Mollywood has had its share of plagiarised movies, though not many filmmakers would admit to it. Rather, they prefer to call it ‘inspired’ works. Moreover, Korean films and filmmakers have a dedicated following in Mollywood and among film viewers. Sujith S. Nair has taken the threads of plagiarism and the Malayali’s admiration for Korean films to make a cheeky movie that takes a dig at both the traits. The result is Oru Korean Padam that hits theatres today.
Imagine a situation when the person behind the original work turns up before the copycat and demands compensation. Kishore, the protagonist in Sujith’s film, finds himself in such a situation. Kishore is a wannabe filmmaker who is unable to convince producers to fund his dream project because they are wary of working with a newcomer.
He finds a way out by cleverly copying the script of a Korean movie Something Out of Nothing directed by Jwang-ki-Ju and approaches a producer. He is impressed by Kishore’s script and immediately funds the movie. The movie, Turning Point , turns out to be a mega hit.
Meanwhile, Jwang-ki-Hu, a successful filmmaker in Korea, is upset because his movie is a flop back home. It is then that he comes to know about Kishore’s movie through Facebook and then he travels to Kerala.
He has a face off with Kishore and demands compensation from him. How Kishore gets out of the tricky situation takes the story forward.
“It is a fact that many of our filmmakers copy from other language films, be it a full movie or the basic plot or a few scenes. The Korean film industry is a goldmine for many of them. Just imagine their plight if they are caught in Kishore’s situation. In a way, the movie is a message for those people in the film industry who unashamedly copy and flaunt it as their own,” says Sujith who has written the story and screenplay of the movie.
He had earlier directed Kaash, which didn’t do well at the box office. Sujith, who has directed serials, short films and ad films, hopes that the movie will entertain the audience. “It is not easy being a filmmaker if you don’t have bankable stars and a reputed production company to fall back on. I am extremely happy that people who’ve have associated with the movie are happy with the final product,” says Sujith, who had earlier assisted the late Mohan Raghavan in T D Dasan Std VI B .
Maqbool Salman plays Kishore and Jwang-ki-Ju plays the Korean filmmaker, Jwang-ki-Ju. Mithra Kurien, Tini Tom, Mamukoya, Sunil Sugadha, and Kochu Preman are among those in the cast. Directors M. A. Nishad, Joy Mathew, Lijo Jose Pellissery, Saji Surendran and Shyam Mohan also act in the movie.
