As part of the Cinema Tourism project of Kerala Tourism, the renovation work of the ‘Kireedam Bridge’ is nearing completion. The decision to turn it into a tourist attraction was announced last year and Rs1,22,500 crores was sanctioned to develop the bridge and its surrounding areas including the area around the Vellayani Lake.
The bridge, set amidst verdant greenery in a picturesque locale at Kalliyoor panchayat in Vellayani in the suburbs of the city, connects generations of cinephiles who have seen and been moved by the movie Kireedam (1989). The nondescript bridge across Punchakari canal features in several poignant scenes in the movie. A classic Malayalam film starring Mohanlal as the protagonist, Kireedam is one of the masterpieces of the actor. Scripted by A.K. Lohithadas and directed by Sibi Malayail, the movie has memorable scenes, especially those featuring Mohanlal and Thilakan.
On the occasion of Mohanlal’s 64th birthday, Mr P.A. Mohamed Riyas, Minister for Tourism, announced on social media that work was progressing on the bridge to transform it into a tourist spot and that it was in its final stage. The minister recalled he had visited the place in the company of Mr V. Sivankutty, Minister for Education.
“I was on the lookout for rustic locations when our cinematographer Mr S. Kumar took me around Nemom, where he came from. It was during those location hunts that I came across this serene country bridge. I also shot here for Chenkol, the sequel of Kireedam in 1993. In a sense, the bridge became a metaphor for the character Sethu’s story, connecting two different stages of his life,” said the director of the film, Mr Sibi Malayil.
