Vrusshabha director Nanda Kishore: Ganesha and Narasimha are our X-Men
Mohanlal's filmography saw an unusual dip in the last few years. People started questioning his "waning acting skills" and box office stronghold, but come 2025, it simply seems like the actor has turned back the clock to his golden days. Three blockbusters on the trot with L2: Empuraan, Thudarum, and Hridayapoorvam—a cumulative gross of almost ₹ 500 crores—and a Dadasaheb Phalke award as the cherry on the top. The graph is soaring high, and the fans wouldn't want even the slightest dip.
Right now, nobody feels more pressured than Nanda Kishore, the director of Mohanlal's upcoming film Vrusshabha, scheduled for release on November 6. The Kannada filmmaker, who has worked with the likes of Upendra and Sudeep, is attempting a multilingual period fantasy film for the first time, and he sounds anxious ahead of the release. "My nerves have only gone up after the Dadasaheb Phalke award. Mohanlal sir has truly become larger than life now, and I'm a bit scared about the responsibility to deliver big. I'm banking on the strong subject, which would be a mix of class and mass."
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How'd you define Vrusshabha?
It is an entertainer with period drama and fantasy elements. It has a strong emotional core, exploring a karmic angle. For example, Satya Harishchandra never lied in his entire life. To uphold his promise, he even sells his wife and ends up as a cremation groundkeeper. He is not at fault, but it is a karmic cycle where Dharma or truth has to be upheld. We are using this small point in our film. Be it revenge or romance, everything is a result of the karmic cycle and destiny.
So the protagonist is inspired by Satya Harishchandra?
Almost a mix of Satya Harishchandra and Shree Ram.
How did you zero in on Mohanlal for this role?
Why not Mohanalal sir, is my question. Mohanlal sir is a pan-Indian icon with his films easily grossing ₹150 crores across the country. He is not just for the Malayalis; the whole of India watches him. He's the god of acting. So who better than him to perform an emotionally heavy role set in two different eras?
You had him in mind even while scripting?
No, it was after the first draft that I thought of Mohanlal sir. I wanted him because he can do action and be convincing enough as an emotional father. He can convey a lot just with his eyes.
How familiar are you with his filmography?
Since I'm from Bengaluru, I've always been close to Malayalis and their films. Be it Mohanlal sir, Mammootty sir, Prithviraj sir... we are fans of their works. Even if you see the collections, after Kerala, the highest gross for Malayalam films will always be from Bengaluru. One of my favourite Mohanlal sir films is the one where he is the father figure of a girl child, and in the end, he becomes emotionally traumatised, going in search of the girl.
Pavithram?
Yes, Pavithram. I’m not sure if it's a celebrated film, but it inspired me a lot. Mohanlal sir, who is known for his action, doing that kind of role is brilliant. He effortlessly makes us feel the pain.
How did he initially respond to Vrusshabha's idea?
I narrated the entire script during our first meeting itself, and he immediately agreed to it. Only then did the production house come into the picture.
How long have you been working on the script?
I'm a big fan of history. We have 3,000 years of history. There are no epic stories that aren't borrowed from the Mahabharata, Ramayana, Gita, or the Bible. You will get each and every character from there. If you say Superman, we have got Hanuman. If you talk about mutants, we have got Ganesha and Narasimha. They are our X-Men. Everybody is taking something or the other from our history, so why not us? I read a lot, but I don't take much time to write. Once the idea comes, by God's grace, everything happens fast. I won't tell you that it took me two or three years, because it'd be a lie. I travelled for 3-4 months with the idea, and by then, the film was ready in my head.
Did you have to make any changes in the script to suit Mohanlal's image?
Mohanlal sir is a delight to work with. Once he understands the subject and trusts his director, he will not question your creativity. If I get a chance to direct 100 films with him, I'll happily take it because he'll come and surprise you each time. I have never seen anybody so flexible.Period films are aplenty in Indian cinema today. How does Vrusshabha stand apart from these films?
Period films are aplenty in Indian cinema today. How does Vrusshabha stand apart from these films?
I see this resurgence of period films as going back to our roots. There was a time, almost 30 years back, when we had many period and fantasy films. Then came an era when they thought it was outdated, with people dismissing it as cheap tricks and stuff. Even today, one of my favourite films is My Dear Kuttichathan. I watched it thrice in theatres. They first took us from school, and I've vivid memories of all the bubbles and ice cream coming close to us. Ever since then, I've been a fan of such fantasy films. I've done action films, emotional dramas, remakes... but this is new. It's part of my evolution as a filmmaker.
In one of your earlier interviews, you spoke about the struggle to make a film in Kannada even after delivering a decent hit like Pogaru. Is that why you chose to venture out and make Vrusshabha?
To be very frank, the scale and budget of this project demanded the shift. Mohanlal sir is strong in Malayalam, and with these films, we have the potential to recover our investment if released widely. Shooting it simultaneously in Telugu was a call taken by the production. We are also releasing it in Kannada and Hindi. It is an underdog film because not many had hopes. It's only after the teaser release that people started noticing us, and I just hope we meet the expectations.
