It’s been a while since we have heard anything about director Rajeev Ravi’s Thuramukham starring Nivin Pauly. While everyone was occupied with the pandemic woes, the lockdown uncertainty, and the theatres vs OTT debates, the makers released a second look poster of the film to cheer everyone up, including those part of the film industry. It was also an indication of something else. We got in touch with the film’s producer Sukumar Thekkepat who shares that about 90% of the post-production work has been completed. As it’s a large-scale period film with a big budget, he is very clear about where he wants to release it. “It’s going to be a theatrical release,” says Sukumar. “We can’t afford to release a film like this directly on an OTT platform. Smaller films can do that, not us. I’m willing to wait for as long as it takes for a theatrical release. The new poster was an indication of that.”
Sukumar added that they’re planning to complete all the works of the film before June with the hope of things getting better soon. If the Covid-19 situation improves and a release window opens in time for Onam, the makers might bring it out then. The initial plan was to release it by the end of April.
Speaking about the film, which has Nimisha Sajayan as the female lead, Sukumar says it’s not an offbeat project. He describes it as an “I.V Sasi-T Damodaran style” film and drops an exciting Mohanlal reference along with that. “Nivin’s character is similar to Mohanlal’s in Spadikam. Arjun Ashokan plays his younger brother while Joju George (replacing Biju Menon) and Poornima Indrajith essay their parents. Indrajith Sukumaran plays a union leader. It’s a strong family-driven story.”
Set in Mattanchery, the historical film tells a story of workers, unions and the deplorable Chappa system. The story spans three time periods. Though the story takes place in Mattanchery, the film was shot in Kannur. “We built sets in Azhikkal to recreate Mattanchery,” explains Sukumar. “It was a challenging shoot. The material demanded a lot of extras. We opted for sync sound. As it’s a technically superior film, the best place to experience it is on the big screen. Watching it on an OTT platform won’t produce the same result.”