Kunchacko Boban was back in Gavi on October 22, this time for the Forest Department's Workation pilot near the KFDC's Gavi Green Mansion in Pathanamthitta. He joined Forest Minister Shibu Baby John, who visited the project, and called such projects "a humble beginning" towards bringing people and nature together.
The Ordinary connection
Gavi came into the public eye through Ordinary (2012), Sugeeth's debut film, which was set in Gavi and shot in and around it. Kunchacko played KSRTC conductor Iravikuttan Pillai, and Biju Menon played the driver, Suku.
Gavi is one of several Kerala spots that films have put on the map, along with Meesapulimala (Charlie), Mukkam (Ennu Ninte Moideen), the Thalassery pier (Thattathin Marayathu, Thallumala) and Kumbalangi (Kumbalangi Nights).
The Workation pilot
The scheme lets IT professionals stay and work at Gavi. The minister said the response had been excellent, and that the project would soon be started in Suryanelli and Wagamon.
K U Jenish Kumar MLA, Additional PCCF Pramod G Krishnan and KFDC MD Raju K Francis were also present, reports suggest.
Ordinary, the film that made Gavi famous
Ordinary was built around a KSRTC bus that runs between Pathanamthitta and Gavi, with Kunchacko Boban's conductor and Biju Menon's driver at its heart. The cast also had Asif Ali, Ann Augustine, Shritha Sivadas and Jishnu Raghavan. The film started as a light comedy about life on the route and turned into a suspense thriller in its second half. It was a hit, and the forest roads and the bus itself became the most memorable images from the film.
Sugeeth went on to direct 3 Dots (2013), again with Kunchacko Boban.
Kunchacko Boban then and now
Kunchacko Boban made his debut as a lead in Fazil's Aniyathipraavu (1997) and spent his early years as Malayalam cinema's romantic hero. Ordinary came during the phase when he moved to more varied roles. In recent years, he has headlined films like Nna Thaan Case Kodu (2022) and the police thriller Officer on Duty (2025), the kind of roles that look nothing like the cheerful conductor Iravi.
His return to Gavi, 14 years after Ordinary, ties the film's legacy to the Forest Department's new push to bring visitors and remote workers into the area, with Suryanelli and Wagamon named as the next stops.
Also read: Kunchacko Boban to lead debutant Abhijith's Panorama Studios film
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