​A movie that gives a voice to men’s issues

CHENNAI: After making 18 documentaries on social issues related to caste and nuclear radiation using funds collected from friends and well-wishers, Amudhan R P is now planning a feature film called The Riddle about three men going through serious identity crises.
It explores the sexual identities of A (a 40-year-old virgin), B (a 20-year-old who was sexually abused as a child) and C (a 30-year-old gay).The idea of making such a film, says Amudhan, was to give a voice to men. “It’s nice to see women sharing many fields with men today. But, men also face severe pressure. I try to narrate the stories of three such men in my film,” he adds.
A government employee and a virgin, A spends all he has earned to conduct the marriages of his four sisters. Frustrated, he starts watching pornography and dates women he sees in public places.
B is an engineering student who was sexually abused as a child. A survivor, he tries to cope with the trauma with the support of his mother. One day, he is raped again by a man at a software company.
C is a homosexual who works at his father’s garland shop. When his father forces him to get married to a girl, C does not know what to do. “I choose topics that are hardly touched by other filmmakers. There is solution at the end for the three. The medium of the film is English. I chose English because it helps us reach a wider audience,” said Amudhan, who also organises film festivals and screenings in Chennai and Madurai.
Amudhan is very excited about his new project, but says he needs funds. He plans to approach individuals and organisations to help produce his film the way he did in the making of his 18 documentaries. “The response that we get through internet and other sources is huge. Today many programmes happen with the help of funds from various people. Even veteran director John Abraham successfully tried this when he made Amma Ariyan in 1986. I am trying the same method here. The film will be made using the money collected from people. And it’s their movie,” said Amudhan.
The young director said he would start shooting in September and that veteran cinematographer Sunny Joseph would be handling the camera.