A tonsured head, pierced nose and a scar cutting through the brow - Nivin Pauly seems to be out on a real adventure this time. And to think that this all-new, aggressive look is for a Geetu Mohandas film, no wonder expectations are sky-high. “Moothon is about a man called Mullakoya from Lakshadweep, the film follows him as he sets off on a journey to find his brother. Moothon is an island slang for elder brother,” says the filmmaker.
Geetu Mohandas doesn’t believe in clear-cut genres and calls her film an adventure drama. “But it can always turn into something else while making it,” she adds. A dutiful mainstream attempt is hardly ever expected from Geetu, whose first film was India’s official entry to the Oscars. “You cannot tag Moothon commercial or offbeat, it’s simply my artistic expression and I really hope people like my style of storytelling. To be frank I am a little nervous about it,” she laughs. On roping in a bankable star she adds, “I think Nivin is a very interesting actor and he perfectly suits the character I had concocted in my head. I feel it’s going to be a cool collaboration.”
Geetu considers filmmaking a thorough organic process and says there was no conscious effort to set the story in unfamiliar shores. “My characters just ended up in Lakshadweep, I think a film keeps evolving all throughout.” Geethu says she finished the script of Moothon in half a day as she is not someone who follows the rule book. “It took me three years to decide how the film should be shot. Then, to write down a skeleton before the shoot, was easy.”
Moothon also has an enviable crew that include names like Rajeev Ravi, Kunal Sharma, Riyaz Komu and Wasiq Khan. The film also has on board Bollywood filmmaker Anurag Kashyap who will be penning the Hindi dialogues along with Geethu. Lakshadweep and Mumbai will be the main locations of the film being produced by Aanand L Rai, Ajay G Rai and Alan Mc’Alex. Moothon will go on floors by April, but Geethu says she will take around one year to finish the film. “I am not in a hurry. The actual shooting will be real fast, but the post production will take a lot of time,” she adds.