When the masks of many an icon have come off, some Malayalam cinema professionals have taken recourse to the humble face shield to express solidarity with farmers.

Several of those associated with films in Kerala have pitched in with a range of initiatives from reciting poetry to something as simple as designing a face mask to show their support for the farmers braving adversities in the fight for their rights.

A group that includes a noted actor on Friday released the first look of the mask that would be launching on Monday. Conceived by actor and playwright Joy Mathew, known for his powerful character roles on screen and outspoken comments off it, the mask features an image of ready-to-be-harvested crops and the message “In solidarity with the Indian farmers” emblazoned on it.

“I thought it’s a great idea to convey the message across through the discernible since wearing a mask is mandatory because of the Covid pandemic,” Mathew told The
Telegraph on Friday.

While top stars are yet to speak publicly on the issue, some actors have been vocal with their support for the farmers.

“I always stand by the farmers. But the question of how much of support they need emerged after celebrities like Akshay Kumar and Sachin Tendulkar spoke out against those commenting (on the farmers’ protest) from abroad. Even some of our top stars have been silent,” Mathew said.

It is the same idea that’s often on display in football dugouts where coaches and players wear masks bearing their team logo. “So I thought why not have a message for the farmers on the mask itself? That’s how the idea was born and quickly taken to the next phase,” said Mathew, who wrote and directed Shutter, a celebrated film that has been remade in several languages.

With more masks under production, Mathew and his friends plan to launch it at a farmers’ solidarity event on Monday at Kodungallur in Thrissur district.

“We are not forcing the masks on anyone. Those who are interested can buy them for Rs 15 apiece, which leaves a margin of Rs 3 (against the production cost of Rs 12) that we will donate to the protesting farmers,” the actor said.

“Now I don’t know if donating to farmers would be construed as anti-national,” Mathew guffawed, referring to the attempts to discredit the peasants’ movement and the trend of maligning those speaking up against the government.

He insisted that his group did not back any particular political party. “As a free Left group, we have always taken up all kinds of causes,” Mathew said.

The group had protested, among others, seeking justice for a nun allegedly raped by a bishop in Kerala, against the Centre’s proposed citizenship matrix, in solidarity with the rape victim of Kathua and two minor siblings raped in Walayar, Palakkad, and against the cold-blooded political murders at Periya in Kasaragod where alleged CPM activists had hacked to death two Congress workers.

The masks will be distributed through Silence Books, a publishing house in Kozhikode. “We are a group of likeminded individuals with theatre and literary background and have always raised our collective voice in matters concerning the society,” said P.C. Jossy, who runs the publishing house.

Although big names in the Malayalam film industry have been silent, there are those like critically acclaimed actors Parvathy Thiruvothu and Manikandan Achari who have not minced words.

“I am with the farmers in every sense. There are no two ways about it,” Parvathy told a channel recently.

“The cut, copy, paste reactions from celebrities is very disgusting behaviour,” she said, taking a swipe at Bollywood bigwigs and cricket icons siding with the government and tweeting identical messages after its handling of the farmers’ crisis received international condemnation.

“When they use the ‘India against propaganda’ hashtag they need to realise what they are doing is the real propaganda,” Parvathy said, referring to the pro-establishment celebrities.

Achari, who rose from humble beginnings to grab the attention of top-notch filmmakers in Kerala, has recited a strongly worded Malayalam poem in support of the farmers.

“With the soil, with the farmers. Let the farmers win this fight and win their rights,” he said, declaring his solidarity after the minute-long recital of poet Kureeppuzha Sreekumar’s lines that reminds how the downtrodden are always the ones who toil on the land, sow seeds, endure the hot sun, go to bed hungry and yet have nothing to bank on.

Music composer Bijibal and lyricist B.K. Harinarayanan had last month released a video titled “Vith (Seed) — With the farmers”. A tribute to the farmers fighting for their rights, the duo had recited lines that roughly translates to: “The yield from the farms belong to the farmers and their determination cannot be drained off by the hammer of power”.