Crooks of Honour

Sapthamashree Thaskaraha is a desi heist thriller, says director Anil Radhakrishnan Menon

Think heist and what pops up in your mind is a gritty, edge-of-the-seat drama filled to the brim with brawn and brains. But Anil Radhakrishnan Menon says his latest Sapthamashree Thaskaraha is no action-filled adventure, but rather a ‘desi heist thriller’. The promos seem cracking and the film comes with an ensemble cast that include Prithviraj and Asif Ali among others. “It’s a light-hearted thriller, nothing like the elaborate, technology-drawn heist films,” says the director.   

As its title suggests, Sapthamashree Thaskaraha zooms into the lives of seven thieves, each coming from a different background. “It’s a film about seven strangers who meet at a prison and formulate a plan. After completing their term they set off on a heist mission,” says Anil.

Prithviraj plays Krishnanunni, a bank employee who ends up in jail following certain unfortunate incidents. Shabab, Asif Ali’s character is a gulf returnee and Nedumudi Venu plays Noblettan, a yesteryear businessman. “They are not seasoned robbers, but ordinary men on an extraordinary mission,” he adds.

While Sudheer Karamana, Chemban Vinod, Neeraj Madhav and Salam Bukhari complete the gang, Reenu Mathews and Sanusha are the players on the female front. Reenu plays Sarah, Krishnanunni’s love interest and Sanusha appears in the role of Annamma, a nurse.

Anil says his film doesn’t follow a hero-oriented script. “All the seven characters are equally important. It’s not a film woven around the lead actors alone,” he says. The film, set in and around Thrissur, also dabbles in the local slang. “We have tried to bring in the accent, but it may not be hundred per cent accurate. I wouldn’t call it a comedy, but the mood is light and funny throughout,” says Anil.

The film, Anil’s second after national-award-winning North 24 Kaatham created quite a buzz for its fresh cast and concept. Asked on picking a curious title for the film he says, “I wanted a title that conveys the idea of seven gentlemen thieves. We  browsed through a slew of possible titles, some even in Hindi and finally settled for a Sanskrit one.”    

Scripted by the director himself Sapthamashree Thaskaraha has its camera cranked by Jayesh Nair and music composed by Rex Vijayan. The film produced by Santosh Sivan, Shaji Nadesan and Prithviraj under the banner of August Cinema, will hit the screens this weekend. 

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