‘Pachuvum Athbutha Vilakkum’ is based on my real-life experiences in Mumbai, says Akhil Sathyan

Q. How did your father Sathyan Anthikad inspire you as a filmmaker?

Akhil Sathyan and Sathyan Anthikad during the shoot of ‘Pachuvum Athbutha Vilakkum’. (Supplied)

A. He is an inspiration by default. My dad never forced anything on me. We have the same taste; so naturally, our thought processes were also the same.

Since I have worked with him, I learnt his pattern of work. So, there could be similarities in the shots and other factors.

If there is a character of an old or unemployed youth in my movie, people tend to compare it with the characters in my dad’s works.

Q. Was Innocent’s character in Pachuvum Athbutha Vilakkum specially written for him?

A. I know Innocent uncle personally and I like him a lot. Our relationship is much older than that I have with cinema.

His character in Pachuvum Athbutha Vilakkum is a pretty small one, but it was specially designed for him. I was particular that his character gets noticed.

In fact, I pitched his character as a “smart techie uncle”.

I made sure that his looks, his using the virtual assistant “Siri” and the way he says “Hey Siri”, everything bore Innocent’s style. He appears in only three scenes but I’m glad that they went down really well with audiences.

#umacchi meets Innocent Sir and is totally awed and starstruck ! Control Control says Director @akhilsathyan behind the camera 💕🙏💕 #pachuvumathbuthavilakkum pic.twitter.com/ELCoBCYqxN

— Viji Venkatesh 🇮🇳 وجی وینکٹیش (@vijivenkatesh) April 28, 2022

Q. How did you decide on the subject?

A. Pachuvum Athbutha Vilakkum is not a family-oriented film. This is not a story that happens in a house but in different terrains.

The story is set in Mumbai. It is about a middle-class guy whose life changes after a particular incident. The train, Ummachi (mother), and other factors were woven into the plot later.

I’m sure there hasn’t been a Malayalam movie where an old lady gets off a train in Goa and the protagonist follows her and completes her mission. All the other characters came out organically.

I also travelled to Goa and visited a slum named Vasco. It’s not the usual Goa that you often see in the other films.

Related: Pachuvum Athbutha Vilakkum movie review

Q. Why did you choose Viji Venkatesh for the role of Ummachi?

A. We wanted a 71-year-old lady who is healthy, graceful, and can speak English, Hindi, and Malayalam. There is nobody in Malayalam with these characteristics and it meant a long process.

So, I insisted on a fresh face and that is how Viji Venkatesh came into the picture. I met her at a coffee shop in Mumbai and narrated the story. She cried during the narration and I realised that she understood the crux of the project.

We needed a person who had a modern outlook and she was a perfect match.

Meet Riyaz, my son in #PachuvumAthbuthaVilakkum played by the absolutely endearing & adorable Vineeth Radhakrishnan. What a wonderful time we had together. Even when towards the end that mother-son reconciliation scene made me cry without glycerine messing up my lines like I did pic.twitter.com/C5DQYNfzwL

— Viji Venkatesh 🇮🇳 وجی وینکٹیش (@vijivenkatesh) May 2, 2023

Q. The movie has a theme — education for all, especially girl children. How did you incorporate this subject into the plot?

A. Well, it was a indeed challenging task. There has to be a strong reason for the old lady to get off the train in Goa and that’s when I thought of my friends.

My Mumbai-based friends help the kids of their maids with education. So, this theme is from a real-life experience and the Ummachi in the movie wants to do the same.

When I write something, I need to get convinced that it’s real. Otherwise, I will feel it is a fake narrative. That’s why we shot the film in the slums — Goa’s Vasco and Mumbai’s Andheri.

Q. Was Nivin Pauly the first choice for Pachuvum Athbutha Vilakkum? 

A. Nivin Pauly was the first star to call and ask me to plan a movie. I am grateful to him for that. If not for him, I wouldn’t have thought about cinema. He also asked me to think of a film that is not family-oriented.

A poster of ‘Pachuvum Athbutha Vilakkum’. (Twitter)

But by the time I finished writing Pachuvum Athbutha Vilakkum, he got busy with other projects.

Meanwhile, I casually met with Fahadh Faasil and narrated the story. He was impressed and wanted to do it. I was comfortable working with Fahadh and Nivin Pauly absolutely had no issue with this.

Also Read: The Kerala Story movie review

Q. How was it working with Fahadh Faasil? 

A. I worked with Fahadh Faasil in Njan Prakashan (2018) and Oru Indian Pranayakadha (2013) directed by my father. We are friends and know what we have to do.

Q. Actor Vineeth plays an important role in the film.

A. Vineeth ettan (brother) was there in my mind when I started writing the script. He didn’t act for a long time.

He is a good actor and his way of presentation is impressive. He is a professional and a good human being, too. I thought the movie needed his voice and hence, I roped him in.

Q. How is your association with your twin brother Anoop Sathyan, director of Varane Avashyamund (Groom Wanted, 2020)? 

Akhil Sathyan and Anoop Sathyan on the sets of ‘Pachuvum Athbutha Vilakkum’. (Supplied)

A. We have similar tastes and thought processes. But we don’t discuss much about the creative process.

We do it only after writing the scripts and we always maintain the professional space.

Q. Do you discuss stories with your father?

A. I told him about the premise of Pachuvum Athbutha Vilakkum and then directly gave the print-bind copy.

Before that, he didn’t see the film. He was happy but had some concerns about the second half. After watching the movie, my dad agreed that I was right.

Also read: It’s my best ‘Dasara’ and it arrived quite early

Q. The movie has a runtime of two hours and fifty-one minutes. Was it purposeful?

A. The script demanded a long runtime. I tried to cut some scenes but I wasn’t convinced. The story needed it!