Produced by Mansoor Palloor, a former Doha resident and currently based in Saudi Arabia, the movie, Uru (Dhow) is a portrayal of the strong social and cultural bonds between Kerala and the Arab countries, the second home for millions of Keralites for about eight decades.
The dhow also called the ‘Launch’, was the only mode of transportation in the early days of migration from Kerala to the Middle East. The movie also highlights how the Indian expatriates embrace the Arab culture and feel at home in their second home.
(image)
(image)
Uru, written and directed by EM Ashraf, a UAE and Middle East based journalist aims to showcase the emotional connect between the two cultures and the people of both the places. It also tells the story of traditional boat-making for Arab nationals at Beypore, in Kozhikode.
“This is a positive story about the personal relationship between an Arab customer who visits a cafeteria run by an Indian and the strong relationship that developed between them in the following days. It also points to the close- knit personal bonds between the Arabs and the Indians,” Palloor told Gulf Times.
Palloor who has also essayed a small role in the movies said that the plot revolves around the kindness and assistance of an Arab youth
(image) Mansoor Palloor |
towards an expatriate who used to work for his late father. “Rasheed, a Malayalee assistant of an Arab comes to the place to monitor the work, but he faces some trouble. The film moves forward showing how the Arab youth comes forward to solve his struggles and challenges. Historically, the Beypore uru played a vital role in strengthening Indo-Arab relations and the film shows the history of dhow construction in the area, and the affection between Arabs and Indian expatriates,” explained Palloor.
According to Pallor, the movie might also set the tone and renewed interest for a cultural and intellectual dialogue between both Indian and the Arab world. “I feel strongly that the movie can further open up new vistas for cultural ties especially in art and movie tie-ups. This will also help both the civilisations to bond for better understanding and collaborations in the art and culture avenues,” remarked, Palloor.
The cast of the movie includes some of the leading actors of Malayalam cinema such as Mamukoya, Manju Pathrose and KU Manoj who has acted in the movie Thinkalazhcha Nishchayam which won a state award this year. Hassan al-Salman, a Saudi national is also acting in the movie.
Veteran actor Mamukoya portrays the lead role of Sreedharan, the master carpenter, with KU Manoj and Manju Pathrose in important roles. The film is conceived as an ode to the decades of love and friendship between Arabs and Indians. Palloor has been an expatriate for 30 years and his co-producers are A Sabu and Zubin Edappakath.
Uru is set for a global release with special plans for the entire Middle East. Palloor noted that the movie will be released in all the GCC countries including Qatar and with plans for other Arab countries too.
