Kerala State award winner Priyanka Nair will be seen next in a single-character experimental project helmed by debutant Abhilash Purushothaman, a Thiruvananthapuram-based bank official-turned -filmmaker. The yet-to-be-titled feature-length narrative has Priyanka Nair as the only character throughout.
The film marks the second single-character drama from India led by a female character since the Nithya Menen-starrer Praana. It’s also the second female-led single-character film in Malayalam and Tamil and the sixth single-character film from the country. (Interestingly, another single-character film from Malayalam, Sunny, directed by Ranjith Sankar and starring Jayasurya, is on the way.)
Speaking to us about his film, Abhilash, who also wrote the script, describes it as a “performance-driven drama” navigating one woman’s emotions. “Films of this nature usually are of the horror, thriller, or survival nature. But ours is completely powered by psychological conflicts, with the main character conveying her state of mind to the audience through her monologues,” shares Abhilash, adding that the film is structured in a manner appealing to pan-Indian viewers too. “To put it simply, it explores the aftermath of some unexpected events in this woman’s life.”
Abhilash’s previous filmmaking experience comes from having worked on a few short films. He had collaborated with Priyanka before on a short film scripted by him titled, The Better Half. Asked about the impetus behind doing a single-character film, Abhilash recalls being inspired by R Parthiban’s Oththa Seruppu Size 7 after its screening at IFFI a couple of years back.
“My initial idea was to have two or three characters, but then I thought, ‘Why not focus on just a single character and the performance of the actor playing it?’” says Abhilash. However, despite this approach, he still sees it as a commercial film. “It has a song and a dance sequence incorporated into the narrative, taking into account the protagonist’s lifestyle. I believe it is Priyanka’s best work.”
Nufais Rahman is backing the project under the banner of Nabeeha Movie Productions. Kerala State and national award winning cinematographer Pratap P Nair lensed the film while Sobin K Soman handled editing duties. Deepankuran Kaithapuram composed the music and background score.