Filmmaker Austin Dan Thomas has shared a series of cryptic Instagram stories days after producer Antony Perumbavoor spoke about a shelved Mohanlal project involving a debutant director who allegedly backed out shortly before production. During an interaction with the veteran actor's fans on X (formerly Twitter) Spaces, Antony was asked why Mohanlal rarely collaborates with newcomers. Responding to the question, the producer suggested that the film currently being made with Tharun Moorthy, titled Athimanoharam, was initially supposed to be directed by a newcomer. However, according to Antony, the director “panicked and disappeared” nearly a month before shooting was scheduled to begin.
“He became scared, stopped answering calls and went away,” Antony said, adding that such incidents make producers hesitant to take similar risks again. Although Antony did not mention anyone by name, social media users quickly linked the remarks to the previously announced Mohanlal project backed by Ashiq Usman, with Austin Dan Thomas attached as director and Ratheesh Ravi onboard as writer.
The film had originally been announced with Mohanlal playing a police officer, and promotional material, including the announcement poster, had already been unveiled. At the time, the project was reportedly being referred to by the working title L 365 before eventually evolving into L 366, which was officially titled Athimanoharam, under Tharun Moorthy’s direction.
Austin, known for acting in films such as Thallumaala and Vijay Superum Pournamiyum, and for serving as chief associate director on Anjaam Pathiraa, appeared to respond indirectly to the ongoing discussion on Instagram.
On Monday, the filmmaker shared a quote attributed to Palestinian political leader Ismail Haniyeh against the backdrop of the Israel-Palestine conflict. The quote read: “Some people think that the truth can be hidden with little cover-up and decoration. But as time goes by, what is true is revealed. And what is fake fades away.” Though Austin did not mention Antony or the film controversy directly, many online interpreted the story as a response to the producer’s comments.
A day later, on Tuesday, Austin further fuelled speculation by sharing a photograph of a signboard in Kodaikanal, with the specific location name Moonjikal written in English and Tamil. The post quickly drew attention online, as “moonjikal” in Malayalam slang loosely translates to embarrassment or humiliation, leading many social media users to interpret it as another indirect response to Antony Perumbavoor’s remarks.