'Pranav does not come across as a star kid'

Director Arun Gopy talks about Irupathiyonnam Noottandu starring Mohanlal's son in the lead

The 1987 Malayalam movie Irupatham Noottandu is a cult favourite among movie lovers. Mohanlal's legendary character, Sagar Alias Jacky, redefined the image of a suave gangster in the Malayalam movie industry. Therefore, it is only natural that the audience would be intrigued by the Pranav Mohanlal-starrer Irupathiyonnam Noottandu, set to release in the UAE and the wider GCC on January 25.
Pranav plays a surfing instructor in his second movie, directed and scripted by Arun Gopy, who made his directorial debut with Dileep starrer Ramaleela. Bankrolled by Tomichan Mulakuppadam, the movie also stars debutant Zaya David as the female lead alongside Manoj K. Jayan and Kalabhavan Shajon in important roles.
Gopi Sunder is scoring the music for this flick. Stunt coordinator Peter Hein is also part of the technical team.
Director Gopy is quick to dismiss any comparisons with the Mohanlal movie from the 80s. "There is no similarity with the 1987 film Irupatham Noottandu starring Mohanlal, Suresh Gopi and Ambika. That movie dealt with issues in the 80s whereas our movie deals with contemporary themes. If at all, there will only be an emotional connect for the audience since Suresh Gopi's son, Gokul, plays a cameo in our movie," said Gopy.
Discussing the movie's theme, Gopy said it deals with the events that unfold in a youngster's life after he takes a particular decision in a particular circumstance. This changes his destiny.
Pranav plays a quintessential youngster in Goa who has an affinity for water. While, he played a sad and forlorn youth in his first movie Aadhi, Pranav's character in Irupathiyonnam Noottandu is more vibrant, lively and has a positive outlook.
The young actor did the role of a parkour enthusiast in his debut movie and is seen in exhilarating fight sequences atop a train in the new flick. Although Peter Hein (of Odiyan and Pulimurugan fame) is the stunt director, there are no heavy duty action sequences in the movie, the director clarified.
Speaking about the experience of working with Pranav, the director said the star kid was very easy to handle. "Pranav is a very nice human being and extremely down-to-earth. He does not come across as a star kid at all. He is willing to work hard to give us the desired results. Pranav leads a very simple life. There maybe many people who lead a simple life like Pranav, but it assumes significance when a star son like him does it. He can afford all the luxuries, yet he chooses to live a simple life. He is quite reticent, yet communicates effectively," Gopy told City Times.
His mother Suchitra used to visit the sets occasionally, the director informed.
The movie was extensively shot in Bali, Goa and parts of Kerala. Director Gopy refused to bracket the movie in a particular genre, calling it an emotional thriller instead.
"I have had the script in mind for three years. A real life incident set off a spark in my mind, which I worked on and elaborated into a script," Gopy recalled.
Pranav was chosen to play the lead since he has good market value and the body language of a surfer, Gopy explained. He underwent basic surfing training in Bali to get into the skin of the character.
Zaya was selected after several rounds of auditions. She plays a character who loves to travel and explore the world.
Meanwhile, Gopy's next movie will star Mohanlal. "Scripting is in progress for my third movie. Shooting will commence later this year," he divulged.
On whether this is a golden time for Malayalam cinema, Gopy retorted: "There is no particular time for good cinema. If you look at the history of Malayalam cinema, it has always had space for feel-good movies, thrillers, family dramas and more. We are a very accepting audience."
 
 
deepthi@khaleejtimes.com

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