Vishnu Vinay confesses that he has not given much thought to the expectations that ride his directorial debut Anand Sreebala set to reach theatres on November 15. “I have not actively thought about it. But I am confident that I have made a presentable film that I can show people.” Box office expectations aside, being the son of director Vinayan would probably take it up a notch. As opposed to how it would be for an ‘outsider’, for instance.
“I have not thought about the film from the perspective of being his son. I have seen my father’s releases, been around his films and have assisted him. So, I have not dwelled on the pressure of my first release and expectations from me.” He does, however, share that he has got positive feedback from those who previewed it. The film’s trailer released last weekend has generated a buzz around the film.
Vishnu turned director rather serendipitously when producer Anto Joseph suggested he direct a film. A role that came with a lot of responsibility. Vishnu had been on the lookout for acting opportunities when the opportunity to direct came his way. “Every time I asked Anto chettan he would say nokkaam (we will see). And I got this chance.”
With Arjun Ashokan on the sets of ‘Anand Sreebala’
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Working with his father’s production company and with his exposure to filmmaking assisting his father, Vishnu was confident he could take on the project. Anto introduced him to scenarist Abhilash Pillai who narrated the story of what was to become Anand Sreebala. Abhilash has written the script for Maalikapuram, Pathaam Valavu, Night Drive and the Tamil film Cadaver.
“I got that ‘feel’ when I heard the story; I liked that it is character-driven and a different kind of film in terms of its treatment. Abhilash’s idea was to pick something from real life and weave a story around it. People would relate to it and there was no need to ‘fabricate’ a story. We spent time on research because we wanted honesty in the film.”
Pre-production demanded intense research, speaking to the police for details about the perpetrator and to distant relatives of victims to get a complete picture. Once they had enough material they stopped research because the film is not about a single case. The film was shot over 48 days in Kochi and Nagercoil in Tamil Nadu.
The film is an investigative thriller that pivots on the disappearance of a girl and how a ‘common man’, Anand Sreebala, sets out to solve the case. His only connection with cops is that his mother, Sreebala KS (Sangita Madhavan Nair), was one.
Vishnu Vinay
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Of choosing Arjun Ashokan as Anand, Vishnu says that they had discussed another project, which gets underway soon, with the actor in the lead. Since Arjun fit the role, he was the natural choice for the character: “His appearance, and down to earth demeanour goes well with the character.” The cast includes Indrans, Saiju Kurup, Aju Varghese, Sshivada, Aparna Das, Asha Sharreth, Dhyan Sreenivasan and Azeez Nedumangad among others.
Vishnuhas also acted in films such as History of Joy, The Gambinos, Aakaashaganga 2 and Pathonpatham Noottandu. Vishnu says he has also always been more interested in the writing and directing aspect of films rather than being in front of the camera. His first acting job in History of Joy happened serendipitously. “A friend, Vishnu Govind was to act and I direct …however the ‘roles’ reversed and I ended up acting.” And now that he is in the director’s chair…he is finally doing what he set out to do.
Anand Sreebala reaches theatres on November 15
Published – November 14, 2024 03:48 pm IST
The Hindu MetroPlus
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cinema
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Malayalam cinema
