PremiumExclusive! Renji Panicker, Shanthi Krishna play lawyers in courtroom drama Section 306 IPC
The movie, directed by Sreenath Siva, also has Rahul Madhav and Sivakami
Last Updated: 11.54 AM, Mar 28, 2022
Courtroom dramas seem to have found an audience in the South off late. After Pawan Kalyan’s Vakeel Saab, Suriya’s Jai Bhim and Jyotika’s Ponmagal Vandhal, Malayalam too will two films of the genre coming out – Kunchacko Boban’s Nna, Thaan Case Kodu and Renji Panicker’s Section 306 IPC.
About the latter, which has completed its shoot and is gearing up for release, its director Sreenath Siva tells us, “The movie revolves around an incident related to menstruation. The idea was to present that in an engaging, cinematic form for the audience. We discuss this without really touching upon the issue. For instance, we try to explore what ‘impurity’ means in today’s society, especially in a State like Kerala where superstitions and rituals are still observed. We are trying to gauge the message that all these give to today’s youth and that women shouldn’t be isolated for a biological process.”
On how the legal elements tie into the story, the filmmaker says, “The movie looks at Section 306 of the Indian Penal Code that deals with abetment of suicide. So, we try to analyse how a person’s look, words or actions can result in another taking their lives. This is shown through the sudden death of young writer Aswathy Melappatt and if these three factors had contributed to it.”
Debutante Sivakami, who is also part of Antony Varghese’s Laila, plays Aswathy while Rahul Madhav essays the role of her boyfriend, who is a tea taster. “Renji Panicker plays the special public prosecutor who appears for the victim while Shanthi Krishna essays the defence lawyer. The second half of film is set entirely in a courtroom,” says Sreenath.
Also, the movie doesn’t really have a central character, explains the filmmaker. “The story is told as a social issue and is approached in such a manner,” he says, adding that the entire film was shot in Ottapalam and the team is gearing to release it in theatre in April.