Mohanlal was the only choice for Malaikottai Vaaliban; Director Lijo Jose Pellissery spills beans

Malaikottai Vaaliban, the period fantasy film that stars Mohanlal in the lead role, has opened to mixed reviews. However, the superstar’s performance is receiving immense love from the audience.

Lijo Jose Pellissery and Mohanlal during Malaikottai Vaaliban's script reading session.

Mohanlal joined hands with renowned filmmaker Lijo Jose Pellissery for his latest outing, Malaikottai Vaaliban. The period fantasy film, which features the Malayalam superstar in the titular role, has been receiving mixed reviews from the common audiences. However, the veteran actor has been winning the hearts of cine-goers with his stellar performance as Vaaliban in the movie. From the physical transformation to his get-up, everything about Mohanlal’s role was on point in the film.

Meanwhile, in a recent interview with journalist Rekha Menon, director Lijo Jose Pellissery extensively spoke about the film and revealed why Mohanlal was the only choice for Malaikottai Vaaliban.

LJP says Mohanlal was the only choice for Malaikottai Vaaliban

In his chat with Rekha Menon, director Lijo Jose Pellissery revealed that Mohanlal was the only choice to play the role of Malaikottai Vaaliban. However, the acclaimed filmmaker revealed that his recent outing was initially planned with an entirely different style of narrative. But things changed drastically after Mohanlal came on board, and the project was made on a much larger scale than expected. The director also added that even though the scale increased, the storyline of Malaikottai Vaaliban was always the same.

Also Read: Mohanlal’s experimental films are not received like Mammootty’s, says Malaikottai Vaaliban producer Shibu Baby John

According to the director, no one else could play the role of Malaikottai Vaaliban, the mighty warrior who possesses immense strength other than Mohanlal. The character demanded an actor who could make the character believable both with his performance and his physical appearance. Lijo Jose Pellissery feels that the Malayalam superstar made Vaaliban instantly believable, even when the character, who is a normal human, is seen lifting huge rocks and pulling down massive pillars. He feels that Mohanlal is irreplaceable in the film.

Also Read: Malaikottai Vaaliban – Anurag Kashyap defends Mohanlal and LJP’s film; says THIS about criticisms

Malaikottai Vaaliban is getting a sequel

In another recent interview with Galatta Plus, Lijo Jose Pellissery also confirmed that Malaikottai Vaaliban is getting a sequel. The makers have not dropped the idea of Part 2 after the disappointing performance of the Mohanlal starrer, as the rumours suggested recently. LJP confirmed that the much-awaited project will have more developed characters and fantasy elements and will be made on an even bigger scale. More updates on the same are expected to be out soon.

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