for the first time that a special kid is playing the lead role in a feature film. The movie revolves around the life of a child suffering from Down syndrome and the challenges faced by him. The intention of the movie is to spread awareness about how such children can be trained in other areas of interest, and how they can be motivated to excel in their chosen field," says Rajeev.


The debut filmmaker says he was eager to do an off-beat film. "I have visited a few schools, which trains these special kids. In fact, since the last two years I have been working on this project. There is no commercial aspect to it, and I believe our viewers always look forward to a variety of themes in films. There are many who enjoy serious cinema and I think Makan will cater to them," he says.


The most challenging part for the director is to make Eldo act in the film. The makers of the film believe that the story of Eldo will be able to inspire such special children in pursuing their aspirations despite the challenges. "The protagonist is the child of theatre artistes John and Bhuvana. The parents are taking great efforts in helping their child develop his individuality. It is easy to make a normal kid act, but it would be definitely challenging as a filmmaker to make a special kid act," says the director.

Makan is expected to start rolling in Kochi in June.


Source : TOI  , 27th May 2014