Gulliver cast in a Malayali mould - Vinayan's 'Albudha Dweep'?

Thiruvananthapuram, Oct 6 (IANS): Jonathan Swift's classic "Gulliver's Travels" has inspired many down the ages, the latest being ace Malayalam director Vinayan whose latest film probes the dynamics of life in an island of dwarves where four "giants" land following a shipwreck.

Though there have been remakes of the tale, including the recent Hindi-English bilingual "Jajantaram Mamantaram", Vinayan's film titled "Albudha Dweep", or wonder island, has a different edge. In Vinayan's film, all the men in the island are dwarves and all the women of normal height.

Life is happy, until the four men come into the island and the dwarves feel that the women might dump them.

Calling it a "painful comedy", Vinayan said: "The dwarves feel that with the normal sized men in their company, the women might dump them. They gang up and spread the word that these four men are Satans."

Vinayan has already signed upcoming superstar Prthiviraj, veteran comedians Jagathy Sreekumar, Jagdish and Indrans to play the four men.

Mumbai model Mallika Kapoor will be the heroine and Vinayan is on the lookout for three more fresh faces.

However, the director is having problems in getting the 300 dwarves he requires for the film.

"I require more than 300 dwarves, but I have got contracts signed for only 100. Now I have established contact with agents in Gujarat and Bihar who are likely to supply me around 80 dwarfs. I still need more," Vinayan told IANS.

He said the idea of the film had been on his mind for a long time. Though the theme is as old as Jonathan Swift's story, the kernel of the idea comes from real life.

"Before entering the film world, I worked as an assistant executive engineer with the electricity board. My next-door neighbour in Alappuzha where I was staying was a dwarf called Sudarshan whose wife was very tall and I watched them very closely," Vinayan explained.

The film, which was launched last week in Kochi, will be shot at an island near Lakshwadeep. Parts of it would also be shot at Malampuzha in Kerala's Palakkad district.

To be produced by Doha-based businessman P.A. Philiphose, the film would cost Rs. 20 million and begin shooting in November. It is slated for release in early 2005.

The veteran of 24 films -- this would be his 25th, Vinayan said he has got offers to make the film in Tamil too. It would have English subtitles.

Vinayan entered the film world with "Superstar" in 1992 and has not looked back since then.

"Albudha Dweep" would be the fourth in a series of films made by Vinayan on physically challenged people. The first was the award winning hit "Vasanthiyum Lakshmiyum Pinne Njanum" in 2001 followed by "Karumadikuttan" and

"Oomapenninu Uriyada Payyan".