Pachuvum Athbutha Vilakkum could be Fahadh Faasil’s most entertaining film after Njan Prakashan: Akhil Sathyan

Pachuvum Athbutha Vilakkum director Akhil Sathyan talks about his latest film starring Fahadh Faasil in the lead

Akhil Sathyan and Fahadh Faasil

A majority of the audience would say that a Fahadh Faasil movie is worth the wait. Even more so, when it has the Pushpa and Vikram actor doing a humour-oriented role in a family entertainer. Though his movies such as Kumbalangi Nights and C U Soon made him more popular during the pandemic, the actor’s films including Njan Prakashan and Oru Indian Pranayakadha – both helmed by Sathyan Anthikad – served to showcase his versatility as an artiste.

Now, Akhil Sathyan, the son of the Sathyan Anthikad who had helmed the latter two, is all set for his debut directorial Pachuvum Athbutha Vilakkum that is set to hit theatres on April 28. In an exclusive interview with OTTplay, Akhil tells us about the movie, what sets it apart from his father and brother’s films and more.

Also read: The OTTplay Guide To Fahadh Faasil's Top 10 Roles

It’s been more than three years since you started shooting the film, thanks to the pandemic. But did the gap also let you update the script?

Actually, I didn’t change anything in the script. The only difficulty we had to face was that after the pandemic, there were a lot of scheduling conflicts. After the OTT boom, Fahadh's popularity soared in other languages and he had signed Pushpa and Vikram. So, we had to get the dates of everyone together. The film is shot in a lot of locations. Most of the shooting happened in Goa and there were portions in Mumbai, only a bit is set in Kerala. So, there were practical difficulties to travel and shoot in these places.

Your brother Anoop Sathyan made his directorial debut with Varana Avashyamund and now, when another member of Sathyan Anthikad’s family is making his debut, there’s this expectation in terms of the kind of film that you will be doing. From the trailer, Pachuvum Athbutha Vilakkum does seem to adhere to the feel-good, family entertainer mould. Is it so?

The way the three of us think is similar. We love making films revolving around real moments, and that is the challenge. I feel it’s easy to make a movie with villains, guns and blasts or a psycho-thriller. Instead, when you make a movie about simple things, it’s time consuming and challenging. For Pachuvum Athbutha Vilakkum, I have tried the same. I have tried to make it a family movie.

Also read: Exclusive! Fahadh Faasil on Vikram, Pushpa: I don’t think any of my films actually help me do another movie

On how different it is from achan’s movies, I have tried to make it eventful. It’s about a person’s journey through different terrains. There are close to 100 characters. However, I have used achan’s techniques and tools in this film; so, you would find that simplicity and moments his films are known for. Even in Varane Avashyamund, it was there. I think that’s how all of us are wired.

When you look back at Fahadh’s previous comedy entertainer, it would probably be Sathyan Anthikad’s Njan Prakashan. So, your film is essentially an extension of that side of him as an actor.

I think this film could Fahadh’s most entertaining film after Njan Prakashan. I think he’s done about 10 movies after Njan Prakashan. From Kumbalangi Nights, he has done a series of movies that had him in complex roles. So, he’s coming back to playing a normal human being with this film. Personally, it brings me a lot of joy because I like watching him doing humour-oriented roles.

What can you tell us about the movie?

It’s about Fahadh’s character Pachu and the changes that he brings in the life of three women. It’s an emotional story and we have weaved Pachu into it – his travel through terrrains as well as the various kinds of emotions. Visually also, it will be engaging because it’s a journey that doesn’t end. It starts from Mumbai and reaches Goa, while traversing a wide range of characters and their emotions. I can’t bracket it into a specific genre because it has humour, romance, action and mystery; it’s not just a feel-good movie.

The female leads are played by Viji Venkatesh, a 71-year-old Malayali based in Mumbai will be making her debut in the film. Anjana Jayaprakash, who was part of Gautham Vasudev Menon’s web series Queen, will be making her Malayalam debut. Dhwani Rajesh, who had starred in director Majid Majidi’s Beyond The Clouds as a child artiste, is also part of Pachuvum Athbutha Vilakkum.

It also has a lot of supporting actors such as the late Innocent, Mukesh, Indrans and Vineeth. It would be have a different experience working with veteran actors who had collaborated with your father earlier.

The supporting characters only have limited space in the movie because Fahadh’s character is who carries the story. So, I was conscious about picking the actors to play these roles, because I wanted people who could readily connect with the audience. Innocent uncle’s character was written specifically for him. So, every shot was written with him in mind. I also wanted to ensure when they were being part of this film, it shouldn’t be just another role.

I believe, be it Innocent uncle or Mukesh ettan’s characters, it’s one of their best performances in recent times. The humour has worked out well. Indrans ettan comes in the second half and he plays a pivotal role. I had cast him in this role when I wrote the script in 2019, back then he didn’t do such a wide array of roles. But I haven’t changed the script because the story is still exciting to me and I believe it will remain timeless.

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