Darwinte Parinamam is a family movie

Darwinte Parinamam, JIJO Antony's second film as director is an almost anti-thesis to his debut, Konthayum Poonulum. From mysticism and fantasy that he pursued in his first film, Jijo veers into a new territory - of family, emotions and subtle revenge.
But the one thing that stays put is the spirit of experimentation that the youngster follows with passion. "If we give audiences what they are used to, they will never go beyond the stereotypes. I think, it is also a filmmaker's duty to experiment and give different perspectives for audiences," says Jijo.
That is why he is not aghast at the negative responses that Konthayum Poonulum elicited. "We were very clear about the film and the producer was well briefed that it is not the typical commercial film."
With Darwinte Parinamam, Jijo continues that streak of bold experimentation but this time with a firmer control on its narrative. "On the face of it, the film is about revenge - but by a common man. And his revenge is not instigated by big issues but the small things in life."
Jijo says that Darwinte Parinamam has little relation to the first trailer of the film that was launched "just for the heck of it"
"It is the second trailer that gives a right perspective of the film as a family oriented movie. It is important to convey that because we do not want audiences to expect a typical Prithviraj thriller."
Expectations are what Jijo have been battling. "We can make films - and audiences have the freedom to brand it as good or bad. But it is impossible for directors to deliver films that fully conform to the expectations of viewers because they are a diverse lot."
That is why several people who loved Konthayum Poonulum did not look up to Darwinte all too favourably and the other way round. Tackling two genres also gives the director in Jijo a pleasant unpredictability - and he prefers to keep it that way.
Darwinte Parinamam wasn't written for Prithviraj, says Jijo. "I did not have any star in mind during the writing process. I had gone to meet Shaji Natesan (a co-producer with Prithviraj's August Cinema banner) to see if they could produce the film. He suggested that I narrate the story to Prithviraj."
The actor, known to be discerning as well as bold enough to venture into new turf, readily agreed. "He appreciated the fact that the film draws its title from the villain's name; he was absolutely clear about the cat-and-mouse game that the hero plays with the villain."
With Chemban Vinod as the anti-hero, playing the title role of Darwin, Jijo says that the film never seeks to go the beaten track of Kochi's underworld or goons. "We never mention that; the film is squarely focused on how the hero - an everyday man - extracts his revenge through brain than brawn. In this, there is humour, action and emotion. It is a total family film."
He adds that the climax of the film has never been attempted before in Malayalam. Jijo is relaxed now that the Darwinte Parinamam has received box office acceptance and passed the critics test.
But he laments that people are rather hesitant to see the value of experimentation in cinema. "I think it is important to reinvent our cinema continuously and not just follow the formula."
That is indeed exceptional courage given that Jijo has been an assistant to several directors, working on over 25 films with both 'new' and 'old' generation directors. And what took him to cinema was his unwavering passion for the medium, shaped right from his school days. It was cinema or nothing and when opportunity presented itself, he jumped at it.
"In every work I do, there is a lot of take-away from what I have learnt from my directors. But I have consciously tried not to emulate anyone blindly," says Jijo.
He is currently writing his third film - and while he would not reveal for now its genre or nature - he can only assure that the streak of independence and experimentation will continue.
With a cast that includes Soubin Shahir, Balu Varghese, Mamukoya and Chandni Sreedharan, Darwinte Parinamam is now playing at theatres in the UAE. Take note as you head for the movie: It is not a blind action thriller; it is a family movie that presents a common man in not-so-uncommon situations.