(clockwise from top left) Richa Chadha and Ali Fazal, Payal Kapadia and Kani Kusruti, poster of ‘Guptam’, director Kunjila Mascillamani, and Jeo Baby
| Photo Credit: Special Arrangement, Instagram, and H. VIBHU
All We Imagine As Light-director Payal Kapadia and Girls Will Be Girls-producers Richa Chadha and Ali Fazal have joined actor Kani Kusruti and filmmaker Jeo Baby in producing the upcoming Malayalam film Guptam (Or, The Last of Them Plagues.)
Guptam marks the feature directorial debut of Kunjila Mascillamani. Kunjila had previously directed a segment (titled Asanghadithar) in the 2022 Malayalam anthology film Freedom Fight, produced by Jeo Baby (the anthology also had a segment directed by Baby).
On Wednesday, the makers of Guptam unveiled a first-look poster along with the logline. “When her younger daughter disappears in a graveyard, a single mother is forced to move to a conservative, religious, small town in Kerala, India, where she launches a desperate search for the child. Soon, a series of mysterious and disastrous incidents plague the region, and the townsfolk turn against her, convinced she has brought god’s wrath upon them. Now, she must fight to clear her name while coping with grief and struggling to care for her surviving daughter,” reads the logline.
Speaking about producing the film, Kapadia in a statement said, “When I first saw Kunjila’s short film, Asanghadithar, I was struck by her impeccable craft and strong voice. I knew I wanted to be part of her filmmaking journey. As a woman, I have long struggled with the lack of diverse female representation on screen. Reading the first treatment for Guptam, I was certain this was a film I had to produce. A single mother battling a society that sees her as an anomaly is the reality of countless women around us. I grew up seeing women like Sethulekshmi of Guptam.
“With my experience working with international co-producers, I am confident this project will attract global support. My co-producers bring immense expertise, and together, our diverse backgrounds will ensure Kunjila has everything she needs to realise her artistic vision,” added Kapadia.
Chadha, who is producing under her Pushing Button Studios banner, said, “As producers, we deeply resonate with Kunjila’s script, which exposes the insidious violence against women veiled as “culture.” In Guptam, a woman’s decision to simply exist on her own terms unsettles many in her homeland, a theme that transcends borders. We have long admired Kunjila’s work for its originality, and we are excited to embark on this journey with her, knowing she will bring depth, nuance, and vulnerability to this deeply personal story. We are also thrilled to collaborate with Jeo Baby and Payal Kapadia, auteurs we greatly admire, and to reunite with Kani Kusruti, who joins Guptam as a co-producer.”
Jeo Baby said, “When I read Kunjila’s script for Asanghadithar (which I produced), I was immediately drawn to her style and ingenuity. When I saw the film, I expressed my desire to produce her first feature. She returned with Guptam and I was, once again, floored. Her nuanced portrayal of human relationships and their fragility, while telling the story of a witch-hunt, is extraordinary. Having been in film production for quite some time now, I can tell that it is a unique tale of resilience – gritty and moving at the same time. While set locally, Guptam’s theme resonates universally. This is a story that only Kunjila can tell and I am happy and proud to be the person presenting this filmmaker to the world.”
Kusruti said that she has been following Kunjila’s work for quite some time and that she was struck by her portrayal of women. “What struck me was her portrayal of women, familiar and accurate, whereas in most films, they felt unreal or distant. I remained curious about her work. When I acted in her diploma project, I gained a deeper understanding of how her mind worked, and from then on, I wanted to collaborate with her whenever possible.
“When Kunjila told me the story of Guptam, it lingered in my mind for days. I grew up amid larger feminist movements, and organised fights for justice, but I’ve come to see how ordinary women fight constant, unspoken battles for innumerable rights. Their small acts of resistance shape larger change, yet remain unacknowledged. What happens to Sethulekshmi in Guptam has been inflicted on women throughout history, often systemically, and continues even today. This is a story that must be told,” added Kusruti.
Guptam, which was earlier selected for the Film Bazaar at IFFI Goa 2024, Kerala Film Market, and Bangalore Literature Festival, is set to be presented to investors at CinéV Film Markets, Chandigarh, from March 20 to 23.
Published – March 13, 2025 12:12 pm IST
