Late actor Kalabhavan Mani’s life will be made into a film soon. The project is expected to go on floors this October. The film is not exactly a biopic of Mani. Instead it takes inspiration from the way Mani prevailed against all odds to succeed in life.
“The movie is not about Kalabhavan Mani, but is based on his life. The life of a talented boy from a lower caste who makes it big in the film industry and how he slowly loses grip of it. It will shed light on how our society still marginalises dark-skinned people,” the film’s director Vinayan told Deccan Chronicle.
Vinayan collaborated with Kalabhavan Mani for Vasanthiyum Lakshmiyum Pinne Njanum (1999). It won Mani a lot of critical acclaim as well as a National Film Award (Special Jury Award) and a Kerala State Film Award.
The film has reportedly been titled Chalakudykkaran Changathi, with the casting process and scripting underway. “The movie is planned to go on floors by mid-October. A fresh face will be cast in the lead role,” the director adds.
Kalabhavan Mani died on March 6, 2016, a few hours after he was found in a serious condition at his farmhouse at Chalakudy, his hometown. He was 45.
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Relatives of Mani alleged that the actor-singer had been poisoned to death. These allegations were later refuted by a report submitted by the report submitted by the medical board constituted by the State government. The board concluded that Mani died of Methyl Alcohol poisoning. The report had also pointed out that common pesticides, drugs, alkaloids, metallic and volatile poisons were not found in his viscera and blood samples, thereby ruling out death by poisoning.
Kalabhavan Mani was last seen in Yathra Chodikkathe (2016).