A man stranded on a deserted estate, with no one around, except a hideous shadow, an elephant and a dog; Shadow Man sounds every bit an exciting spine chiller. The film that hits the screens on July 4 seems to be a surprise package with Riyaz Khan as the only artist of the film, and the villain of the horror flick, a shadow! “Shadow Man is an out and out thriller aimed at the niche audience of Kerala who love horror flicks. This movie will be perhaps the first time that a shadow is the villain and it has been shot simultaneously in Malayalam, Tamil and Telugu,” reveals director Majo C Mathew.
Shadow Man has Riyaz Khan as an estate employee, Surya, who is assigned to visit the estate for professional needs. Unexpected issues await him there. “A gory shadow haunts Surya wherever he turns. There is not a single person to help him. The shadow has a particular aim which it wants to achieve through Surya. An elephant and a dog come in the way, as the other characters,” says the director about the storyline.
The film that spans just 1 hour and 45 minutes, unveils the story that takes place within a single day. “There are only four scenes throughout the film, and the protagonist will be seen in a single costume throughout,” says Majo.
The shooting was a challenging experience, remembers the director. “We shot at three locations at Hyderabad, Kuttikkanam and Chennai. It was difficult to shoot with the animals. A dupe acted as the shadow. The experience was exciting,” he says.
Quiz the director whether he had apprehensions in calling the shots for a single-hero film sans any heroine, he says emphatically, “No”.
“A film is beyond the hero and heroine who act in it. Film is different from life. My aim is to entertain the audience and make them hooked to the story throughout the show,” he says.
The film is a detour in the career of Riyaz Khan who has already made a name as a villain in South Indian industries. The director says, “We wanted a different face. Riyaz is a friend of mine, and he has been there with the project from the beginning.” The director is all words for his hero. “He had painstakingly done the role. It was biting cold at Kuttikkanam, yet he acted without grumbling,” says Majo who has planned another movie with Riyaz, Race and Rock, against the backdrop of car racing and rock bands, that will go on the floors soon.
Benny Johnson has composed the music for Shadow Man, which has three songs. The title song has been penned, composed and sung by Oshin Vadasseril, a thirteen-year-old, which is another highlight of the movie. The cinematography by Santhosh Manappally is another attractive feature. The film is produced by K M Sebastian.