In a recent conversation with Maneesh Narayanan for Cue Studio, actor Kalyani Priyadarshan described her upcoming film Odum Kuthira Chaadum Kuthira (OKCK), headlined by Fahadh Faasil, as a quirky blend of styles. “It has a confusing world. Still, I have found a way to describe this film. It is like a Korean rom-com, told in a satirical manner, in the style of Wes Anderson and Woody Allen films,” she said.
The interviewer immediately pointed out that OKCK's director Althaf Salim, who made an impressive debut with the Nivin Pauly-starrer Njandukalude Nattil Oridavela, is a hardcore Woody Allen fan. Fahadh, however, expressed doubt, suggesting that Althaf might be more inclined towards Wes Anderson. Althaf then clarified that while he does admire Anderson, he is indeed a huge fan of Woody Allen as well. Fahadh then added that he, too, is a great admirer of Allen’s work.
Kalyani also later reflected on her cinematic influences closer to home, citing Kilukkam as her favourite film directed by her father, Priyadarshan. She explained that while Revathy’s eccentric character in that 1991 classic stood out, OKCK has eight to nine such characters, which is what subconsciously drew her to the project.
The ensemble cast of OKCK also includes Lal, Suresh Krishna, Lakshmi Gopalaswamy, Vinay Forrt, Vineeth Thattil David, Babu Antony, Noby Marcose, Vineeth Vasudevan, Saafboi, Anuraj OB, Amith Mohan Rajeswari and Varsha Ramesh. On the technical front, the film has Jinto George handling the cinematography, Nidhin Raj Arol on the editing, Justin Varghese composing the music, and Ashwini Kale overseeing the production design.
Scheduled for release on August 29 as one of this year’s Onam attractions, OKCK is produced by Ashiq Usman under his namesake banner. Interestingly, Kalyani will find herself competing against herself at the box office, as she also headlines the ambitious fantasy entertainer Lokah Chapter 1: Chandra alongside Naslen. Adding to the festive line-up is Hridayapoorvam, bringing together Mohanlal and director Sathyan Anthikad after a decade.