Earlier, it was reported that Sree Gokulam Movies would be producing actor-politician Suresh Gopi's long-delayed 250th film, Ottakomban. On Friday, the film officially commenced production with a traditional pooja ceremony held at the Maha Ganapathi Temple in the courtyard of the Poojappura Central Jail in Thiruvananthapuram. Directed by Mathews Thomas, the project faced several setbacks, including a production halt due to the pandemic and a plagiarism lawsuit filed by Jinu Abraham, the writer of Kaduva (2022).
Scripted by Shibin Francis, Ottakomban marks Suresh Gopi's return in front of the camera since assuming office as the Minister of State for Tourism and Petroleum and Natural Gas earlier this year. It also stars Indrajith Sukumaran, Vijayaraghavan, Lalu Alex, Chemban Vinod Jose, Johny Antony, Biju Pappan, Meghana Raj, Suchithra Nair, and Jibin Gopinath, among others.
Billed as an emotional thriller, Ottakombam will feature Suresh Gopi as Kadavakkunnel Kuruvachan, reportedly inspired by a real-life figure. The film's technical team includes cinematographer Shaji Kumar, editor Vivek Harshan, and Animal (2023) music director Harshavardhan Rameshwar. Reportedly mounted on a grand scale with a massive budget, it will be shot across locations in Kottayam, Pala, Erattupetta, Kochi and Thiruvananthapuram, as well as Hong Kong.
Co-produced by V C Praveen and Baiju Gopalan, Ottakomban will have Krishnamoorthy serving as the executive producer. Reportedly, Bollywood actors will portray the female lead and the antagonist in the film.