Barroz: Mohanlal reveals he will be seen as an octopus; talks about challenges of creating Voodoo

Mohanlal’s directorial debut Barroz, which is set to hit theatres on December 25, has him essaying the titular role and the team has also created an animated sidekick Voodoo for the film.

Mohanlal in a still from Barroz

Creating an animated or cute sidekick for the protagonist has been the trend to appeal to children viewers of late, for instance, Bujji in Kalki 2898 AD and Grogu in Mandalorian. The makers of Mohanlal’s directorial debut Barroz: Guardian of Treasures have also not missed this trick. The superstar, who will be essaying the titular role, will be accompanied by his animated sidekick Voodoo in the film.

In a recent interview, Mohanlal opened up about the challenges that went into creating the 3D children’s fantasy and finding the right people to execute his vision. The actor-director said he wouldn’t stake any claim for the film, and credited its cinematographer Santosh Sivan, its creative director TK Rajeev Kumar and other crew members for what they have been able to accomplish something “that’s not easy”.

Also read: Barroz song Isabella out: Mohanlal turns playback singer yet again for his directorial

Mohanlal to be seen as an octopus in Barroz

“You have to get good people,” Mohanlal told Galatta Plus. “I got interesting people, who started loving the movie. That love is there in the film (for people to see). We have an animated character (Voodoo), and the VFX head’s challenge he said to me was, 'I need to make an animated character who would accompany a renowned actor like you. It should complement your emotions and dialogues’.” The VFX portions for the movie were done by Labyrinth Studios.

Also read: After 'tricky film' Barroz, Mohanlal won't direct again: Santosh Sivan

Also crediting the “amazing job” the team has done, Mohanlal said Barroz also has an underwater, animated sequence that features the main character of Isabella (Maya Rao West). “It’s a song sequence that has fish, seahorses, turtles and I am acting as an octopus in it. Water is a very important character in this movie.”

Mohanlal reveals the story of Barroz

Further on Barroz, Mohanlal said that the film begins and ends with a Fado song. “Barroz has a Portugal story. Fado songs are melancholic, Portuguese folk songs, and they related to ocean. It’s about longing and integrity; and Barroz is also like that – it's about him waiting and his commitment to his master. All of these things slowly came together.”

Barroz will be released in theatres in Malayalam on December 25 and will release in other languages a day later.

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