Fazil Razak was also honoured with the Best Debut Director award at the 54th State Film Awards. In an exclusive interview with South First, the director spoke about 'Thadavu' ahead of its theatrical release on 21 February.
Published Feb 18, 2025 | 3:53 PM ⚊ Updated Feb 18, 2025 | 3:53 PM
Fazil Razak and crew after reviewing awards at IFFK. (Supplied)
Young director Fazil Razak has made a name for himself with his short films Athiru (2019) and Tira (2021), before venturing into his debut feature film, Thadavu.
Thadavu has received numerous accolades at various film festivals, including the Jio MAMI Film Festival (Competition category), International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK, Competition), Beijing International Film Festival (Competition), and several others. The film won the Rajatha Chakoram Award for Best Debut Director at IFFK, as well as the Audience Prize. Beena Chandran, who played the central role in the movie, was awarded the Best Actress award at the 54th State Film Awards.
Fazil Razak was also honoured with the Best Debut Director award at the 54th State Film Awards. In an exclusive interview with South First, Fazil Razak spoke about Thadavu ahead of its theatrical release on 21 February.
Here are the edited excerpts.
Q. How did you think about doing Thadavu?
A. I had planned to make a movie in 2021 itself. We had developed a script and discussed it. However, when we came up with the one-line concept for Thadavu, we decided to go with it because we found it interesting. Additionally, the three main actors in the film are friends of mine, and their real-life friendship contributed greatly to the film. They had also worked with me in my short film before.
Everyone who worked on the movie was a newcomer, and the overall comfort level was great.
‘Thadavu’ crew ahead of its release. (Supplied)
Q. Is the story based on a real-life incident?
A. The one-line story was inspired by news reports we came across. The rest of the characters, settings, and other aspects were fictionalized. The main character of the teacher and other aspects were developed to make the film more engaging.
Q. How did you decide to become the co-producer of the movie?
A. A couple of production houses approached us for the project, but there were discussions about casting star actors. However, we wanted to work with the three actors who are in the film now. After watching my short film Athiru Pramod Dev reached out and offered to co-produce the movie. I later joined him, and together, we made the film.
Q. What is your script-making process?
A. The characters develop gradually as I write. More layers are added to the story during the writing process, and our politics naturally come through in the characters. There’s no need to deliver a direct message; the characters themselves convey it. At the end of the day, the film should be simple and provide a great experience for the audience. During the IFFK screening, the central character connected well with the audience, which was overwhelming for us.
Q. How did you decide on the name Thadavu (The Sentence)?
A. Usually, when I make short films, we come up with a title at the end. However, while shooting this movie, the name Thadavu, meaning “Sentence,” came to my mind. It directly reflects the subject, so we decided to go with it.
Q. How did you conceive this movie? Did you think of making a festival film or for the common audience?
A. We made this movie for all audiences; it wasn’t meant just for festivals. We shot it in a way that people could connect with it. However, since the film features new actors, it was difficult to secure theatres and OTT platforms. We had the idea of submitting the movie to festivals, as film festivals have always inspired us. We wanted to showcase it at various festivals. Our movie has been screened at several festivals, including the MAMI Film Festival, International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK), Pune Film Festival, and more.
Q. How did the shooting process go as it was shot near your native place itself?
Fazil Razak had previously done short films. (Supplied)
A. We needed support from the people around us, as we had about 40 locations. We shot in Anganwadis, schools, and libraries, and the support from the locals was crucial. I also knew people from these areas, as my short film was also shot in similar locations. Their support was invaluable in helping us complete the movie shoot.
Q. Can you tell us about the cinematographer and editor of this movie?
A. The cinematography of the movie was done by Mridhul S, and the editing was handled by Vinayak. I briefed Mridhul, the cinematographer, and since we have studied together, we share a strong rapport, which helped a lot. We worked on shot divisions together, and he was involved from the script discussion stage, so he had a clear understanding of the movie.
Q. How was the shooting process?
A. We completed the shooting in 30 days and we also had rehearsals for a month before that. In total, the complete process took three months to complete it.
Q. What was your inspiration while doing a feature film? Were you able to get input from other filmmakers?
Fazil Razak at Beijing International Film Festival. (Supplied)
A. As newcomers, we didn’t know anyone prominent in the industry. We made the movie based on our experience with short films and participating in competitions where films had to be made in a single day. That’s how we honed our craft in filmmaking.
Q. What kind of films do you watch?
A. I watch most good films and try to explore movies from all genres. Personally, I enjoy watching Iranian films.
Q. There were comments suggesting that Thadavu had some references to Iranian films. Was that a coincidence?
A. Since I like Iranian films, there are definitely references to them in my work. Even if I don’t intentionally include them, they naturally come through.
Q. How did you feel when the move got recognition at IFFK?
A. We had seen Malayalam films in the competition section at previous film festivals like IFFK. It was a happy moment when our own film was included in the competition section at IFFK. Our film was also promoted by filmmakers such as Anand, Jeo Baby, and Don Palathara, which helped it reach a wider audience.
Q. What are your new projects?
A. I am working on a couple of projects. I’m not sure which will happen first. I would like to do films of different patterns with new innovative ideas.
Q. What can you say about Malayalam films that are getting recognition outside Kerala?
A. Ours is a very vibrant industry. When I travel to other places for film festivals, I can see how much people appreciate Malayalam films. Film lovers are genuinely interested in Malayalam cinema, and they are also familiar with our actors.
(Edited by Sumavarsha )
