Exclusive! Mohanlal asked me if he should act without any inhibition in Aaraattu: B Unnikrishnan

In the past decade, B Unnikrishnan might be one of the few Malayalam filmmakers who has directed Mohanlal in different genres. His debut directorial Madambi was a family entertainer while his other films such as Grandmaster and Villain were investigative and revenge thrillers, respectively. However, a ‘mass’ entertainer is something that not many might have anticipated from the director.

With Aaraattu, which will hit theatres on February 18, Unnikrishnan will be foraying into the genre that tries to make the best use of Mohanlal’s superstardom. In an exclusive chat with OTTplay, the filmmaker talks about the challenges of the genre, working with its scriptwriter Udaykrishna and Mohanlal’s performance.

Looking at your filmography till now, a movie like Aaraattu isn’t something that the audience expects from you. So, why a ‘mass’ entertainer?

Why not a mass entertainer (laughs)? Udaykrishna, Lal sir and I had initially decided to collaborate on another project, which required to be shot in multiple locations outside Kerala too. We were sitting to finalise the film, just before Drishyam 2’s shoot was about to begin. The COVID-19 cases were at its peak then and it was near impossible to film at these locations. It was also a movie with dark shades.

That’s when Lal sir said, ‘The world itself is going through a gloomy phase. Why can’t we think of a festive kind of film? I haven’t done a movie like that in ages.’ So, he himself pitched this idea. This is also Udaykrishna’s forte. He thought of another idea when he decided to work with me. So, I told him let’s go with your type of films.

During the pandemic, I was also involved with the FEFKA union’s functioning and we used to hear grim stories every day. Even the movies that were releasing on OTTs had a serious and sombre tone. So, I seconded the idea because it’s been a while since we saw a ‘mass’ entertainer in Malayalam and that too with a big star like Mohanlal. That’s how the project evolved.

What can you tell us about the movie? All we know right now is that Mohanlal plays a character named Neyyattinkara Gopan and travels around in a vintage black Mercedes Benz with the number plate of 2255.

There are so many such movies of Lal sir where his characters have had these unique identity markers. For instance, if you look at his films with Shaji Kailas, you would notice that he has tried to bring some distinction in terms of the clothes he wears and the props he uses. In Aaraattu too, we have used these deliberately in his character’s presentation.

Gopan is someone who comes to Neyyattinkara as part of a deal and there he creates more problems than the ones he encounters. He becomes a liability there. As in, the villagers, who refuse the deal he brings in, then have to find solutions for the ruckus he creates. It is a fun-filled entertainer with action.

You have directed Mohanlal in movies of different genres over the years. How comfortable was he playing this character?

If you look at our previous movies, Madambi was a family drama. His character was someone who kept everything in, and you needed that restraint. In Grandmaster, he played a disillusioned, frustrated man, who is extremely laidback and only cares about his daughter. Lal sir brought that body language to his character.

I think Fraud is probably our weakest collaboration as whatever I had expected didn’t really work out on screen. I believe that was my failure. Villain though is my most favourite and it had him play a guilt-ridden man. Neyyattinkara Gopan, meanwhile, is a loud character from the get-go. Even though Lal sir had pitched the idea of making this film, when we were narrating the complete screenplay to him, he was laughing throughout. He said, ‘It’s entertaining’. There were a couple of sittings between the three of us to further develop the character and I had told Lal sir about my references for the role. He asked me, ‘So, you are saying that I should act without any inhibition?’ I said yes.

On the first day, we were shooting the movie’s third scene. After a few shots, he asked me if this is what I want? I told him I want the character to be even more loud because in the first two scenes, the meter is even higher. He said, ‘Okay’, and then he was on the go throughout the shoot.

Films of such genres come with a template in terms of references from other similar movies and ‘mass’ moments that play to the gallery. Being your first such venture, what were the challenges of making it?

I think the first challenge is that we have to be uninhibited to do such a movie. Secondly, there’s a mode of constructing such films and if we dismantle that then it doesn’t become a ‘mass’ entertainer. Similarly, if you replicate the similar model, it again doesn’t work. So, Udaykrishna and I discussed that, and we decided to stick to smart fun. We have tried to spoof some of the references.

This again has its problems because when someone uses past references lightly, the character can be perceived as lacking depth. That’s how we developed the protagonist further. Now, after watching the film when the audience looks back, they will figure out the reason he behaves that way. That was the challenge on a screenplay level and I think Udaykrishna has handled that well.

The other aspect that I have focused on in the movie is the action choreography. It’s something that I enjoy and I wanted to ensure it is effective on screen. So, I hired great stunt choreographers with whom I had worked earlier. We had put in a lot of effort for that and the songs. Also, this is probably my first film with as many as 45 characters. There are sequences in which 20-25 characters are present. Those are huge challenges and I have tried to navigate those based on my capabilities within the limitations.

The focus on superstar-driven ‘mass’ films is almost always on the protagonist and the other characters are often sidelined. Is that something that you have changed in Aaraattu?

That’s inevitable. In a ‘mass masala’ movie, you are always following the hero. This film too has that. The other characters who are travelling with him also have their importance, but it’s a template and I don’t think there’s much we can do about it.

‘Mass’ entertainers is probably a genre where it’s not possible to be politically correct.

I actually have a correction, I don’t think any genre can be 100% politically correct. Every text or art can be interpreted differently. We can take certain decisions, for instance, to stay away from body shaming, to avoid any communal elements or casteism. These are things we can consciously refrain from. But a movie, which is open to multiple readings, can have different interpretations and I believe that’s the importance of the art. So, that way, I wasn’t too bothered about these. My job was to make a movie based on the screenplay, without any restraints.

Some of Mohanlal’s previous big budget films came with a lot of hype but faced a lot of backlash, even from fans. Is that something you are wary about too?

I haven’t really thought about it all. I don’t think I am a fan-favourite director. I don’t know if they have liked my previous films. But I have shown what Aaraattu entails through the trailer; it’s a ‘mass masala’ film made for people to enjoy in the theatres.

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