Kerala MLAs don grease paint for TV serial

Thiruvananthapuram, Nov 16 (IANS): A group of 20 Kerala legislators will make a different kind of television debut this winter, not on a talkathon on mundane political issues but in a full length satire.

The entire process of getting the legislators to agree took director Binoo Darsan nine months.

"I contacted close to 90 MLAs in the state and managed to get 20 to agree to act in my 12th directorial venture 'Kochunniyude Swapnam'," Darsan said, adding that the hour long serial would be aired in the New Year on Doordarshan.

He also got in touch with Chief Minister Oommen Chandy who assured him of full support.

Giving details about his project, Darsan told IANS: "It is a full-length comedy and tells the tale of Yamadeva, the god of death, wanting to send someone from his kingdom to Kerala to take a census. But nobody wants to go because of issues like sex scandals plaguing the state."

First time legislator Saju Paul of the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) plays Kayamkulam Kochunni, who finally goes to Kerala for the census. Paul's veteran party colleague Pirappancode Murali dons the grease paint as Yamadeva.

Paul said he saw no reason for his party to object as Murali was also there and the shooting would not take more than five days.

Among the other politicos playing major roles are Congress' A.K. Moni as the forest brigand Veerappan, who was recently killed by security forces. Left backed independent V.J. Paulose, who narrowly lost a cabinet berth, finally gets to be a minister in the serial.

Former minister and estranged United Democratic Front (UDF) partner T.M. Jacob acts as a Christian priest while his party colleague Johnny Nellore is an advocate.

Two women legislators, Congress' Maleth Sarala Devi and Kerala Congress (M) Elizabeth Mammen Mathai will also be acting in the serial.

Shooting would begin in Kochi next week.