When two fraudsters find themselves in cassocks it’s bound to have some sidesplitting fun. Simply put, Boban Samual’s ‘Romans’ is the tale of two thieves on the run. They manage to evade the cops and reach an idyllic village on the Kerala-Karnataka border and there arises a string of humourous situations. “The story and the cast are the highlights of ‘Romans’,” says Boban Samuel.
The village has an ancient church which was closed down long back and the parishioners are eagerly awaiting the arrival of two priests to take over and reopen it. “The con men land in the middle of this and go for the easy way out - they impersonate the priests. The original priests who find it difficult to cope with the chilly climate of the high ranges leave as soon as they reach,” he explains the plot.
Boban says the film will be a fun-filled entertainer with the right dose of suspense and sentiments. “Though the storyline is humour-packed the film also carries a message at the end. There is an element of mystery and the subject the film deals with is not so silly. But the treatment is very breezy and playful appealing to all kinds of audience,” he says. Along with the lead actors the age-old church also play a crucial role as how the duo unravel the secret surrounding the church forms the crux of the story. ‘Romans’, shot with Kodaikanal as its major location, also promises some breathtaking frames.
The golden duo of Kunchako Boban and Biju Menon, who set the screens on fire last year, plays the title characters in the film. “The villagers are under the assumption that both the priests are coming straight from Rome. So they are all set to welcome the Romans,” he says. Boban adds that he had zeroed on the actors long before they were considered a lucky combo. “I discussed the story with Kunchako Boban much ahead of ‘Ordinary’. That time there was no pair as such, but by the time ‘Romans’ started they became the most sought-after combination,” he says.
Niveda Thomas, who was noted for her roles in ‘Veruthe Oru Bharya’ and ‘Chappa Kurishu’, is expected to get a break through this film as ‘Romans’ will be her first film as the solo heroine. Others in the cast include Lalu Alex, Vijayaraghavan, T G Ravi, Kalabhavan Haneef and Nelson. Story and screenplay are by Y V Rajesh and M Jayachandran has scored music to the lines penned by Rajeev Alumkal. The film produced by Arun Gosh and Bijoy Chandran open in cinemas this Thursday.