Every second of the two minute trailer of Paka feels pure. The shots are clean, the framing crisp of the visuals from a village in Kerala. There’s no loud dramatisation but natural, human emotions flow freely as it is with most directorial debuts.
Nithin Lukose’s Paka (River of Blood) is a manifestation of tales he grew up with. With the idea to tell a universal story connected to its roots, Paka’s trailer does enough to set a high bar of expectations. Even as different characters come and go in the trailer, leaving cues for a strong storyline, there’s a calm throughout. But you can very clearly sense a concoction of strong, strange emotions brewing, all seemingly set to explode. Cobwebs, swaying green trees, overflowing river banks – nature is almost a character itself and perhaps the strongest one of them all. In fact, Paka is described as a “Romeo and Juliet–esque vengeance tale, set deep in the forests of Kerala, where the river is witness to a violent, generations-old feud” in the summary for its trailer.
Lukose, who was also the sound designer for Thithi and Sandeep Aur Pinky Faraar, has Anurag Kashyap and Raj Rachakonda as the producers for his debut. Paka is all set to premier at the 46th edition of The Toronto International Film Festival and its trailer was released yesterday by Anurag Kashyap.
The film is set in Wayanad in north Kerala & features an ensemble cast which includes Basil Paulose, Vinitha Koshy, Jose Kizhakkan, Athul John, Nithin George & Joseph Manickal among others. The film is shot by Srikanth Kabothu.
You can watch the trailer here –