Ullaasapoothirikal, the upcoming Malayalam film featuring Hareesh Kanaran in the lead role, will be a feel-good family drama, director Bijoy Joseph tells Silverscreen India. The film’s title poster was released last week by actors Mammootty and Mohanlal, via their social media accounts.
The film is produced by John Kudiyanmala and Kanaran, under the Reyona Rose Productions banner, and it is presented by Gemini Studios.
Ullaasapoothirikal marks the directorial debut of Joseph, and he says, “The film follows the life of the protagonist, Ullas (Kanaran), a last grade servant at a Panchayat office. The story revolves around the events that take place in his life. It portrays a mix of emotions that can be enjoyed by family audiences.”
The film features Kanaran as a lead character for the first time in his career. Apart from him, Ullaasapoothirikal also stars Joju George, Soubin Shahir, Aju Varghese and Salim Kumar, in pivotal roles. “For the lead role, we wanted an artist who is well-known but never seen as a protagonist. And we thought Kanaran would be apt for the part. The characters of Aju and Soubin will be humorous, while Joju plays a rather serious role,” Joseph mentions.
The director reveals that he got the idea for this film after reading a magazine article. “I thought the content had the potential for a feature film. With that as a base, I developed this story before the Covid-19 pandemic. However, because of the unprecedented situation, there was a delay in going forward with the project,” he adds.
The film was shot in October 2021 at Velloor in Kottayam, Angamaly and Kakkanad, by cinematographer Manoj Pillai. The film’s crew also includes scenarist Paul Varghese and editor Naoufal Abdullah.
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According to the director, Ullaasapoothirikal is in the final stages of post-production, with dubbing and music composition nearing completion. The makers are planning to release the film in March.
Joseph initially worked as an assistant to the National Award-winning filmmaker VK Prakash. He then went on to work as an associate director in many Malayalam films, like Ente Ummante Peru. Actor Kanaran, who is known for playing comic roles in Malayalam films, was last seen in Kallan D’Souza, which was released in theatres recently. He will be seen next in the upcoming films, Upacharapoorvam Gunda Jayan and Naaradhan.