Shooting for film on Arikomban, the rice-loving rogue tusker to begin in October

A Malayalam film on the rice-stealing exploits of a wild tusker, Arikomban, who had to be forcibly translocated from his abode in Chinnakkanal village in Idukki district to Periyar Tiger Reserve, after he had become a nuisance to the residents, will get underway in October.

The film, which will tell the eventful story of 30-year-old Arikomban, who lost his mother at the age of two, will be shot in Sri Lanka’s famous Sigiriya Rock Fortress and Idukki’s Chinnakanaal, said a statement.

The case of Arikomban, who had gone on a rampage in Kerala’s Idukki, breaking into ration shops to steal rice and causing damage to human settlements, had even reached the Kerala high court, which did not allow the capture and rehabilitation of the pachyderm, terming it as being equal to ‘Auschwitz for animals’.

The elephant was finally tranquilised by forest authorities under Mission Arikomban, and then released 20 km deep into the Periyar forest reserve on April 29 this year.

Also read: Arikomban, Kerala’s rice-loving jumbo walks home, may be brought back to Munnar

The elephant, who goes by the name of Arikomban owing to its love for rice (‘Ari’ meaning rice in Malayalam and ‘Komaban’ meaning tusker), is approximately 30 years old and it has been living in Chinnakanal village area in Munnar for many decades. This issue has more to do with the fact that tuskers have lost almost two-thirds of their habitat across Asia, owing to hundreds of years of deforestation and increasing human use of land for agriculture and infrastructure.

Produced under the banner of Badusha Cinemas and Pen and Paper Creations, the film is directed by Sajid Yahiya. Arikomban’s story has been penned by Suhail M Koya.

Also read: Kerala: Protests erupt over shifting ‘rice-loving’ tusker to Parambikulam

The “pre-production work has started” and the “script is almost done,” said Yahiya, who also added that ‘Arikomban’ will be a full length feature film.

“The impact of making a film out of a real-life situation is huge. We are working on it,” pointed out the director. ‘Arikomban’ will probably be on the lines of the recent survivor thriller film, ‘2018’, which is based on true events that had transpired in the 2018 Kerala floods.

Also read: Kerala’s rogue elephant Arikomban tranquilised; shifted to Periyar Tiger Reserve

‘Arikomban’ is produced by N M Badusha, Shinoy Mathew, Rajan Chirail, Manju Badusha, Neethu Shinoy, and Prijin JP. The casting too is progressing in the film, even as the crew behind the movie are Sharon Srinivas, Priyadarshini, Amal Manoj, Prakash Alex, Vimal Nassar, Nihal Sadiq, Anees Natodi, Narasimha Swamy, Vijith, Asif Kuttipuram, Abu Valayamkulam, and Magguffin.

Arikomban winding his way home

Meanwhile, in what seemed like an attempt by the tusker to find its way back home, the elephant reportedly has walked 30 kilometres in the past three days from the Periyar Forest Reserve. It was last traced somewhere in the Kerala-Tamil Nadu forest border with the help of signals from its radio collar.