The first look of Made in Caravan, the upcoming Malayalam film directed by debutant Jomy Kuriakose, was released by various artists from the Malayalam film industry, including Kunchacko Boban, Asif Ali and Jayasurya, on Friday. Filmmaker Jomy tells Silverscreen India that it is a feel-good film.
Made in Caravan features actors Annu Antony, Prijil, Mithun Ramesh and Anson Paul in pivotal roles. The film is produced by Manju Badusha under the banner of Cinema Cafe Production with Badusha NM on board as the executive producer.
Speaking to Silverscreen India, the director says, “The film follows a woman who goes to a Gulf country in search of a job and meets a bunch of new people from different cultures.”
Jomy notes that the film features a multi-ethnic ensemble of actors, including Lebanese actor Hashem Kaddura, Filipino model Ella Cents, and two child artists from Poland and Dubai. A dog and a Volkswagen campervan are also an integral part of the film.
“Films set in Gulf countries either feature posh places like Burj Khalifa or show how migrants struggling for a livelihood. So I thought it would be refreshing to make a happy film that will leave the audience with a good feeling,” Jomy adds.
Made in Caravan was shot in April predominantly in Ras Al Khaimah, while some portions were shot in Dubai and Abu Dhabi. “The reason we decided to make this film in the UAE is because there were not many Covid-19 restrictions there at that time. Also, I’ve been working as an ad filmmaker in Abu Dhabi for over five years so I was familiar with the places. It was also a convenient location to cast the international artists as most of them have acted in ad films in the UAE. However, we brought the technical crew over from Kerala,” says the filmmaker.
The crew includes editor Vishnu Venugopal, art director Rahul Reghunath, and project designer Prijin Jayaprakash.
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“Earlier this year, I had come to Kerala for an ad film shoot. That’s when I happened to meet Manju Badusha and Badusha NM. I pitched the idea to them and they really liked the story and agreed to produce the film,” Jomy adds.
Although 80% of the film, shot by cinematographer Shiju M Bhasker, was filmed in outdoor locations, Made in Caravan is not just a travel film, says Jomy. “It has much more to it and will appeal to audiences of all age groups. It also features some beautiful landscapes.”
The film has six songs composed by Vinu Thomas to lyrics written by BK Harinarayanan.
The post-production work is currently happening in Kerala and the team also has a small portion left to shoot for half a day in the state.
The film’s makers are aiming for a direct-to-OTT release in October.