The name Thrishanku was Achyuth Vinayak's idea. He wanted a curious name which indirectly reflects the core idea in many layers.
'Thrishanku' director Achyuth Vinayak. (Supplied)
Achyuth Vinayak’s brand new movie Thrishanku has earned him positive reviews from the audience as well as critics.
The romantic comedy has won the hearts of movie buffs, making it an entertainer of the season. In an interview with South First, director Achyuth Vinayak speaks about the process of making the movie. Edited excerpts from the interview:
Q. What made you take up this “interesting” theme of elopement?
A. While trying to become an independent filmmaker, I wanted to pitch a “high concept” subject that hooks the common audience and producers instantly.
Eloping is a cliched subject, and we deliberated on how to make this plot interesting. That’s how Sethu’s (Arjun Ashokan) two uncles and the love story of his sister were included.
Q. The title of the movie, Thrishanku, is a catchy one. Who was behind this idea?
A. The name of the movie was my idea. I wanted a curious name which indirectly reflects the core idea of the film in many layers.
For example how Kamal Haasan names his comedy flicks; like Panchathathiram (2002). We had some other names under consideration. But in the end, we decided to go on with Thrishanku.
Achyuth Vinayak with Sriram Raghavan and Anna Ben. (Supplied)
Q. How did you cast Nandu and Suresh Krishna… they haven’t acted together before?
A. They are senior actors but their talents aren’t explored a lot. It was our anticipation that if Nandu Chettan (brother) and Suresh Krishna were placed with Arjun Ashokan, it would be a good combination as the three of them approach humour in different ways.
Nandu’s character is that while he talks — and in general — he is very loud in Thrishanku. But we gave a layering that Nandu’s character has problems with hearing.
Both Suresh Krishna and Nandu are six feet tall. In the movie, Arjun’s character feels more helpless as his two uncles dominate the frame most of the time. So, their physical appearance also has helped the movie to communicate that Arjun’s character is “stuck” between them; and they are brilliant actors too.
Arjun Ashokan and Anna Ben in ‘Thrishanku’. (Supplied)
Q. Why are Arjun Ashokan and Anna Ben in the movie?
A. When I was writing Thrishanku, I had Anna Ben in mind. She hasn’t done anything in this genre so far. I thought she would like the role.
Arjun Ashokan gives us the vibe of a boy-next-door. His off-screen persona has convinced me to approach him as the lead.
His role in Romancham (2023) was accepted very well, and it’s difficult to pull off such a role without likeability.
Q. How did you feel that comedy would work out?
A. We had clarity in mind that some comedy scenes, especially in the pub, should not go to buffoonery, as it’s a bit of a sensitive topic. Such scenes were given extra care as they may go to another level if not treated well.
Nandu and Suresh Krishna were briefed about the meter which was needed for the movie, and they did it with finesse.
Nandhu and Suresh Krishna in ‘Thrishanku’. (Supplied)
Q. How did you cast TG Ravi in the comic role?
A. We don’t have a lot of good actors in that age category now for such a role. Earlier we had Oduvil Unnikrishnan, Nedumudi and others.
TG Ravi’s drunkard scene is not a brilliant one on paper, but he nailed it so well, and now it sits well with the flow of the film.
Q. The combination of Krishnakumar and Balaji worked in theatres. Any thoughts on that?
A. A lot of viewers mentioned the way Krishna Kumar pulled off the “attitude” of an ex-cop. The sudden shift of Balaji at the end was received well in theatres.
Both of them had made us believe through their earlier films that they could do these roles.
Q. As a debut movie, what are your thoughts on Thrishanku? Any message on the relationships you wanted to portray?
A. We didn’t want to give any message intentionally. Sethu is facing problems with interfaith marriage and financial stability.
We placed the story in a rural area to make it believable. We haven’t made any serious judgements about relationships of any sort. I wanted this movie to be light, entertaining and have a repeat-watch value.
Thrishanku is for the age category of 6-60. The film got a U certificate, and it’s coming in the vacation time too. During the writing process itself, we wanted the movie to be clean. That doesn’t mean I always want to do movies of the same genre.
Achyuth Vinayak during the mixing works of ‘Thrishanku’. (Supplied)
Q. Can you elaborate on the music of the movie, as it has come out well?
A. I met the music director of Thrishanku, Jay Krishnan, in Mumbai. He is the co-producer’s friend. I was quite impressed with his fresh “sounding” when I heard some of his earlier compositions.
When we were sitting for the score, we all wanted the sound to create a celebratory mood to give the audience a theatrical experience. We worked on three key points that the music should be — ironic, fun, and celebratory.
Jay Krishnan is also part of Ayushmaan Khurana’s band.
Q. The relationship between Sethu’s sister Sumi and her boyfriend is immature. Was that intentional?
A. Yeah, the relationship of Sumi with her boyfriend is silly. It’s a typical example of how new-age online love stories of meeting a couple of days ago and ending up falling love happen.
She is the catalyst of all the chaos in Thrishanku. I watched Zarin Shihab’s (Sumi) character in The Family Man (2019), and that’s how I tested her for the role.
Achyuth Vinayak with eminent personalities of film industry. (Supplied)
Q. How has director Priyadarshan helped your career?
A. I joined him with confidence because of my Master’s degree in filmmaking. But, It was a humbling experience with him as you’ll learn the ground realities of this industry and how things are done here. I have used his name a lot to get a pitch with production houses all over.
I like Priyan Sir’s versatility. He made both Thenmavin Kombath (1994) and Kancheevaram (2008) which catered to two different sections of the audience.
Q. What kind of response are you getting for Thrishanku? And any new projects in the pipeline?
A. I am getting a really good response for the movie. From the industry itself, some veteran filmmakers have contacted me and given their feedback on the movie.
I am working on two scripts currently. One is an action comedy. Nothing has been finalised as yet.
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