Mangalyam Thanthunanena: Watch this Malayalam short film which gives a strong message against dowry

Making short films is always a stepping stone for aspiring filmmakers though very few taste success in their initial attempts. Titto P Thankachen, a mechanical design engineer from Aluva in Kerala, is one among those who has has proved his talent in filmmaking with the short film, Mangalyam Thanthunanena.

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The 17-minute movie, starring Sethu S Kumar and Anu Padmanabha Iyer in the main roles, is sure to impress the audience from the beginning till end. Besides the cinematography and music, the actors' performances have also been the highlights of the film, which has been garnering positive response.

What makes Mangalyam Thanthunanena stand out from the rest? It's biggest impact has been the way it has conveyed a positive message to the audience in a realistic way. "Is wealth more important? Does only wealth add to the value of a girl?" the protogonist has been found asking in the film, which also has English subtitles. 

"So far we have been getting positive responses from the audience, except a few people who commented on the low lighting in few scenes. Even actor Vijayaraghavan has appreciated the work," Titto told International Business Times, India. "This is my second project after Ijj Daivathe Kandikka which was screened in many schools and colleges after opening to a good response. Both the short films have been made with the support of Credox Talkies, which mainly has film-loving students from various colleges in Pathanamthitta and Kottayam, and especially from Amal Jyothi Engineering College. Rather than getting millions of views on YouTube, we wanted to convey the message to as many people as possible through our work," Titto added.

Actor Roopesh Peethambaran also appreciated the team by sharing the video on his Facebook page. "Really enjoyed watching this short film, good job guys :) [sic]," he posted. Television anchor Nandini was also all praise for the makers of Mangalyam Thanthunanena. "A simple yet powerful attempt by a set of talented youngsters!! This short film is going to make you smile ..tear up..think with its wonderful making, music and performance by the artistes!! Do definitely give it a watch ..make sure you use headphones...Support our future filmmakers in their brilliant attempt !!! Lots of love and wishes from my side [sic]," she posted on her Facebook account.

The director himself has penned the lyrics while Joel John has composed the music of all the three songs. Ajo Joseph, Sruthi Lakshmi and Vishnu Raghu have rendered their voice for the melodies. Sankar Ganesh has cranked the camera of the project, which has been produced by Jithin Paul and Vinu Surendran. At the time of reporting, Mangalyam Thanthunanena, released on January 21, has been trending on the 24th position on YouTube and is viewed over 57,000 times.

Watch the short film here: