Director Rajesh Nair says his next movie Kalyanam is a cliche love story. He explains: "There little novelty in love. Everybody's love story is riddled with cliches. Kalyanam is no different. It is about a pair, who wish to fulfil their deep love in a wedding." And, their love story, which rides high on humour, will hit the screens next month. Kalyanam also marks the debut of actor Mukesh's son Shravan and Varsha Bollamma.
Quiz him on how he landed on Shravan, Rajesh says, "The lead in my story is not a quintessential hero material. He is someone who is shy, introvert and confused. He needed to look a bit chubby as well. I wasn't ready to go for any compromise and was adamant that I would cast only a fresh face. Then, it was producer Vijay Babu who suggested Shravan's name to me. So, I thought why not meet Shravan. But, he just floored me with his antics. He reminded me of Mukeshettan a lot," says Rajesh. He adds that Shravan gave a terrific performance, that is so unlikely for a newbie. "Even actor Sreenivasan couldn't believe how confident Shravan was before the camera," he adds.
But, Rajesh says Shravan stumbled a bit when it came to acting besides his father. "Shravan would give perfect shots in the first take, but tensed up when he had to act alongside his father. Both are like friends, but somehow Shravan would get nervous. It took some time for them to chill," says Rajesh.
The director says it is these shots that are the highlight of the movie. "This is a fun-filled movie and the best of the sequences are the combination scenes between Mukesh and Shravan," he says.
Kalyanam is the love story of a couple, who have been together since childhood. "They love each other a lot, but can't confess because they are neighbours and their families share a close bond. Kalyanam is about how they overcome the obstacles and fulfil their love," says the director.
Kalyanam also has Sreenivasan and Mala Parvathy in significant roles. Binendran Menon has cranked the camera while debutant Prakash Alex will compose the tunes.