“With age comes wisdom,” they say. ‘They’ are obviously those who have aged. “Youth is wasted on the young,” they say that too. Yet, contrary to these grand assertions, many elderly people are often seen keeping their distance from all the (anti-oppressor) noise around them, resigning themselves to the notion that nothing is going to change and believing that money and power rule this world; “we are irrelevant,” thereby shamelessly adopting indifference. Still, many of us, at least while growing up, consider our parents flawless; the ones who can do no wrong. They guide us towards goodness when we make mistakes, but what if a young, idealistic man finds out his father is a sellout? This forms the crux of cinematographer-turned-filmmaker Rajeev Ravi’s sophomore directorial venture, Njan Steve Lopez (2014), which he considers both a critique of the older generation for selling out and a tribute to the youngsters.
Unlike his debut film, Annayum Rasoolum, which is set in his native city of Kochi, Rajeev Ravi placed Njan Steve Lopez (I am Steve Lopez), which discusses the politics of power and the powerful, cleverly against the backdrop of Kerala’s capital city of Thiruvananthapuram, which houses several administrative and ministerial offices. The movie begins with a quote by French philosopher and author Albert Camus, “Every act of rebellion expresses a nostalgia for innocence (and an appeal to the essence of being),” setting the foundation for a story that explores the price one has to pay for holding onto their innocence.
The film revolves around a happy-go-lucky, insouciant college student, Steve Lopez (Farhaan Faasil), who feels that his “life is unfair” simply because he doesn’t know how to confess his “love” to his friend Anjali (Ahaana Krishna). The title sequence — a blend of animation and live visuals — brilliantly exposes the hypocrisy of the police and their heavy-handedness in dealing with ordinary people. The lyrics also provide a street-level view of the city. The movie starts with Steve and his friends driving around in a car, only to abandon it soon and flee when they see the police since they are all drunk. After the title sequence, it is revealed that they have all been caught. Steve, however, is released after a phone call to the SI from his father, Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP/DySP) George Lopez (Alencier Ley Lopez). The SI informs George that the others will be released once their parents arrive. Here itself, the movie, for which Rajeev wrote the story and his wife Geethu Mohandas, brother Rajesh Ravi and writer Santhosh Echikkanam crafted the screenplay, begins to reveal the power dynamics in society, where uniformed officers and their kin receive special treatment.
Living in the safety provided by the four walls of a police quarter, Steve has no worries. He’s a loafer, a drunkard, scared of his father, masturbates looking at his neighbour without her consent, wastes most of his time on his phone, and has no goals or ambitions in life. However, his face lights up when Anjali reciprocates his love and George gifts him a brand-new Pulsar bike. Not once does he doubt, let alone question, how his father managed to afford such an expensive motorcycle. “My father is a decent guy,” he tells Anjali when she points out that the entire Lopez family is full of drunkards. Even when she asks him to be more responsible, Steve becomes defensive and remains unbothered about the future.
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However, his life takes a drastic turn when he witnesses a brutal attack on a youngster in broad daylight by a group of unknown assailants. He lifts the youth from the pool of blood and takes him to the hospital. Soon, word spread that DSP George Lopez’s son was the one who saved the youth, local Don Pratapan’s (Vinayakan) brother. Despite his shock from the violence he witnessed, Steve is more perplexed by his father’s indifferent reaction to the entire incident, making him wonder why George’s not bothered by such a crime.
“Here’s the smell of the blood still. All the perfumes of Arabia will not sweeten this little hand,” laments Lady Macbeth in a crucial scene in William Shakespeare’s legendary play The Tragedie of Macbeth. Similarly, Steve too finds himself unable to rid his mind of the blood and violence he witnessed, especially knowing that the attackers are still out there, roaming free, unpunished. The core of Njan Steve Lopez and the shift in its tone from this point are powerfully summed up in one of Steve’s uncle Freddie Lopez’s (Anil Nedumangad) dialogues. When the youth’s mother (Mini KS) criticises Steve for getting involved in “unnecessary matters,” Freddie responds, “What else should he have done? Leave the victim of a hack, lying on the road and fighting for his life? This too is education. What use is education to someone who lacks humanity?”
A poster of director Rajeev Ravi’s Njan Steve Lopez. (Image: Facebook)
Even after discovering that the youth he rescued was a goon, Steve doesn’t regret taking him to the hospital since he too is a living being. As the man on the rooftop and the central character, Oh Dae-Su, ask in Oldboy (2003), “Even though I’m no better than a beast, don’t I have the right to live?”
As the narrative unfolds, Steve increasingly realises that his father is going to great lengths to prevent him from identifying those who attacked Pratapan’s brother. While he could have seen this as a father protecting his son from dangerous entanglements, George’s actions suggest something more sinister and Steve notices this. As he unravels the truths, the youngster discovers his father is knee-deep in this filth and realises his entire existence had been facilitated by the money he earned by sacrificing the blood and flesh of others. As Rajeev Ravi puts it, Steve recognises his father as a sellout.
Despite his circumstances, Steve remains compassionate and empathetic toward others in pain, regardless of their background. He understands that everyone faces a choice between humanity and greed, and his father chose the latter. Driven by his innocence and love for others, Steve seeks justice for those wronged, turning his journey into a political statement and highlighting the slogan “the personal is political,” a phrase popularised by American feminist Carol Hanisch through her 1970 essay of the same title.
“I was irked that so many in our generation turned into sellouts. That’s how Njan Steve Lopez was born,” Rajeev Ravi said during an exclusive conversation with The Indian Express last year. “To be honest, even I, in my 20s and 30s, blamed my juniors and wondered why they were so ‘lost’. But soon, I realised that it was my problem and not theirs. I gradually realised that after the ’90s, our generation lost its way. In the flurry of markets opening, we became disoriented. We failed to follow through on our promise to show them the way. During that time, our generation did nothing. There was no decent writing, no good art. Malayalam literature and films from the ’90s and the early 2000s demonstrate this. Now, the circumstances are different. Our surroundings have become more vibrant. There are high-quality literature and films.”
Njan Steve Lopez director Rajeev Ravi. (Image: Geetu Mohandas/Facebook)
“Shouldn’t humanity be the first thing that we are taught? Our generation didn’t teach the kids that. We got lost in the race to make money. We didn’t reflect or make an effort to instill the value of humanity in them. I still recall how idealistic everyone was when we started college. Our seniors inspired us. They weren’t sellouts. Our elders, who used to read, write, share, suggest books, take us to the movies and talk about world cinema with us, served as our inspiration. Yet, we were unable to do that for our juniors. Hence, we cannot place the blame on the children. It fell under our purview,” Rajeev said, adding: “In short, Njan Steve Lopez was a tribute to the youngsters.”
The brilliance of the political drama lies not only in its powerful narrative and Rajeev’s vision but also in the exceptional work of cinematographer Pappu, editor B Ajithkumar, composer Shahabaz Aman, and Chandran Veyattummal and Govind Vasantha who created the outstanding background score. Although casting newcomer Farhaan Faasil helps keep the audience’s focus on the story rather than the actor, he sometimes falls short in conveying Steve’s internalised tension and struggles. The movie’s overall quality, nevertheless, is further enhanced by a remarkable group of supporting actors, making Njan Steve Lopez a worthwhile film even after 10 years.
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