If you thought that tickling someone's funny bone was an all-male prerogative, press pause, for here's a motley crew of women out to give you a few good laughs over your daily twists and flip-flops. The comedy web series 'Random Wekaram,' which has already garnered a lot of attention, is a product of an all-woman gang. South Indian film actress Sridevika, who does the the camera for the popular show, speaks to us on her team and the process behind it. Malayalis cannot forget Sridevika so easily, for she lit up the screen in a few movies like Avan Chandiyude Makan, Manjadikuru and Parthan Kanda Paralokam. She had even forayed into the Tamil and Kannada industries, but vanished from the scene post marriage. She is making a comeback on the web with 'Random Wekaram' even as she eyes another innings in films.
Isn't 'Random Wekaram' a new concept in Malayalam?
When we started off, we set the popular web series Filter Copy as the benchmark. As we moved on, we realised that we could do well with our own concepts. Filter Copy doesn't tell a story, but handles scenario-based themes that have city life as backdrop. We gave it a Malayali flavour with stories acceptable to all types of audience. Our five-minute episodes have a short storyline. They are released on the 10th and 25th of every month.
Who all are there in the team?
A four-woman team does all the work. One of the members, Lakshmi Arun, or Ammu as she’s fondly called, was my schoolmate in Palakkad. She is a zumba instructor now. The whole concept is in fact Ammu’s. She persuaded me to do something creative as I was idling away my days in Dubai after marriage. Sreebala writes the dialogues. She’s very witty. She features in all the initial episodes. Suvarna Nandakumar, who is senior to all of us, excels in narrating stories, especially those incidents which catch us off guard and make us look foolish. Story ideas are generated when we talk about incidents happening all around us.
How does the team work?
Initially, there was no script. It was like an experiment. When we realised our work was improving we decided to do the whole process as a film ought to be planned. We sit together and come up with a story and then write the script. The dialogues are worked out after more discussions. They sound better and far more humorous when the whole team contributes. For shoot, we place lens over the iPhone. Editing and other works are done on the right technical system. There is no delay after the shoot is over as we do all the work ourselves. The post-production work takes just three to four days.
How was the beginning like?
At the onset a theatre and performance group was what we wanted. But this did not materialise as we had no time for theatre or art after office work. Nobody could commit full time to theatre pursuits. So, we thought of doing something that we could pursue alongside our respective jobs. There was no dearth of acting talents. But it was not easy to execute our concepts as a programme. I told others about a concept that I had in mind and soon we decided to give it a try. Our efforts paid off and so far we have completed nine episodes.
How is the viewer response like?
The programme has been well-accepted in Dubai. Several people shared their opinions. Some have even sought acting chances. These reactions suggest that the viewers like our episodes. We are not resorting to extreme acting, but record simple aspects of life with all its natural simplicity. We behave naturally before the camera.
Please tell us about the phase you were active in the films
I did close to 15 films in Malayalam, Kannada and Tamil. As an actor I didn't get any role that I really liked. Even my role in Manjadikuru was one such. I did only three films in Malayalam. I played the typical heroine role in other languages and got some acceptance in the Kannada industry. All movies were hero-oriented then. I did not seek out roles. I completed my degree and pursued MBA. I was active in films while I was a student. I settled in Dubai after my wedding.
Why did you shift behind the camera?
I've always enjoyed wielding the camera. My stint in movies lasted for just five years, from 2003 to 2008. The ambience was not conducive for women to work as technical hands in our film industry. Though I wanted to learn by seeking guidance from others, I was totally in the dark about what and how to learn. There was ample time at my disposal after marriage and the birth of a child. I read a lot and YouTube videos were the main learning source. I also watched a lot of movies. I put down my ideas in writing and it became interesting as I smoothed out the flaws. It was a learning process that stretched seven years.
Are you planning a return to movies?
I would love to be back in movies, though I will have to be away from my family based in Dubai. My son goes to school. The roles on offer should be so promising that I have to decide to stay away from the family. I will accept both on-screen offers as well as those to work behind the camera. Now, I am working in Madhupal's film Oru Kuprasidha Payyan.
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