When the opening credits of Thanthaperu (Life of a Phallus) rolled on the screen in the IFFK competition category, emotions welled up for the crew. A stirring commentary on the life of the Cholanaikkan tribes of Kerala, the film’s cast includes people from the dwindling community, and they speak their own language in the movie.

During the shoot, Mani, who played a key character in the film and a Cholanaikkan, died after being attacked by a wild elephant in the forests of Nilambur. A week before his death, Mani was overwhelmed with emotions when he said how this film gave recognition to a community that is known as the ‘Cavemen of Kerala’.

“Even if any of us die now, our children will be able to watch us, unlike us not having a picture or anything of our fathers,’’ director Unnikrishnan Avala recollected Mani’s words. “He spoke with curiosity, but also urgency, as if everything had to be finished quickly,” said Avala.

The accident occurred on an evening in January when Mani was returning after dropping his children at a hostel. He was travelling with a friend when a wild elephant attacked them.

“Mani could have escaped if he wanted to,” Avala said. “But among the Cholanaikkas, there is a belief that the person in front must stand firm and face the danger."

According to Avala, Mani pushed the child he was holding to safety, asked the others behind him to stop, and moved forward towards the elephant. “While the elephant attacked Mani, the others escaped,” he said. Mani was flung away by the elephant.

Badly injured, he crawled nearly 100 metres on his own. “The others thought he was gone,” Avala recalled. “When they reached him, he was in a critical condition. They rushed him to the hospital, but by the time they reached, he had passed away.”

After Mani’s death, Avala considered dropping the project altogether. “Mentally, I was shattered,” he said. “For me, Mani’s death and this film were equally close. It felt like losing both at once. I didn’t even want the news to spread. I was standing there, not knowing what to do.”

Two days later, a phone call changed his decision. “They (Assistants Vinod and Vinayan) told me it was Mani’s wish that the film should be completed,” he said. “They knew about the financial problems, too, but they said we must finish it.”

The loss hit the Cholanaikkan community deeply. “For them, the forest is everything — land, faith, life,” the director said. “They believe they will never betray the forest. When something like this happens inside that forest, it completely breaks them.”

He also recalled another tragedy during casting. “Mathettan was the first person we cast as the father,” he said. “A few days later, he was trampled by an elephant and died. His name was Mathan. He was older, so people accepted it like the death of a grandfather. But Mani’s death was different.”

Mani’s closest friend, Nari, who plays the main role of Velakkariyan, has not returned to his old settlement since the incident. “Many of them came out of the deep forest,” the director said. “As Mani once said, anyone can die at any time. The thought that ‘At least we’ll remain in the film’ comes from fear and anxiety. That is their reality.”

Life after the attack has been marked by uncertainty. “They don’t provoke the elephant,” he said. “But that doesn’t mean they understand what the elephant dislikes. They live without knowing who will be next. That insecurity creates anxiety.”

Some have temporarily moved closer to towns like Manchery. “It’s about 30 kilometres away,” the director explained. “Places like Kannikkai, near Nilambur. Even that movement creates fear, because they feel something can happen at any time.”

Thanthaperu (Life of a Phallus) is the first feature film made entirely in the Cholanaikka language, spoken by Asia’s only cave-dwelling tribal community. Known as the 'Kings of the Forest,' the Cholanaikkans are believed to have ancient links to the Chola empire and have lived for generations in rock caves deep inside the forest.

“They are fiercely independent people,” the director said. “That spirit is what this film carries. And Mani is part of that spirit,” he said.