After delivering an impressive debut with 2017’s Prithviraj-starrer Ezra, director Jay K will be trying his hand at a light-hearted entertainer, which has Kunchacko Boban and Suraj Venjaramoodu attached to star along with an ensemble cast.

Jay K, in a chat with us, describes the film, titled Grrr, as a “feel-good, slice-of-life” story. “The film will have a zoo as a premise, but it basically is about people and will also explore human-animal relationships,” he says.

August Cinema is bankrolling the project. Jay K is looking at Thiruvananthapuram and London as primary locations. He hopes to start production in the next two months.  

“I think I can pull off the Thiruvananthapuram portions first but not sure of London yet. We need some clarity on everything first, considering the present situation,” says Jay K, adding that this is a project which requires the involvement of a lot of people, without any compromises. “I may start with the portions that require fewer people.”

The team had completed the pre-production work already and eyed an April shoot before the virus outbreak disrupted their plans. “The pandemic hit when we completed the pre-production here and planned to go to London. If we had left a little earlier, we would be stuck there,” he shares.

The shift from horror to comedy, he says, wasn’t deliberate. “I was looking for one story among many, and then I stumbled upon something that I felt would be the ideal story for me to do. For me, the story comes first; the genre is secondary.”

Asked if finds developing horror or comedy ideas more challenging, Jay K feels both have their own challenges. “Horror is very difficult, but so is comedy because Malayalis have the best sense of humour.”