Mannar Mathai will come once again on January 24. Only this time instead of Urvashi Theatres it will be Urvashi Tours and Travels in the sequel— Mannar Mathai Speaking 2 . The film is being helmed by Mamas and has been produced by Siby Thottupuram and Joby Mundamattom.
Mamas has also scripted the sequel. The filming had been delayed due to actor Innocent’s illness. Mukesh and Saikumar reprise their roles as Gopalakrishnan and Balakrishnan respectively.
Mamas acknowledges the pressure of making a sequel that matches the original. “It is not like directing an ordinary film. This film is very close to people’s hearts.” He is glad that though ‘five or six’ attempts were made previously to make the film, his efforts materialised.
Roping in the leads wasn’t tough, say Mamas and Siby. “Innocent was toying with the idea but then he fell ill. After he recovered we approached him again and he was game, he said ‘let’s do it’. Mukesh just wanted to read the script. All three of them were keen to be part of the project,” Siby says. Siby and Joby have produced films such as Kili Poyi and Honey Bee .
The filming was tinged with nostalgia says Mamas. “For all the three actors the film marked the turning point of their careers. This is the reason why veterans are very attached to the project.”
In the new edition, Mamas reveals, “though Mannar Mathai has started a travel agency, he still feels passionately about theatre. And he wants to return to theatre.”
Vijayaraghavan, the original Ramji Rao, will also feature in the film. So will Biju Menon who appeared in the original. As with the other Mannar Mathai film, this time too the action begins when a girl (Aparna Gopinath) shows up. Biju Menon, Janardanan, Shammi Thilakan and Basil are others in the film. Vishnu Narayan wields the camera, music is by Rahul Raj and lyrics by Nikesh Chembilod.
