A few years ago, an electrical engineer working at Technopark in Thiruvananthapuram sent a couple of short stories to filmmaker Jude Anthany Joseph, not quite knowing where it would lead. Today, Akhil Krishna is all set to make his debut in cinema as the co-writer of Thudakkam, having penned the screenplay alongside Jude and Linish Nellikkal. Much of the spotlight on the project has centred on Vismaya Mohanlal, who makes her acting debut in the film, which is set to hit theatres worldwide this Friday.
Akhil's entry into the project happened almost by chance. "I had sent a couple of stories to Jude ettan some years ago. We eventually got a chance to meet, and during that discussion he narrated this story to me," he recalls. By then, the first half of the script, written by Linish Nellikkal roughly three or four years earlier, had already been locked. Jude asked whether Akhil would like to take on the second half. "It was my first opportunity to work on a feature film in this capacity, so I said I'd give it a try. Thankfully, it worked out," he says.
What followed wasn't a conventional writers' room but a close, back-and-forth exchange between director and debutant. "As I wrote, he would suggest changes and improvements. We constantly exchanged ideas. It was a genuine give-and-take process," Akhil explains. "Working alongside someone with so much experience as both a writer and director was a wonderful learning experience."
Among the many lessons he took away from the experience, one stands out. "Jude ettan used to say that if there's a tiny problem on paper, it'll appear ten times larger in the theatre," he shares. The film went through seven or eight drafts before the team settled on a final version. "It was a fairly demanding process because every draft opened up new possibilities," Akhil says. "Not every idea made it into the final screenplay, but each draft helped us understand the story better."
For Akhil, collaborating with the filmmaker behind Ohm Shanthi Oshaana and 2018: Everyone Is A Hero came with its share of nerves. "Jude ettan trusted me as a writer, which meant a lot because he was already an established filmmaker whose work I admired," Akhil reflects. Recalling the encouragement he received from Jude during moments of self-doubt, Akhil says, "He would simply tell me, 'You can do this.' Sometimes all you need is for someone you respect to believe in you, and that belief helped me immensely."
Asked to describe Thudakkam without giving too much away, he frames it firmly as a family drama at heart. "It's about an ambitious young girl, her father, her pet dog and the rest of her family. The emotional bond between the father and daughter forms the core of the story," he says. He is quick to clarify that despite the trailer's hint at action-heavy moments, the film isn't built around them. "It's not an out-and-out action film or a full-fledged thriller. At its core, it's a family drama," he insists.
Akhil knew from the outset that he was working on Vismaya's launch vehicle. "Right from the time I came on board, Jude ettan told me that this was going to be Vismaya's debut film. Naturally, I was very excited," he says. "Being able to contribute to a project like that was a privilege, and it made me even more eager to give my best."
Having also worked as an assistant director on the film, Akhil was present for most of the shoot, missing only one schedule. Watching Vismaya perform was, in some ways, as new an experience for him as it was for her. "She has a certain screen presence and charm, and I really enjoyed seeing her grow more confident through the process. I hope audiences feel the same when they watch the film," he says.
He is equally admiring of Saikumar, who plays Vismaya's father. "Saikumar sir is such an accomplished performer, and it was a pleasure watching him bring that relationship to life," he notes. Besides Vismaya, Thudakkam also marks another launch of sorts, with the film's producer Antony Perumbavoor's son Aashish Joe Antony taking on his first full-fledged acting role. While unwilling to reveal much about the character, Akhil teases: "After the release, I think people will definitely be talking about his role."
Akhil was born and raised in Thiruvananthapuram. "Growing up, cinema always felt like a distant dream," he says. He began by writing short stories before drifting towards screenwriting, a shift he credits to steady encouragement from friends, colleagues and family. He continues to hold down his day job at Technopark, a role he has had for about four years. "I actually started writing seriously while working there, so I've been balancing both careers," he says.
His influences span generations and geographies, from veterans like Priyadarshan, Sathyan Anthikad, Sibi Malayil and Fazil, to contemporaries such as Shyam Pushkaran and Dileesh Pothan, alongside international filmmakers Martin Scorsese and David Fincher. On the challenge of writing something distinctive in an era saturated with content, he takes a measured view. "Every story has something unique to offer," he says. Speaking about Thudakkam specifically, he adds, "We weren't trying to surprise people for the sake of it. We wanted the story to unfold organically."
For Akhil, screenwriting is only the first step. "Becoming a director has always been my ambition," he says, crediting Thudakkam with teaching him as much on set as it did at the writing table. He is already developing new ideas, though nothing, he adds, has been finalised just yet.