INTERVIEW | ‘Vijay Sethupathi wanted to play villain in Minnal Murali’: Producer Sophia Paul
By the time Sophia Paul got into the film business with an independent production company named Weekend Blockbusters, she had grasped the nitty-gritty of the game.
“You could say we were involved in film production much before that. My husband’s brother was already in it with a company called Pratheeksha Pictures, whose first production was Nagarangalil Chennu Raappaarkaam. They made a lot of other films,” says the Kollam-based producer, who made a big-bang entry with Bangalore Days.
“At the time, we loved going to sets and meeting different people. Film craze was always there. I guess it intensified later. When we approached Anwar (Rasheed), he had stopped directing and was about to turn producer. Since he had already made quite a name for himself with successful films like Rajamanikyam, Chotta Mumbai, and Ustad Hotel, we had absolute faith in his choices.”
Sophia went on to co-produce Bangalore Days, which became a blockbuster. This was followed by a much smaller, festival-friendly film, Dr Biju’s Kaadu Pookkunna Neram. Then came another surprise – Munthirivallikal Thalirukkumbol, starring Mohanlal and Meena.
Surprises continued with the moderately successful and critically well-received Padayottam, starring Biju Menon. Sophia’s moment of glory came with Minnal Murali, a Netflix original that took the OTT space by storm.
“Not getting to release Minnal Murali in theatres was a bit of a bummer,” says Sophia, who wants to make up for that miss by releasing her latest, RDX, in theatres this Friday. The action-packed entertainer is led by Shane Nigam, Neeraj Madhav, Antony Varghese, and Babu Antony. Excerpts:
As a producer, do you go by trend or intuition?
I would say we hear story pitches from an audience perspective. It is important that they also should like them, not just me and my husband. Since my family is composed of individuals from different age groups, we seek everyone’s suggestions before embarking on a project.
It’s a collective decision. Everyone should read the script – that’s a must. When we get a new synopsis, we share it in our family’s WhatsApp group, and we insist that everyone responds. If they don’t, we chide them for it. (Laughs) It has been that way since the beginning.
After my two sons married, their wives also got involved in these discussions. Besides, my brother, Biju Antony, happens to be a novelist (Shadows Lie, 2016), and, naturally, he is also part of the discussions.
Your husband’s family was in the film business, but not yours. So did you garner the confidence to handle production after seeing the former take care of the business?
Yes, I guess so. Since my husband and I are involved in business together in Dubai, they must’ve had confidence in my abilities about me handling the film business side of it.
And I happen to be very passionate about these things, with all the support I can get from them because you can’t do everything alone. I enjoy being part of it.
Did your understanding of the film business differ from what you had expected?
It’s a different world, for sure, that I understood. No matter how things went, my goal was to have a systematic process. Things may not always work out as expected, but we try to do it the best possible way we can. We require the overall production to have a certain degree of discipline. Unlike in the old days, we can’t take quick decisions; we have to take enough time to reach a judgement, bearing in mind the risks.
Could you describe your involvement in the day-to-day workings of the filmmaking process?
I’m completely involved. About 95% of the time, I’m on the sets every day. This helps me keep a check on things and ensure that everything is running smoothly. Also, I’ve realised that my being on the set is a great support for the entire team. We are able to execute things faster this way.
The pandemic and the advent of OTT have changed much in the industry, especially in Malayalam cinema. The reliance on the ‘star’ casts has been reduced to a great extent, and more movies are coming out featuring budding artists. In this scenario, do production houses place a lot more importance on content?
Yes, definitely. RDX is a great example of this. Content is key. But so is the technical side of filmmaking. In Minnal Murali, due priority was given to both. Since this was a superhero movie, we wanted it to feel genuine. We even got an action direction from outside. The results of doing so are for everyone to see. The trajectory of Basil’s and Tovino’s careers went skywards after the movie.
As a production house, we ensure that the films under our banner meet the expected standards.
Minnal Murali was released on Netflix. Did you have to consult with Basil and Tovino before making that decision?
Of course. For any actor or director, the audience’s response, i.e. the applause that they get from a theatre, is always something to cherish. However, they were not dismayed at the movie being a Netflix Original. In fact, we were very happy with how Netflix treated the movie. It got world-class treatment. I don’t think there’s a Malayalam movie that has received that big a promotion. I think this did play a small part in Basil winning the Asian Academy Award - the first person from Malayalam to do so. But I feel that had we released the movie in theatres, too, it would have shone. But it was not possible then on account of the pandemic.
Did you ever feel that you needed a star to play the villain?
Initially, we discussed about many leading actors to play the villain. In fact, when we approached Vijay Sethupathi for the role of Tovino’s father, he was more interested in the villain character. But by then, we had finalised Guru Somasundaram. He is a brilliant actor, who worked really hard for the film, including learning Malayalam. When I went to the set, on the first day, I couldn’t recognise him as he was in his character’s costume. I was shocked when he spoke to me in Malayalam.
Minnal Murali has received a lot of remake options, hasn’t it? Why didn’t you consider them?
A lot of prominent production houses approached me, but I didn’t want to give it away. I always thought - let this superhero be for Malayalam only. I even told Basil so. The movie has subtitles in most languages, and that should suffice. Anyways, it is more beautiful when one watches a movie in its original language.
Is a sequel on the cards?
Yes, definitely. This time, we are gunning for a theatre release also. Talks about the star cast are too early though. We have not begun any discussions on the movie yet. It should happen in the next 2-3 years.
You’ve mostly worked on commercial films. But, in between, there was Kaadu Pookkunna Neram, an arthouse film...
It was purely out of the love for cinema. I wanted to know about the field of arthouse cinema. It got selected for a lot of festivals, including the Montreal Film Festival besides winning awards at the state and national level. It was a good learning experience.
RDX is perhaps the most youth-centric film you’ve done so far...
Yes, it is totally different. I never planned on doing a particular type of cinema. It always depends on the story. For this film, all the three lead actors—Antony Varghese, Shane Nigam and Neeraj Madhav have put in great efforts. Since it’s an action-heavy film, determination and consistent practice were required to perfect the performance. They all underwent a training process prior to the commencement of shoot.
‘RDx experience has taught me to deal with problems internally’
During RDX’s casting, did you contemplate on roping in A-list actors to increase the business value?
No. I never thought so. We went with the director’s suggestions. His earlier work with Antony Varghese got shelved. So Antony had promised his dates, and that’s how we got him on board. We had several suggestions for the other two roles before finalising Shane and Neeraj. We needed actors of a particular age, and our A-listers are a bit older.
Is action the USP of RDX?
Not really. Action is a major part, but there is a reason why we go into that. It also has family-drama, and romance.
Do you think promotions have a bigger role now?
Absolutely, only then can we take the film out to the masses. For RDX, the team has visited several colleges to ensure the film makes the right buzz among the youth. Along with our lead actors, even Babu Antony has been showing a lot of enthusiasm to promote the film.
Babu Antony standing by the hero used to be a comforting sight in the 90s...
Yes, we wanted to try and recreate that. It was I who said we should cast Babu Antony. Right from his debut film, Chilampu, people have always loved his style of action.
Did you come across any comparisons between RDX and Thallumaala?
Yes, there are some talks like this is the next big action film after Thallumaala. But RDX completely has a different treatment. Anbariv masters are choreographing the stunts. It was very difficult to get their dates. They were working on Leo and many other biggies. So we used to shoot the action scenes
whenever their dates were available, and schedule other scenes in between.
While on RDX, it’s hard not to talk about the controversies that plagued the film...
I always say the past is the past. Whatever happened during that time has been solved and all of us overcame that situation. The issue became larger when it entered the media. When the news was spreading I didn’t make any post or speak to any media. That will affect our movie, right?
Your letter to the producers association got leaked and made a lot of noise...
I wrote the mail because the producers association asked for my version of the events. It was supposed to be kept confidential, but somehow got leaked. If it was leaked from their side, then it’s quite unfortunate.
Do you think internal discussions would have been a better way to solve it?
Yes, these are all lessons. Next time, if such a problem occurs, we will deal it with appropriate care and try to solve it internally.
Was RDX always planned as an Onam release?
No, in fact, RDX was supposed to be released much before Onam. The plan was to start the movie shoot in September last year, but unfortunately, during our training session, Antony met with a shoulder injury and had to rest for three months. As a result, we had to postpone the shoot. Though he wanted us to go ahead with the shoot, the team as a whole decided to start work by December after his recovery.
How do you deal with this unpredictable nature of cinema and keep yourself sane?
When we postponed RDX’s shoot, we did face a certain amount of loss, but not as huge as what we incurred during the time of Minnal Murali. Such difficult situations are inevitable and I think it’s important to face both good and bad, also certain bad situations act as a boon for the movie. Overcoming such situations is better than worrying about things that are beyond your control and deteriorating our health.
Recently, producer Listin Stephen expressed his regret in not picking up Romancham, which turned out to be a sleeper hit. Is there any such film that didn’t work for you but later became successful?
Well, first of all, I loved Romacham. I saw it on the first day. I almost died laughing in the theatre. Immediately I called and congratulated Arjun Ashokan on his performance. I found the director’s contact the next day and spoke with him. And yes, I’ve turned down a few films. Lijo had approached me with the story of Angamaly Diaries. At that time, the cast was different. But I’m happy it came out well.
Looking back, have you ever felt that Padayottam deserved better?
Yes, I have. I think it could have been better. It was directed by Arun Anirudhan, who also co-wrote Minnal Murali. When I first heard Padayottam’s story, I thought it was hilarious. But it didn’t work as expected. Thankfully, we didn’t incur any loss. It is also being remade in Telugu. RDX is also a film like that, which can be placed at any location.
For many, cinema is a form of entertainment to unwind and relax. But as a producer, do you get to enjoy the movies you produce?
Definitely not. There is this constant thought of whether the movie would work out or not. I tend to keep an eye on the audience and their reaction. Even for Minnal Murali, though it was an OTT release, we were on the lookout for people’s reactions. But the movie’s teaser release boosted our confidence. After all, everything is in the hands of the audience.
Do you get inspired by your actors and technicians?
Of course. Senior actors like Lalettan are all very disciplined. You know, how we say ‘learn from them’. That is their success. Basil is a brilliant technician. His narration itself gives the feel of watching the film. While narrating, he plays music at particular moments to elevate the mood. It was an incredible experience.
Having worked with Mohanlal, do you now wish to do a film with the other Big M, Mammootty?
We had earlier discussed a project, but it didn’t work out for some reason. We’ll definitely try and do a film with him, given we both land on the right subject. Today’s youngsters are pitching a lot of interesting ideas. Let’s see if something exciting comes up for such a collaboration to materialise.
How do you allocate your budget after listening to the script?
Once we finalise the script, we prepare a chart to evaluate the number of days it would take to finish. By now I have an idea of a movie’s daily expenditure. If there are to be night shoots, the expenses of whatever task is associated with it would be more. Then comes the casting, each actor’s remuneration and so forth -- that’s how we get a near estimate of the budget. Whatever it may be, we have in our mind a boundary beyond which the budget shouldn’t go. But there are instances where it can go above that limit; there was never a time when it went below. (Laughs) Suppose we say, we want to put the cap at six crores; it can become slightly higher. However, we don’t allow a huge difference because we have to think of the business side too. Today, in terms of rights, we have OTT in addition to satellite, overseas and theatres. All these have to be calculated, and all the platforms have put a certain bar on each actor, so we have to think of everything in those terms.
Do you look up to any producer in the Indian film industry?
Yes, I like Karan Johar and admire the production house he has built over the years and aspire to shape my production to a different level. We had a good interaction during the Netflix event where I shared my love for his works, especially his show, Koffee with Karan. He was also generously heaping praise on Minnal Murali.
Is it after Minnal Murali that producers came more into the limelight?
Since I’m a female producer, many have noticed me from the time of Bangalore Days. But yes, it was after Minnal, I got approached more for interviews. I’m happy when people want to speak to me. Since it’s the producer who takes the bigger risk, we should also celebrate them (laughs).
How has your script selection evolved post Minnal Murali?
Obviously, we are aware that people are now looking forward to our projects. So, we are paying a lot of attention in picking subjects. We’re also not in a hurry; we just want to ensure our films have a certain quality and are well received.
Do you listen to other stories while working on a particular project?
Yes, it’s an ongoing process. We have a team that listens to stories. We don’t say no to anyone, we take out time to listen to stories. In a day the team will listen to 3-4 stories, from that they’ll filter and the best ones will be heard by me and my family.
Being a female producer, have you undergone any discrimination or felt any mistreatment in this male-dominated field?
I haven’t faced such struggles in any movie. I’m concerned about how smoothly the movie and its work progress, for that I’ll be stern and voice out my suggestions when required, especially to the team that works along with me. However, when the situations go out of our control that’s when we have discussions with the association.
How do you manage business and family life?
These days in our house, the conversations are mainly about cinema. We share our opinions and have healthy arguments surrounding the topic of cinema, this is mainly because we all share similar interests in this field. It’s not just me doing everything, the family-run business, the production house, all of these are looked after by the members of the family.
What do you think are some of the must-haves for a producer?
Financial stability, family support, and a strong determination to handle hurdles. Cinema is a world of uncertainty where you face countless obstacles before finally taking it to the audience. One should be ready to overcome all that. You should also have a basic idea about the expenditure in each department of filmmaking.
What next?
After RDX, we’re once again collaborating with Antony Varghese. It will be directed by Ajith Mampally, who has earlier assisted in several films. It’s again an action film, but not of RDX’s scale. The script is getting fine-tuned after which we will be finalising the budget and crew.