Nila river lives on screen

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: 'What each river has to say' was a Malayalam feature film that told the sad story of Nila river. It was made by Alif Shaah, 42, who was born on the banks of Nila which has a length of 209 km and is the second longest river in the state after Periyar. . Alif was heartbroken that the river was fast disappearing and evolving into a forest with huge craters in some areas due to illegal sand mining. Though Alif and his friends had planned a documentary, it evolved into a feature film where he himself donned the main role.

"My role was that of a character named Muzafir who went crazy after being in love with Nila river and was depressed by its current fate. When local people supported me and my friends on this project, it was made with a shoestring budget of Rs 1 lakh," Alif told DC. The film was shown at film exhibitions near Nila river and in places like Doha and Dubai making the viewers nostalgic. Alif wants to reclaim the lost culture of the locals. He was happy to see the river in its full glory during the recent heavy rain.