The fact that the majority of the cast of “Aattam” is made up of daily wage laborers who support themselves through a variety of jobs and have a strong passion for theater makes their victory at the 70th National Film Awards all the more impressive.

The fact that “Aattam”‘s first director, Anand Ekarshi, has known 11 of the 13 principal actors—including Vinay Forrt—for more than 18 years due to their shared theater group membership is among the film’s most intriguing features. At the 70th National Film Awards, the Malayalam suspense chamber drama “Aattam,” which starred Vinay Forrt and Zareen Shihab in the key roles and was directed by Anand Ekarshi, took home the coveted Best Feature Film trophy. It is the 13th Malayalam movie to receive this accolade after its victory.

The 70th National Film Awards were open to the certification of films by the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) between January 1, 2022, and December 31, 2022. “Aattam” was named the Best Feature Film and also took home the Best Screenplay (Anand Ekarshi) and Best Editing (Mahesh Bhuvanendra) honors.

This is more than we could have imagined. I appreciate Ajith Joy, Aattam’s producer, lending me his support. We chose to premiere the movie in film festivals for a year prior to its theatrical release because the film’s concept was universal. Major honors were won by us at these festivals. The reception to the film’s January theatrical premiere was incredible. Movie buffs enjoyed it even if we might not have made millions. After the huge victory, Anand told Asianet News, “The film also received a significant boost when it was released on OTT platforms, as it was loved across India.”

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“Aattam” is a deftly written film with razor-sharp dialogue and a storyline that centers on eleven guys who gather together to “discuss/investigate” a sexual assault that occurred while the team members were also present. The movie shows the intricacies of every person in real time, as well as the layers of male hypocrisy. But instead of these males, the central character of Zareen’s superbly presented Anjali, a technically and narratively captivating picture, is a woman. “Aattam” consistently maintains its emphasis on her, a resolute lady who is among the most meticulously crafted female characters in contemporary Malayalam film.

The most intriguing thing about “Aattam” is that, with the exception of Kalabhavan Shajon and Zareen Shihab, all 13 principal cast members have been acquainted for more than 18 years by debutant director Anand. This is because Vinay Forrt is a member of the theater company Lokadharmi.
The fact that practically all of the actors are daily wage workers who work many jobs in addition to their roles in Lokadharmi is what makes the film’s popularity even more astounding. Aji Thiruvamkulam is a painter, Jolly Antony is a tile layer, Sudhir Babu is a drama teacher who prepares schoolchildren for youth festivals and competitions, Santosh Piravom owns a vegetable shop and also operates an auto-rickshaw, Sijin Sijesh operates a motor winding workshop, Sanosh Murali is a temple percussionist, Prashanth Madhavan is a tour operator, and Madhan Babu is a senior government employee. Out of all of them, Selvaraj Raghavan VR, the group’s most senior member, is a former headload worker.
Together with Anand, actors Vinay and Nandan Unni have worked with these artists in the past, and their on-screen chemistry shows how close they are to one another.

Even though they all want to work in movies, theater is their real love, and they want to pursue it further, as demonstrated by the performers in the documentary “Thespians of Aattam.”

But neither Anand nor the producer, Dr. Ajith Joy, have had an easy ride. A few months back, Anand discussed the challenges in finding distributors and getting projects into theaters for indie filmmakers, at a panel discussion hosted by The Indian Express. The most difficult thing for a little picture is getting a distributor. Eventually, you’ll locate an actor and producer, and your movie will be finished. The hardest thing is getting it into cinemas, though. That’s what we encountered with Aattam. Aattam’s screenings were cut from seven shows a day to one when a major movie came out, he informed us.