Malayalam film ‘Lurk’ explores nuances of man-animal conflict

Malayalam filmmaker MA Nishad turns his lens to man-animal conflict in his latest film, ‘Lurk’, which hit theatres today.

The film was inspired by a news report about a man who lost his wife in an attack by a wild elephant. Nishad said the story stayed with him even while he was working on his previous film, Oru Anweshanthinte Thudakkam (2024).

Rather than presenting a straightforward take, Lurk raises a more complex question: who is the actual predator? “The answer is not simple, it is nuanced and layered,” Nishad said. Through the film, he attempts to explore the grey areas of human-wildlife conflict and the circumstances that push both humans and animals into confrontation.