Rekhachithram director Jofin T Chacko on picking Kaathodu Kaathoram and alternate plan for Mammootty’s 80s version | Exclusive

For director Jofin T. Chacko, the success of his latest movie, Rekhachithram, which features Asif Ali and Anaswara Rajan, is bittersweet because it took him over four years to make the film he wanted to debut with. When it was released, his father wasn’t there to hear all the positive responses coming his way.

In a candid interview with OTTplay, Jofin, who had previously helmed The Priest, talks about what went into making Rekhachithram, why he chose the sets of Kaathodu Kaathoram as the film’s setting in its flashback scenes, and his plans for Mammootty’s 80s version.

Also read: Rekhachithram movie review: Asif Ali, Anaswara Rajan’s mystery thriller gives a compelling spin to reel and real-life events 

You had earlier said that Rekhachithram was a film that you had intended to debut with. But you did The Priest first and then waited for further four years to make and release this film. Could you tell us about that journey?

People who have watched the movie would know that there is a particular aspect in its basic thread that they would connect immediately. It’s a fresh idea. Irrespective of how much time and effort it takes, I was confident that if I did the film, I knew I would get the kind of responses that we are getting right now. Back then I didn’t think of the scripting process or its execution, but I was sure that the film would work because of the basic idea.

When the audience watch the movie now, they wouldn’t think of the challenges we had to go through. Even scenes that would seem small, took a lot of effort and convincing. We had to get permission from a lot of people to shoot the film. That’s one of the reasons, I knew that it was hard to do this as my debut film and I moved on to The Priest. After that, I kept everything chased and pursued this movie for the last four years. That’s the reason I am able to enjoy these responses from the release day.

Why did you choose the sets of Kaathodu Kaathoram, to set Rekha’s backstory in, for this movie?

For the initial idea, we didn’t zero in on any film. We just said that the story would happen in the backdrop of ‘a’ film set. But when we had to pick a movie, it had to be a film that everyone knows about, something that has become popular. When we first thought about it in 2018, we wanted to pick a film that had released 34 years ago when Malayalam cinema was at its peak. Now, it’s 40 years. That’s how we landed on Kaathodu Kaathoram.

Did it also help that the film had all the required elements falling into place – including the song Devadoothar Paadi which became popular again due to Nna Thaan Case Kodu in 2022 as well as legends such as director Bharathan, scriptwriter John Paul and Mammootty?

When we first thought of the film, Nna Thaan Case Kodu didn’t release. So, we had to keep updating the script. Obviously, it being a Mammootty film was also a reason. Even the letter that was sent to Mammukka, we had tweaked and used as part of the alternate history genre of the film.

Did the cast also undergo a change over these four years?

Asikka (Asif Ali) was the only person who was there from the start, all the others kept changing, as were open to suggestions. It’s just magic that it all fell into place.

You also used artificial intelligence (AI) imaging technology for Mammootty’s portions in Rekhachithram. Was that always the plan or did the wait of four years actually help present it better?

I always had a proper idea of how to execute those portions. Instead of AI, I had another plan, which I don’t want to reveal right now because it’s irrelevant. That was my Plan A and it was also something that was not tried in Malayalam cinema before. It would have been harder to execute though. I had convinced Mammukka too. Using AI was Plan B and relatively easier. So, the delay was actually good for the film.

The strength of Rekhachithram’s screenplay is how it balances both the investigation set in the present as well as the flashback portions. The latter, because it’s set in the world of cinema, had enough to hook the audience; which meant that the investigation elements needed a different approach. How did you and the scriptwriters, John Manthrickal and Ramu Sunil, go about that?

We did pay a lot of attention to that in the scripting stage. We didn’t want the present portions to become a proper investigative thriller and instead, wanted to give importance to the bygone era in the second half. That was the approach.

Recently, you shared a post dedicating the film’s success to your late father, who was the pillar of support for your cinema endeavour. You had mentioned that he said that he didn’t know much about movies, and yet asked you to follow your dream. And Rekhachithram celebrates the allure of cinema.

He passed away unexpectedly. We weren’t prepared for that. I still haven’t adjusted to that. I am the youngest son in the family and I have grown up being pampered till I was 32 years old, till last February. Apart from movies, I haven’t really looked at my household activities. It was all taken care of by him. He was a teacher, a farmer and made sure that I grew up without knowing any difficulties, financial or otherwise, in life. So, there’s a void when someone who has been your pillar and shelter is no more. I am still there, but there’s a bit of happiness from the responses I have been getting for this film.