Action, gore and some more
Unni Mukundan’s latest film Marco pushes boundaries of violence in Indian cinema. The film, directed by Haneef Adeni, is proving to be the actor’s biggest ever box-office opening. It is the story of a violent gangster who is on a rampage to avenge the death of a loved one.
The actor believes that language is no barrier when it comes to good filmmaking. “Language shouldn’t be an obstacle for you to create good content. I am planning to produce a Gujarati film next. I mouth my own dialogues in all the languages while dubbing the film. It makes your performance shine onscreen and brings the character to life,” says Mukundan.
Having debuted with the Tamil film Seedan in 2011, it took Mukundan 13 years to establish himself as an actor of note. However, he didn’t explore the action genre much. Until now. “I thought it was high time for me to join the action band waggon. Action in general travels faster. So, if you want to do a film on a bigger scale, action is one genre I believe you need to do.”
The film is drawing praise as well as criticism for its raw take on violence. “The bloodshed and violence shown in Marco is something that happens within society. We all know a film’s story is just a reflection of whatever happens around you. People are aware that this is a fictional story. So, they shouldn’t take it seriously. The film also has an Adult censor certification. So, we have done our part about the film being for grown-ups only,” he adds.
The actor believes that apart from the film having a good storyline, it is important for it to do good business as well. After all, money makes it easier to carry forward your passion. “I’m not ignorant about money. Filmmaking has to be a perfect mix of art and business. Eventually, it has to benefit me and my team. We need to grow together. The dynamics of this industry demand you to deliver a hit,” says Mukundan.
With films like Pushpa 2 and Game Changer, it is clear that Telugu films are doing excellent business. However, the Malyalam films with substantially good content don’t do as well nationally or internationally. “I disagree with this. I think Malyalam films are doing well. My friend Prithviraj’s film Goat Life has done very well.
Though it’s not even a mainstream film, it went on to make Rs 150 crore. Also, we shouldn’t compete with any industry. We should praise good content coming from any industry. The reason that Marco is doing well despite being a highly violent film is because earlier films from the Telugu industry have built the foundation for audiences liking such content. No industry exists in a silo,” he says.
With the film being hailed as the first Malayalam movie to enter the `100-crore club in 2025, Mukundan’s role as co-producer of the film becomes even more significant. “It has been a journey of 13 years. I did not start as a producer; it happened at a later stage of my career. Likewise, working in an action film did not happen overnight. It has taken time for me to make it up to this level professionally.
I have experienced ups and downs in my career. All this was possible only because of the love and support of my folks and my fans. I never take anything for granted. This film released on 30 screens only. Thanks to its popularity, it is now going to release on 300 screens. It’s a huge thing for me as a co-producer. Ultimately, I have to give my audience good content,” smiles Mukundan.