Romance is in the air as Dulquer Salmaan and Nithya Menen are all set to woo the audience with the urban romantic comedy 100 Days of Love releasing today. Jenuse Mohamed, ace filmmaker Kamal’s son, makes his debut as a director with this film that is set in Bengaluru.
As is the trend these days, Jenuse does not want to reveal too much about the film or its characters. “Dulquer acts as a journalist of a national daily while Nithya’s character is that of a student who has come to the city for a break to stay with her parents. The two youngsters meet and that is when Cupid strikes, all in the duration of a 100 days. It is a light-hearted and youthful film, with a few emotional moments thrown in between,” says Jenuse.
Saying that it was great fun working with Dulquer and Nithya, “as both are really talented and they talk a lot of sense,” he adds: “They try to understand their characters and are ready to put in a lot of effort for the roles. It was smooth sailing all the way. I hope all these will reflect on screen in a positive way.”
Asked why he chose to narrate the film in Bengaluru, Jenuse says: “ 100 Days of Love is an urban tale and if it was in Kerala, it should have been set in Kochi. But since Kochi is overused as a location in our films, we decided to set the story in Bengaluru, a familiar city to most Malayalis. It’s a welcoming city and I like the place.”
His father, he says, has been an inspiration to him as a filmmaker. “He has always been bold as a filmmaker and has experimented with radically different genres. I don’t know whether his influence will be seen in my films. I think that should be decided by the viewers,” says Jenuse.
He learnt filmmaking at London Film School and has assisted film directors Aashiq Abu and Lal Jose. He has also assisted his father in his Celluloid and Nadan .
With his good looks, it’s a wonder he didn’t turn to acting…“I realised early on in life that filmmaking was my calling and that I enjoy working behind the camera. In addition to Malayalam, I would like to work in other languages as well, as I believe cinema is not bound by linguistic barriers. As long as it connects with the audience, it should work,” he says.
A self-confessed movie junkie, Jenuse says the movies he watches are dependent on his mood.
“I love movies that connect with me on an emotional level,” he says. Among his father’s movies, Kakkothikkavile Appooppan Thaadikal , Unnikale Oru Kadha Parayam , Peruvannapurathe Visheshangal and Meghamalhar are some of his favourites.
Dulquer and Nithya will be seen again in the soon-to-be-released O.K. Kanmani , directed by Mani Ratnam. “Actually the similarities between the two films end there and, as far as I know, the two stories are completely different,” says Jenuse.
100 Days of Love has been produced under the banner of Aishwarya Sneha Movies. Pratheesh Varma is the cinematographer and Govind Menon has composed the music.
