Though 2023 hasn’t been the best of years for the Malayalam film industry, in terms of commercial success, the last few months have witnessed a steady rise in footfalls. Hoping to capitalise on this trend is Sohan Seenulal’s Dance Party, “an entertainer designed specifically for the theatrical watch.” Sohan, who earlier directed Doubles (2011), Vanyam (2016), and Bharatha Circus (2022), calls it his most fun work yet. “Unlike my other films, which had serious themes, this is a complete commercial package aimed at all sections of the audience. This is one of those films that you can have fun while watching, and forget it as soon as the show ends.”
Dance Party, which hits screens today, stars Shine Tom Chacko, Vishnu Unnikrishnan and Sreenath Bhasi as the leads. It is the first time the three are acting together, and Sohan is quite excited about this new combination. “Once the scripting was done, I started looking for actors who suited my character descriptions. We never anticipated it, but when things finally fell into place, we had a fresh combo. I’m sure the audience will love their rapport,” says Sohan, along with sharing a brief idea about their characters. “Shine and Bhasi play brothers in the film. They belong to an affluent family of builders, while Vishnu plays a tile worker. There’s an interesting friendship between these three, which is the film’s core.”
Contrary to popular belief, Sohan says helming multi-starrers is easier if the actors in it share a good rapport. He credits his lead actors for being “extremely cooperative” and helping the team finish the entire shoot in a single schedule that lasted just around 35 days. “Having acted alongside them before, I’ve always been very close to them, which made things easier on my sets,” adds the actor-director.
Acting, Sohan says, is something he is not very keen about. According to him, he approaches acting and filmmaking in two different ways. “I started acting only because my friends were offering me roles. So, I’ve never been selective in picking roles. I’ll do whatever roles they trust me with. I won’t act in a film if I don’t get along with the team; no matter how strong the character is. A certain vibe is important to me. Filmmaking, however, is a different ball game where I’m more serious and professional.”
Sohan, who started his career as a child artist, was a longtime assistant to director Shafi before turning independent with the Mammootty-starrer Doubles. Though the film “didn’t turn out as expected”, Mammootty was always a pillar of support, says Sohan. A few years back, there were reports about the two reuniting for a film scripted by Kendra Sahitya Akademi award winner PV Shajikumar. When asked about the same, Sohan clarifies, “Yes, there were plans and we even got the advance for it. Mammukka was supposed to play a dwarf in it. But at some point, during the script development, both Shaji and I felt some dissatisfaction and decided to drop the idea. I didn’t want to disappoint Mammukka once again.”
Besides Dance Party, Sohan has another film coming up. Unlock, starring Sreenath Bhasi, Chemban Vinod Jose and Mamta Mohandas, was conceived and shot during the pandemic. Though it has been delayed by a couple of years, the director is still hopeful. “It’s a totally different attempt. Though it has some fun moments, it primarily deals with a serious topic. We’re planning to release the film soon, but a final call is yet to be taken. I’m trying to push for a theatre release.”
With two films lined up for release, Sohan is well aware of social media reviews and the impact it has on the movie-going public. Even though he strongly vouches for the importance of reviews and film discussions, he is also upset with the extent to which some of these ‘opinions’ go. “People have all the rights to share their thoughts on a film, but they shouldn’t stoop down to the level of defaming and body shaming. It hurts to see legendary actors, writers and filmmakers being written off just like that. In this industry, nobody can guarantee success because every new film is an experiment.”