Nine years after Tiyaan, a much-hyped film that failed to click with the majority, director Jiyen Krishnakumar and writer Murali Gopy are collaborating for another ambitious film that promises to explore profound themes in the backdrop of Ananthankadu, the erstwhile name of Kerala's capital city, Thiruvananthapuram.
As Ananthan Kaadu gears up for release on Thursday, almost two years after its announcement, here's the director opening up about the film's making, its Malayalam-Tamil setting, and the tough learnings from Tiyaan.
The title Ananthan Kaadu is in itself catchy, promising the possibility of exploring a bygone era...
Ananthankadu, or today's Thiruvananthapuram, is where the film is primarily set, but the narrative also extends to people beyond it. What's special about Murali chettan's scripts is that you can't contain them in any one genre, and this film is no different. There's action, drama, politics, and a lot of intense emotions. Maybe we can call it a political drama with an action mood throughout.
The film comes with the tagline 'This is a tale that almost became a true story'...
The story is set during the late 80s and early 90s, and people might be able to spot some real-life characters, especially those based in Thiruvananthapuram. Indrans ettan's Krishnankutty, Murali chettan's Thankaraj Ponnappan, Dev Mohan's Murali, and Appani Sarath's Jackson are characters that might be loosely inspired by real people, who may still be around. Growing up in Thiruvananthapuram, I've seen and heard a lot about such people and their stories.
Murali Gopy's scripts are usually strong on socio-political themes. Is that what excites you as a filmmaker as well?
I'm always drawn towards films with strong drama, and he is excellent at it. In fact, it was I who requested a script like Tiyaan from him, and it's still a subject very close to my heart. Though the film wasn't a theatrical success, it later found acclaim. Honestly, we knew it might not appeal to everyone.
What were some key takeaways from Tiyaan?
Tiyaan had high expectations, and when it didn't work out, it was very disappointing. Despite all the appreciation that came later, the fact that it didn't do well in theatres still hurts. However, it opened doors for me in Tamil, and I did two films there, Paramaguru and Run Baby Run. I still wanted to ensure that my next Malayalam film doesn't end up like Tiyaan.
Tiyaan had some layers that might not have interested everyone or might only be understood on repeat viewing. It was not the audience's mistake, but ours. So the first thing I ensured was that Ananthan Kaadu appeals to every section of the audience.
Why make it a Malayalam-Tamil bilingual?
The protagonist, played by Arya, is someone who arrives from Tamil Nadu. So he and those associated with him speak in Tamil, which accounts for about 30-35% of the film. To retain authenticity, we haven't dubbed those lines into Malayalam. In fact, Murali chettan himself wrote the Tamil dialogues. However, for the Tamil version, we have dubbed everything into the language.
The film has a huge ensemble, including many popular faces from beyond Malayalam. Is that an attempt to give it a pan-India flavour?
No, that was never the intention. All of them were cast to maintain a certain level of authenticity, like Sunil sir, who plays a Telugu IPS officer posted in Kerala. Achyuth Kumar sir also plays a non-Malayali character. Actors like Nikhila (Vimal) or Regina (Cassandra) might have limited screen time, but they all agreed to be part of the film because of the prominence of their roles.
It has been almost two years since production commenced. How challenging was the execution?
I generally don't prefer to talk about a film's scale or the challenges of execution because that's for the audience to judge. But like Murali chettan's other works, Ananthan Kaadu is also mounted on a big canvas, with some massive sequences shot across multiple schedules. We shot the film in Thiruvananthapuram, Kochi, Wayanad, Rameshwaram, and Rajasthan. Since there's also a lot of VFX involved, it took us around eight months to complete it.
Murali Gopy's works are often criticised for their political overtones or perceived ideological leanings. We saw that most recently with L2: Empuraan, which sparked a nationwide controversy. Did such concerns creep into Ananthan Kaadu and force you to self-censor in any way?
Never. We don't consciously shy away from discussing politics. This film has its share of political undertones as well. I don't know whether it will create any noise, but even if it does, we don't mind. Murali chettan never sets out to take potshots at any particular group, ideology, or political figure. There may be real-life inspirations, but he approaches every subject with honesty and sincerity. I believe that has reflected in this film too.