Akhil Sathyan has officially confirmed the commencement of his sophomore directorial venture, with Nivin Pauly in the lead. In an exclusive conversation with CE, the filmmaker shared that the untitled film went on floors in Kochi on Monday, coinciding with the second release anniversary of his debut feature Pachuvum Athbutha Vilakkum. “We kicked off the shoot with Nivin in Kochi on Monday, after everything suddenly fell into place,” said Akhil, adding that the team plans to wrap up filming over the next six months, with schedules set across Kochi and Bombay.
The yet-to-be-titled film was first discussed by Akhil with us last year. Described as a romantic drama with touches of fantasy and fun-filled elements, it is loosely based on true events and will be predominantly set in rural Kerala. Akhil, who is scripting and editing the film, shared that the story is one his father, veteran filmmaker Sathyan Anthikad, deeply cherishes. Notably, Nivin was also Akhil’s original choice to headline Pachuvum Athbutha Vilakkum, before Fahadh Faasil eventually came onboard. Although the collaboration didn’t materialise at the time due to practical reasons, Akhil shared that he is pleased to finally bring it to fruition through his second film. He also noted his intention to revive Nivin’s much-loved boy-next-door persona, aiming to reintroduce the actor’s trademark humour and romantic appeal.
Details regarding the female lead, who is expected to be a newcomer, and the film’s extended cast are yet to be revealed. The technical crew from Pachuvum Athbutha Vilakkum has been retained for the upcoming film, including cinematographer Sharan Velayudhan, music director Justin Prabhakaran, production designer Rajeevan, and sound designer Anil Radhakrishnan. It is produced by Ajayya Kumar and Rajeev Menon under the banner of Fire Fly Films.
Meanwhile, Akhil is also associated with his father’s upcoming directorial Hridayapoorvam, marking the latter's reunion with Mohanlal in the lead. The film, backed by Antony Perumbavoor of Aashirvad Cinemas, wrapped its Pune schedule on Sunday and is expected to complete principal photography by mid-May. Based on a story by Akhil, the family entertainer is scripted by debutant Sonu T P and features Malavika Mohanan as the female lead, along with Sangita Madhavan Nair, Premalu-fame Sangeeth Prathap, and Siddique. In the latest conversation, Akhil also shared that a couple of cameo appearances are expected to be shot during the film’s final schedule in Kerala.
On the other hand, Nivin has a busy slate ahead, with various films at different stages of production. These include his home banner's Dear Students, directed by debutants Sandeep Kumar and George Philip Roy, in which he stars alongside Nayanthara, Garudan director Arun Varma's Baby Girl, 1001 Nunakal-fame Thamar KV's Dolby Dineshan, Adithyan Chandrasekhar's Multiverse Manmadhan, Anuraj Manohar's Shekhara Varma Rajavu, Abrid Shine’s sequel to Action Hero Biju, an untitled project by debutant Aaryan Ramani Girijavallabhavan, and the Tamil film Yezhu Kadal Yezhu Malai directed by Ram. Additionally, the Premam actor is set to make his web series debut later this year with the Disney+ Hotstar show Pharma, directed by PR Arun.