Saudi Vellakka, the upcoming Malayalam film written and directed by filmmaker Tharun Moorthy, went on floors on Thursday. This is Tharun’s second directorial after Operation Java.
The film’s makers and several artists from the Malayalam film industry, including Prithviraj Sukumaran, released the title poster through their social media handles on Wednesday.
Saudi Vellakka is produced by Sandip Senan under the Urvasi theatres banner, which previously backed the National award-winning film Thondimuthalum Driksakshiyum.
Speaking to Silverscreen India, Tharun says Saudi Vellakka will be a family drama. “The film revolves around human emotions. It will also discuss the things that we see, hear and experience in every household,” he adds.
The main roles will be essayed by Lukman, Binu Pappu, Sudhi Koppa, and Gokulan. The film will also feature Srindaa, Dhanya Ananyaa, and newcomer Devi Varma in significant roles.
The director reveals that Saudi Vellakka is inspired by a real-life incident and was signed even before the release of Operation Java. “Due to the shutdown of theatres in the wake of Covid-19, Operation Java’s release was uncertain. During that time, I happened to meet Sandip and shared my idea for Saudi Vellakka. He was interested in the subject and immediately agreed to produce it. So I had committed to this project a few months before the release of Operation Java.”
Tharun later formed a team and sat down to work on this project. He notes that it took almost a year to finish scripting.
The film is being shot by cinematographer Saran Velayudhan. The technical crew includes editor Nishad Yusuf and music composer Paali Francis.
“We plan to begin shooting with some indoor sequences followed by outdoor portions. The film will be shot in Kochi and Perumbavoor,” the director says.
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Tharun’s debut film, Operation Java, was one of the first Malayalam films to be released after the relaxation of Covid-19 induced lockdown. It was released in theatres on February 12, and ran successfully for 75 days. A thriller, the film revolves around two unemployed B Tech graduates who join the Kerala cyber cell as interns to help crackdown a series of cybercrimes such as morphing, piracy, extortion and phishing.
In an earlier conversation with Silverscreen India, Tharun had mentioned that Operation Java is set to be remade in Hindi. While the rights for the project were sold in April, there have been no updates on the remake since.