Four big releases are all set to add colour to this year’s Onam celebrations. While Ajai Vasudev’s Rajadhi Raja , Sudheesh Sankar’s Villali Veeran and Johny Antony’s Bhaiyya Bhaiyya are light-hearted comedies, Anil Radhakrishnan Menon’s Saptamasree Taskaraha is a fun-filled heist drama. If Arun Vaidyanathan’s Mohanlal-starrer Peruchazhi , which was released last week, is also added to the list, it makes for a veritable box office feast of some of the best of Malayalam cinema. Let’s hear from the director Ajai, Sudheesh and Anil…
RAJADHI RAJA
The emperor cometh
Ajai Vasudev,debutant director of Rajadhi Raja. Photo: Special arrangement
“I am a huge fan of Mammookka (Mammootty) and that is what prompted me to become a filmmaker. I am living a dream by making my debut with the superstar,” says Ajai Vasudev, director of Rajadhi Raja . Mammootty plays Sekharan Kutty, the manager of a petrol pump who runs a roadside restaurant and dormitory on the Kerala-Tamil Nadu highway. He is a family man who lives with his wife and daughter. But things go horribly wrong , when a relative comes to visit him. “The story has all the loud and colourful masala expected in a script written by Siby K. Thomas and Udayakrishna. However, in a departure from macho storylines, this movie lays emphasis on family values,” explains Ajai.
Lakshmi Rai plays the heroine and Joju George does an important role. Unni Mukundan appears in a cameo, as part of a song sequence.
Rajadhi Raja has been produced under the banner of Good Line films. Shaji is the cinematographer, while the music directors are Karthik Raja and Berny-Ignatius.
VILLALI VEERAN
The noble crusader
Sudheesh Sankar, director of Villai Veeran. Photo: Special arrangement
In debutant director Sudheesh Sankar’s Villali Veeran , Dileep plays Sidharthan, a vegetable vendor. “Sidharthan has huge responsibilities on his shoulders but he takes all the stress in his stride. He has set aside his dreams for the sake of his family and decides that the only way to alleviate their suffering is to marry a girl from a rich household. From then on, the story takes a different turn,” says the director.
Namita Pramod plays the heroine, Narmada, an ad filmmaker. “Initially, she thinks he is a gold digger but then begins to empathise with him when she comes to know about his noble intentions,” says Sudheesh. Filmmaker Rafi, who had played a quirky role in Ring Master besides directing it, is part of the cast, along with Nedumudi Venu, Kalabhavan Shajon, Lalu Alex, Sai Kumar and Mythily.
During the shooting of the film at the Pondicherry airport, Dileep met with a minor accident when his head hit the door of an aircraft. “He escaped by a whisker. But all credit to him for continuing the shooting. as the release date had already been decided,” adds the director.
Villali Veeran has been produced by Super Good Films. Anil Nair is the cinematographer, S.A. Rajkumar is the music composer.
SAPTAMASREE TASKARAHA
Seven on a mission
Anil Radhakrishna Menon, director of Sapthamasree Taskaraha. Photo: Special arrangement
Writer-director Anil Radhakrishnan Menon’s maiden film North 24 Kaatham , a road movie of self-discovery, starring Fahadh Faasil in the lead, won several awards and went the distance at the box office too. In his second film, Saptamasree Taskaraha , the director narrates a heist drama, with not one but seven “gentlemen thieves” in the lead. “It is a simple, fun thriller. Krishnanunni (Prithviraj), Shabab (Asif Ali), Noble chettan (Nedumudi Venu), Leaf Vasu (Sudheer Karamana), Marty (Chemban Vinod Jose), Narayanankutty (Neeraj Madhav) and Salim Pasha (Salam Bukhari) are likeminded inmates who become friends during their stint in jail. They all come together for a particular mission. Reenu Mathews plays the role of Sara, Krishnanunni’s wife,” says Anil. The intriguing title of the film, he adds, doesn’t have much by way of meaning. “It was chosen to create curiosity among the audience,” he adds.
When asked to compare the acting styles of the heroes of his two films, Anil says: “Fahadh improvises amazingly in front of the camera, while Prithviraj does his homework very well.” Meanwhile, the director himself is contemplating a tryst in front of the camera.
“Lijo Jose Pellissery has asked me to play a character in his Double Barrel . I may do it,” he says.
