Following the success of last year's mystery thriller Kishkindha Kaandam, director Dinjith Ayyathan and writer Bahul Ramesh return for a new film titled Eko. From its teaser released on Saturday, the new film looks far more mystery-laden and thrilling.
As per the makers, Eko marks the final chapter of Bahul's 'Animal Trilogy' after Kishkindha Kaandam and Kerala Crime Files: Season 2, forming a collection of three standalone stories sharing a spiritual essence — exploring crimes and moral conflicts in a world where animal presence plays a stimulating role.
Eko's teaser opens with news reports about Japanese divisions facing resistance in Malaya, possibly hinting at the World War II times when Japanese forces invaded Malaya (the mainland part of Malaysia) and occupied the territory until their surrender in 1945. The story gets a Kerala connect when a Malayali character recalls a time when sailing to Malaysia, Burma, and Singapore was routine, and how some even went on to join the Indian National Army.
Vineeth and Ashokan's characters seem to be breeders looking for a particular breed of Malaysian dogs, the true-born version of which is found only in Kerala's Kaattukkunnu hills. Sandeep Pradeep's lead character is a local of the Kaattukkunnu hills, curious about the Malaysian dogs and how they ended up in his place. There's also a mention about a mysterious character named Kuriachan, who many wanted dead. In fact, the film comes with the tagline 'From the infinite chronicles of Kuriachan'.
The teaser cut by Mahesh Bhuvanend is intriguing, without giving away anything about the storyline. Eko also stars Narain, Binu Pappu, Biana Momin, Sim Zhi Fei, NG Hung Shen, Ranjith Shekhar, and Saheer Muhammed. While Bahul himself handles the cinematography, Kishkindha Kaandam's editor Sooraj ES and composer Mujeeb Majeed have been retained.
Eko marks the maiden production venture of MRK Jhayaram under his banner Aaradyaa Studios.
