In Dominic and the Ladies’ Purse, Gautham Vasudev Menon refused to act with Mammootty; here's why

Despite having acted with Mammootty in Bazooka, Gautham Vasudev Menon did not want a repeat in his own directorial, Dominic and the Ladies' Purse, which is set to release on January 23.

Mammootty plays Dominic in Dominic and the Ladies' Purse

Filmmaker Gautham Vasudev Menon was a part of Mammootty’s upcoming film Bazooka as an actor, an experience that he says he can never forget because it was shot in sync sound and he had a lot of lines. That was quite a learning experience and an ice-breaker as far as being on set with Mammootty goes. And yet, when an opportunity arose to act with the Malayalam superstar yet again in Dominic and the Ladies’ Purse, Gautham chose to step aside.

“Since Mammootty sir was producing the film, he had a lot of input about the casting choices. But there were a couple of characters for which the direction team thought I would be apt. I clearly told them that if it required being on camera with Mammootty sir, I would not do it, as I was scared. Any other cameo would be okay, though,” said Gautham. So, will the filmmaker be seen in Dominic and the Ladies’ Purse? The filmmaker smiles and says that it is up to audiences to figure that out when the film releases on January 23.

Also read: Gautham Vasudev Menon: Half of the stories made in Malayalam cinema will never get made in Tamil

The film, which went on floors in July 2024, is the fastest that Gautham has put together and was a far cry from his more leisurely approach to filmmaking. Dominic and the Ladies’ Purse was shot in an almost continuous schedule of 45 days, during which he had only a two-day break. “I have done a Tamil film in 52 days, but that was spread over a year. Unlike Malayalam cinema, where you shoot every day, including on Sundays, that culture is not prevalent in Kollywood. The only break I got during the making was because of rain, when we could not shoot for two days. I enjoyed that breathing space, even though, the making of Dominic and the Ladies’ Purse was very interesting,” said Gautham, speaking to One 2 Talks.

Also read: Gautham Vasudev Menon on Mammootty in Dominic and the Ladies’ Purse: He does what most heroes will not agree to

Dominic and the Ladies’ Purse is Gautham’s debut directorial in Malayalam cinema. Produced by Mammootty Kampany, it also stars Gokul Suresh, Sushmitha Bhat, Shine Tom Chacko, Lena, and Viji Venkatesh, among others.

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