'You'll see the classic Urvashi once again in Ente Ummante Peru'

...says scriptwriter Sarath R Nath, who is collaborating with director Jose Sebastian on the script for the film starring Tovino Thomas and Urvashi
'You'll see the classic Urvashi once again in Ente Ummante Peru'

Sarath R Nath never imagined that one day he would write the script for a film starring two of his favourite actors, Tovino Thomas and Urvashi. A classic example of someone with a passion for cinema who had to pursue a non-cinema related degree, Sarath got an opportunity to co-write the upcoming Ente Ummante Peru, with director Jose Sebastian.

The film, he says, is something along the lines of the recent hit Sudani from Nigeria. "It's a purely commercial entertainer. I've been asked by some if this is an offbeat film. It's not. People of all ages can watch it. We wrote something that even my parents will be able to watch."

Ente Ummante Peru explores the bond between a man Hamid, played by Tovino, and his mother Aisha, played by Urvashi. "A mother-son bond is a special one. This subject and the emotions associated with it would work in any part of the world. We have films like Achuvinte Amma and Mummy and Me which were made on a small-budget and turned out successful," observes Sarath.

It was Jose who developed the core idea, he explains. "When I got his call, I couldn't believe it. I was wondering why he was calling me because at that time I believed that Jose was unaware of my screenwriting ambitions. But he knew."

Talking about finishing the script within a month, Sarath says, "We used to start writing in the morning and sit till the evening. In the middle of breaks, we would discuss every topic under the sun except anything connected to the script. That way we would feel refreshed before we got back to writing. We used to act out the scenes we wrote, like the scenes with Tovino and Hareesh Kanaran."

The duo created proper backstories for their characters, but "not everything can be mentioned in the script," says Sarath, who believes in having a clear understanding of the characters. "When we let the characters get hold of us, we need to think from their point of view. We shouldn't imbue them with our perspectives. Not every actor is interested in character backgrounds, but Tovino isn't like that. He makes sure he knows everything about the role he is playing."

Sarath found the experience of working with Tovino very enjoyable. "He is into fun and mischief on the sets, but once you say action, he becomes his character. We had approached him in 2016 when he wasn't a big star yet. Now he is one of the busiest stars in Malayalam, but still remains the same guy he was before. He doesn't have the trappings of a star."

The writers couldn't picture anyone else in the role of Aisha other than Urvashi. "We decided, from very early on, that we weren't going to make this film if Urvashi didn't agree to play this character. You'll see that classic Urvashi once again in this film," promises Sarath. 

Ente Ummante Peru also stars Mammukoya in an important role. Anto Joseph and CR Salim are producing the film jointly under the banners of Anto Joseph Film Company and Al Tari Movies respectively. Jordi Planell Closa is the director of photography and Mahesh Narayan the editor. Gopi Sundar is handling the music. The team wrapped up filming recently and a release date is expected to be announced soon. 

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