The recent Shane Nigam controversy had everyone wondering about the status of the actor’s upcoming releases. We have now learned that work on one of them, Ullasam, is progressing smoothly. Director Jeevan Jojo, who is making his debut with the film, has updated that Shane has completed the dubbing work and the team is currently working on the re-recording process. However, a release date is yet to be fixed.
The film, scripted by Praveen Balakrishnan, is being touted as a music-driven love story of two characters coming from two different backgrounds. Newcomer Pavithra Lakshman plays the female lead. Jeevan describes Shane’s character as a “carefree, fun-loving youngster”. The film will feature supporting appearances from Renji Panicker, Deepak Parambol, Aju Varghese, Basil Joseph, Ambika, and Nayana among others.
The film has been shot partly in Ooty and Kochi. “The first half is centred on two days in the couple’s lives and then jumps forward 400 days to another two-day episode with them,” says Jeevan, who has worked under directors such as Jeethu Joseph, Ranjith Sankar, and Deepu Karunakaran.
He describes his shooting experience with Shane as an enjoyable one, adding that there were no differences of opinion between him and Shane. “He is an exceptional actor. After he finished the dubbing, everyone was happy. The film was much elevated by the dubbing—it made the film wholesome. Shane is one of those rare actors who can incorporate brilliant improvisations in small spaces.”
On directing the actor on set, Jeevan says Shane is 100 per cent dedicated to his craft. “He comes to the set fully prepared and knows the entire script by heart. He even remembers the other actors’ lines and doesn’t require a prompt or anything. He works in his own style. If the first take is fine, he is open to doing another one; if that turns out good, he is okay with replacing the previous one. He is an unmatchable performer. There is no one out there like him to compete with him.”Ullasam is bankrolled by Joe Kaithamattom and Christi Kaithamatton under the banner of Kaithamattom Brothers. The film has cinematography is by Swaroop Philip, editing by John Kutty, and music by Shaan Rahman.