After a five year break, actor Bhavana Menon is set to make her comeback in Malayalam cinema with the upcoming film Ntikkakkakkoru Premondaarnn.
The film’s title poster was released by the makers and actors like Mammootty through their social media handles on Wednesday. Written and directed by debutant Adhil Maimoonath Asharaf, the film also stars Sharaf U Dheen. It is produced by Renish Abdulkadhader under the Bonhomie Entertainments banner.
Speaking to Silverscreen India, Renish says, “ There was a point when my team and I decided that to move forward with Ntikkakkakkoru Premondaarnn, we had to get Bhavana on board because the story demands an actor like her.”
Renish adds that the film is a romantic family drama that talks about a big family tree. The producer calls it a ‘home project’ as his sister-in-law’s husband is helming Ntikkakkakkoru Premondaarnn. Director Adhil is also donning the hat of editor for this project.
Sharaf U Dheen came on board before Menon, says Renish. “Sharaf immediately connected with the film’s one line and he was very much part of the development process with us.”
“We had been discussing this project for quite a long time and then we decided to approach Bhavana. We narrated the story to her and she liked it. While it was not an immediate yes from her side, her liking towards the project gave us a small hope. Then, we had follow up discussions with her and finally, she agreed to be part of the film,” the producer says, expressing his happiness in welcoming the actor back to Malayalam cinema.
Menon had kept away from the Malayalam industry for five years after she was abducted and sexually assaulted in 2017. Actor Dileep is currently under trial as the chief conspirator behind the incident.
Breaking her long silence, Menon came out publicly this year to speak about her trauma and struggle for justice. In recent interactions with the media, the actor revealed that she was largely shunned by the Malayalam film industry after she chose to fight for justice. She added that some of her friends in the industry had offered her work, but she had not been in the right frame of mind to return.
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Menon had also mentioned that she had finally accepted a Malayalam film offer, the details of which would be revealed soon. Shortly thereafter, Ntikkakkakkoru Premondaarnn was announced.
The team of Ntikkakkakkoru Premondaarnn is planning to begin filming in the first week of May. Currently, the pre-production work is going on in full swing. The film will be shot in Kerala.
Menon’s last appearance in Malayalam cinema was in Adam Joan, the 2017 film directed by Jinu Abraham, which also features actors Prithviraj Sukumaran, Narain and Rahul Madhav. Following her assault, the actor began focusing on Kannada cinema and was part of films such as Taragu, 99, and Govinda Govinda, among several others.