Mahesh Narayanan, the director of Patriot, has been facing intense scrutiny after a large section of the audience found the film below their expectations. The filmmaker is facing questions about whether his film, featuring a large ensemble cast, including Mammootty and Mohanlal, among others, would be able to recover its production cost.
In a recent interview with MediaOne TV Live, Mahesh was asked whether 180 crore is the budget of Patriot. The filmmaker denied the claim, calling it a 'gloated' figure. "Such figures will keep coming from the outside," the filmmaker said.
Mahesh also expressed his confidence in the ability of the film to earn more than what the producer has invested in its making.
When asked about whether a film such as this would be able to cross the 200 crore mark and become profitable, Mahesh said, "It will definitely happen. A digital platform recently acquired its rights for a record price. They saw the film and bought it. That is our first revenue (from the film). We believe that we will earn more revenue from theatres."
The filmmaker also said that the other creators of the film, including producer Anto Joseph, were aware of the risks in backing a film with 'fresh content'. He also asked people to be a little more patient towards the film to understand its content and show some more acceptance for it. Suggesting that people should not expect a mass-action film from Patriot, he said, "This is my personal take. People can differ from my view."
Patriot brought Mohanlal and Mammootty back together onscreen in important roles for the first time after 2008's Twenty:20, directed by Joshiy. However, many of the films expressed their disappointment over the use of Mohanlal's character in the film.
