Producer: Manju Thomas
Director: Nishad MA
Cast: Kalabhavan Mani, Biju Menon, Revathy, Gopika, Jagathy, Jagadheesh, Thilakan, Sudheesh, Sreeraman, Seema, Lakshmi Sharma, Nithya Das
Music: Mohan Sitara

Director M.A. Nishad’s latest venture handles an altogether unique topic that has been of utmost concern in today’s life but is being rendered in celluloid for the first time. This film is being made on a very big scale and casts nearly forty artistes in vital roles and acquaints us with the story of a village fated to amass the litters of a nearby city.

Waste accumulation and dumping is one of the primary concerns of nearly all states. In this film, the director highlights Kochi Corporation’s take on waste management. Lalgudy Nanappan who has cited to remove all the garbage from the city hasn’t found a very suitable place for disposing the litter. So the Mayor of the city, Prof. Sreelatha Varma (Rekha), a person of strong ethics dismisses his tenders and all the works associated with it comes to a halt. But Nanappan is an influential man who has strong contacts with many opposition leaders like City Council Stephen, Parasuraman (Ashokan) and the MLA of the area and Advocate Eenasu (Riza Bawa) who is the legal consultant to the ruling party, as well as the State Health Minister.

Unable to find any suitable place, Nanappan together with the assistance of dishonest politicians choose to plunk all the trash in the nearby village of Sivaramapuram. This small village is a place of great scenic beauty devoid of pollution and other environmental hazards. The people of this place are mainly farmers who takes lands on lease from the family of Ponnayya Thevar (Kalabhavan Mani) who owns three fourth of the total village land. Thevar is an awfully avaricious man who readily agrees to give his lands for disposal of wastes in return of a handsome fee. And gradually waste from the city starts inflowing in the village. A group leader, Vasukuttan, convinces the naive villagers that soon a Waste Treatment Plant would come up in the village that will provide employment to many.  But little did the villagers know about the environmental threats that were soon to pose in front of them?

This film narrates the account of the devastation of a village and its haunts, narrated through the characters of Chinthamani Ammal (Seema), an elderly lady, who works vehemently for all social causes and Mayamma (Lekshmi Sharma), an Anganvadi teacher and daughter of the local physician, Ramanunni Menon and Poonkodi, who sells flowers to earn a living.

The villagers realize the real hazard to their life and existence after a young journalist Radhika (Gopika), the daughter of the Mayor of Kochi Corporation arrives in the village. Seeing the pitiable state of this village, she picks up the fight against this exploitation and even the villagers come for her support. Together they start a movement to stop the city people from creating more environmental menace to their small village.

M.A. Nishaad undeniably treads on a very unusual line with this film. But still the film could have been far more appealing if handled more dexterously. Rajan Kiriyath’s screenplay keeps up the flames of this current issue burning. M.A. Nishaad could have done well if he would have worked hard in giving potent scenes rather than simply concentrating in envisaging the mere script. Cinematography by Sadath isn’t anything outstanding either.

Talking about the performances, senior actors like Thilakan and Seema are outstanding. Biju Menon, Gopika and Kalabhavan Mani pull off their roles with great ease and compliance. Lekshmi Sharma fumbles with her acting. Rekha, Ashokan and Riza Bawa are passable.

The music of this serene flick by Mohan Sithara appears somewhat out of place. ‘Nagaram’ is devoid of any glamorous heroes and heroines and all credits should be given to the unit of this film for coming up with such an important film without caring about its glamour quotient.

This film is miles apart from the regular capers that we are used to. This film demands more somber and staid audience to understand the graveness of this issue. M.A. Nishhad does a commendable job in the way he narrates the story through the perspective of the opposite gender. On the whole a good watch although there were scopes for improvement.