Ottaal (The Trap)
Loosely based on Anton Chekhov’s Vanka, OTTAAL centers on eight-year-old orphan Kuttappayi who goes to live with his grandfather in Kerala. Life is idyllic in the countryside … till it isn’t. Kuttappayi’s grandfather falls ill, and an opportunity arises for the young boy to go to school in the city. But all is not as it seems. By focusing on this one child, OTTAAL tells the story of millions of children caught in the crosshairs of poverty and abusive business practices.
Director Jayaraj Rajasekharan Nair
Jayaraj Rajasekharan Nair is a critically acclaimed and award-winning Indian filmmaker. Born in Kerala, he has an electronics and telecommunications background. His interest in films helped him meet his mentor Malayalam’s renowned filmmaker, Bharathan. Their collaboration would continue to six more films including Vaishali in 1988. Two years later, Jayaraj would go on to make his directorial debut, Vidyarambham. In a career that has spanned two decades, Jayaraj has won numerous accolades in India and around the globe. He has won the Crystal Bear in Berlinale 2016 for his film, Ottaal – The Trap. He is a six-time National Award winner; he is the only director to have won both the Golden Peacock and Golden Crow Pheasant at the International Film Festival of India and International Film Festival of Kerala respectively. He has made 37 films in different Indian languages including Malayalam, Hindi, Tamil and Telugu. He currently working on the trilingual film, Veeram, which is also the fifth film in the nine-film series based on the Navarasas, that he started work in 1999 with Karunam.