Actor Unni Mukundan will mark his debut as a producer with his upcoming Malayalam film Meppadiyan. Written and directed by Vishnu Mohan, the film is presented under the Unni Mukundan Films banner.
Speaking to Silverscreen India, Vishnu says Meppadiyan is a family entertainer set in Erattupetta in Kottayam district. “It follows a common Malayali man named Jaya Krishnan, played by Unni. Meppadiyan is a script-driven film, inspired in part by true events,” he adds.
The film also features actors Aju Varghese, Anju Kurian, Indrans, Major Ravi, Kalabhavan Shajohn, Shaiju Kurup, Aparna Janardhanan, and several others.
Expanding on the character played by Unni, the director says, “Jaya Krishnan is a boy-next-door type of a character who runs a small mechanic workshop in the village. The film revolves around the events that take place in his life.”
A new poster of the film, was released by the actor on his social media handle recently.
Vishnu notes that this poster depicts a significant scene in the film. “Aju Varghese plays the role of a politician and Major Ravi is an advocate in the film.”
Briefly explaining the film’s title, Vishnu says Meppadiyan is a clerical word in Malayalam which loosely translates to ‘the above-mentioned details’. He also clarifies that while the film’s story takes place 10 years before the current time, Meppadiyan is not a period film.
However, art design played a vital role in the film’s making as they had to arrange properties, including vehicles, that were used in the locality 10 years ago, the director adds. The technical crew includes art director Sabu Mohan, costume designer Irshad Cherukkunnu, and makeup artist Arun Ayur.
Even though the film was announced in early 2019, Vishnu reveals he had pitched it to Unni in 2018. “The film was initially backed by a different production house, but later, Unni came on board as the producer,” he adds.
Apart from acting and producing, Unni has also sung one of the four songs composed by Rahul Subrahmanian for the film.
Filming began on October 26, 2020 and was wrapped that December, with cinematographer Neil D Cunha helming the camera. “It was challenging to shoot during the pandemic, but we did not compromise on the output. Unlike most films that were shot in confined spaces around this time, Meppadiyan was shot in 58 live locations, of which 40 were outdoor locations,” adds Vishnu.
Aside from Erattupetta, the film was also shot in Ponkunam, Pala and Kottayam. “There is also a reason for choosing these locations and that will be understood when you watch the film,” says the director.
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Edited by Shameer Muhammed, Meppadiyan recently received a ‘U’ certificate and Vishnu says the team hopes to release the film in theatres.
Meanwhile, Unni has a slew of projects in the pipeline, including Bhramam, the Malayalam adaptation of Andhadhun; the Mohanlal-starrer Bro Daddy, directed by Prithviraj; 12th Man; Bruce Lee; and the Telugu film Khiladi.