Nanpakal Nerathu Mayakkam is about what happens to a group of Malayalis in Tamil Nadu: Mammootty

Mammootty’s first release on 2023, Nanpakal Nerathu Mayakkam, is all set to hit theatres on January 19 and the megastar on Monday, opened up about working in the Lijo Jose Pellissery directorial and what made it different from his recent ventures.

Talking at the press meet in Kochi, Mammootty revealed why he decided to pick up this subject with work with the Churuli filmmaker. “Lijo and I had discussed several scripts before we thought this was best to go ahead with it. It’s a movie that was shot after Bheeshma Parvam in a village in Palani. The highlight of the movie is what happens to a group of Malayalis in Tamil Nadu,” he said, adding that the movie has actors from both Tamil and Malayalam film industries.

The actor, who has also produced the film, said that the natives of the village in Palani too play characters in the movie. Mammootty said that’s one of the reasons that lend authenticity to Nanpakal Nerathu Mayakkam, which was praised for its rooted and realistic visuals and storytelling after it was showcased at the International Film Festival of Kerala in December. Nanpakal Nerathu Mayakkam was shot in a single schedule of 35 days despite the actor allotting close to 45 days to it.

Mammootty also talked about how Lijo goes about shooting his films, describing it as “effortless”. “He would just roam around with a bag over his shoulders. He wouldn’t push you to do a particular scene a particular way, but he would extract the best out of you based on your talent. I found his process to be extremely effortless,” said the megastar.

The film will also be released in Tamil Nadu on January 20, Mammootty confirmed. “We have already released a Tamil poster. When the audience there watches it, they would still feel it’s a Malayalam movie. While for us, we might feel it’s a Tamil film,” he said.