Actor-tuned-director
Madhupal
on
Sunday
denied
allegations
that
his
debut
movie
Thalappavu,
based
on
the
real-life
confession
of
a
police
constable
about
the
gunning
down
of
naxalite
leader
Varghese
in
a
fake
encounter
nearly
30
years
ago,
reflects
his
sympathies
for
the
political
ideology
of
naxalite
movements.
"The
film
is
not
an
attempt
to
show
my
sympathy
or
political
views.
It
is
a
reminder
to
a
society
that
has
forgotten
how
to
respond
to
the
problems
faced
by
human
beings.
The
film
is
a
wake
up
call
for
a
society
that
is
becoming
increasingly
meek
and
submissive," he
said,
while
addressing
a
meet-the-press
programme
held
in
Thiruvananthapuram
on
Sunday.
Madhupal
further
added
that
the
real
challenge
in
the
film
was
in
telling
a
familiar
story
in
a
'realistic
manner' devoid
of
the
documentary
feel.
"How
to
adapt
a
popular
political
struggle
without
distorting
facts
to
the
big
screen
was
our
main
concern,"
he
said.
Prithviraj
plays
the
role
of
naxalite
leader
Varghese
while
actor
Lal
plays
the
role
of
the
distraught
police
constable
Ramachandran
Nair.
"I
wanted
someone
who
could
convey
the
feeling
of
being
bold
and
helpless
at
the
same
time," said
Madhupal
about
choosing
Lal
for
the
role.
Babu
Janardhanan,
the
playwright
of
the
film,
said
that
he
had
carried
out
extensive
research
on
the
life
of
the
revolutionary
leader
before
putting
it
on
paper.
"The
spark
for
the
script
came
from
the
revelation
made
by
Ramachandran
Nair
through
television
channels
that
he
was
forced
to
kill
Varghese.
The
revelation
struck
me
and
I
started
to
think
about
the
mental
agony
he
had
to
endure
by
suppressing
the
fact
for
nearly
30
years," said
Janardhanan.