PremiumSharath Jothi interview | Expect Koose Munisamy Veerappan season 2 to reveal many hidden truths
The first season of Koose Munisamy Veerappan narrated the origin story of Veerappan and his meteoric rise that made him a de-facto king of the Tamil Nadu-Karnataka forests.
Last Updated: 06.13 PM, Jan 18, 2024
ZEE5's latest docu-drama series Koose Munisamy Veerappan was a big hit. The first season of the series spanning six episodes has been watched more than 100 million minutes so far. And the growing popularity of the series has also created a massive anticipation for season 2.
OTTplay recently caught up with Sharath Jothi, the director of this docuseries. In a freewheeling chat, he opened up about the biggest challenges he faced making this series about one of the most polarising figures in the history of modern India.
The unseen side of Veerappan
Even though Veerappan is one of the most popular names across India, many may not have been aware of his full name. Despite numerous films and documentaries delving into the mystique surrounding Veerappan, the infamous forest brigand and ruthless killer, only a few filmmakers have bothered to articulate his full name in their productions.
However, the makers of this latest documentary established their intent to unveil the lesser-known aspects of Veerappan, starting with the title itself. All the previous excursions to unravel the life of Veerappan revolved around a common theme: the historic pursuit to capture him. These narratives primarily focused on the special task forces, comprising security officials from Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, and their efforts to eliminate Veerappan, always at significant human and financial costs. The titles of such works were typically "Killing Veerappan" or "The Hunt for Veerappan" . However, the makers of the ZEE5 documentary aimed to showcase not the manner of Veerappan's demise but rather the life he led under the constant threat of an unrelenting manhunt. This intention was evident in their choice of title.
"The biggest challenge was getting the story right," Sharath told OTTplay. "We wanted to tell the story that was missed by other filmmakers. So the core of the series is not about Veerappan but the people who were caught between Veerappan and the police."
Sharath received approximately 10 hours of footage from the Nakkheeran team, a well-known Tamil-language magazine. However, one of the challenges was identifying suitable individuals to interview for the series, aiming to offer a fresh perspective on a widely-discussed figure.
Sharath noted that he was quite surprised with the level of success the series achieved following its release on streaming last December. "Everybody who saw the series had no negative thing to say about it. They received the content very well, especially episodes 4 and 5 were very hard-hitting for the audiences. We are happy that this story has reached the people," he added.
Sharath co-wrote the series with Jeyachandra Hashmi and Vasanth Balakrishnan. Additionally, he had a significant advantage over other filmmakers who had previously worked on Veerappan documentaries: the assistance of journalist Nakkeeran Gopal.
Gopal shared a remarkably close bond with Veerappan, serving as the key intermediary for political leaders and government officials in navigating challenging situations with the notorious figure. The wealth of untold stories concealed in Gopal's memories is undoubtedly intriguing to imagine.
What to expect from Koose Munusamy Veerappan season 2?
The first season of Koose Munusamy Veerappan 2 narrated the origin story of Veerappan and his meteoric rise that made him a de-facto king of the Tamil Nadu-Karnataka forests. Alongside tracing his extraordinary rise, the season also presented a chilling portrayal of the atrocities innocent individuals faced at the hands of the security forces tasked with ending the reign of Veerappan. The season ended with a high-stakes event—the abduction of Kannada movie icon Dr. Rajkumar, a development that brought the most powerful political leaders of the country to their knees.
Gopal especially played a critical role in negotiating the release of Rajkumar from the clutches of Veerappan. And we can expect to see a lot of untold stories and unseen footage in the upcoming season.
"I cannot reveal anything about season 2 right now," said Sharath. However, he promised the new season will also continue to surprise the viewers by shedding light on lesser-known aspects of Veerappan's life.
"I can guarantee that season 2 will present a fresh perspective on stories already known to people. It will explore the other side, offer alternative perspectives, and reveal many hidden truths," he assured.
The showrunners are yet to annonce the premuere date for Koose Munusamy Veerappan season 2. The first season is also available on OTTplay Premium