Writer, the upcoming Malayalam film starring Jayasurya, will be a mystery drama featuring the actor as a constable, director Ravi Sankar tells Silverscreen India.
Produced by Akhil & Ashik under the Yulin Productions banner, the film is written by Shahi Kabir. The film’s title poster was released on social media last week.
Sankar, who marks his directorial debut with Writer, worked as an additional writer on Bheeshma Parvam. On the conception of Writer, he says, “Kabir and I are friends. Three years ago, when Kabir was working on his first film as a scenarist, Joseph, he told me about this idea for Writer. I liked the subject and wanted to direct it. But, I was working on Bheeshma Parvam at the time. Then, he went on to work on Nayattu. Now, we are back together for Writer.”
The debutant director notes that the first draft of the script has been completed. While Jayasurya plays a constable in the film, it is not a typical investigative police story, says Sankar.
“We opted for Jayasurya since he has never played such a character in his career until now, and it will offer a different experience for the audiences,” he adds. They pitched the project to the actor after a basic storyline was developed, and he agreed to come on board.
“The pre-production will start soon and will go on for about three to four months. The film will go on floors after Jayasurya wraps up shooting for Kathanar. That project is a big film that will take over 100 days,” says Sankar.
He adds that they plan to shoot Writer across different terrains in Kozhikode. The film will be shot by cinematographer Nimish Ravi, who last worked on the super-hit film, Kurup. The technical crew includes editor Kiran Das, known for his work in Janeman and Joji, and music composers Yakan and Neha.
Casting will begin in the coming months to finalise artists for pivotal roles, says the director, adding that the team is planning to conduct auditions to cast local people from Kozhikode in minor roles.
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Meanwhile, Sankar is excited about the release of Bheeshma Parvam. “We spent over two years on this project from scripting to production. I hope Writer will be another benchmark for me after Bheeshma Parvam.”
Sankar has previously also co-written the 2015 Malayalam film Rani Padmini, starring Manju Warrier and Rima Kallingal.
Aside from Writer, Jayasurya, who was recently seen in his 100th film Sunny, has several upcoming projects, including John Luther, Aadu 3, Meri Awaz Suno, and Ramasethu.