Incidentally, it is also the day Mohanlal made his acting debut 34 years back with 'Manjil Virinja Pookkal' (1980), directed by Fazil.
Published Nov 16, 2024 | 4:41 PM ⚊ Updated Nov 16, 2024 | 4:41 PM
Mohanlal in 'Barroz'. (X)
Mohanlal has a slew of films in the making. The superstar actor has already finished shooting for Empuraan to Thudarum.
Amidst this, Mohanlal is also making his directorial debut with Barroz. The fantasy film was initially slated for a September release, however, it got postponed owing to shooting delays.
The film finally has a release date— on Christmas, 25 December 2024. The announcement was made by director Fazil, who introduced Mohanlal to the audience.
Incidentally, it is also the day Mohanlal made his acting debut 34 years back with Manjil Virinja Pookkal (1980), directed by Fazil.
Another milestone collaboration between Mohanlal and Fazil— Manichitrathaazhu (1993) was also released on 25 December.
Announcing the release date, Fazil in the video message said, “Even though the release date was set without any prior planning or expectations, it felt like a pure coincidence, a divine decision, a stroke of fate. When I shared my feelings with Mohanlal, he was even more surprised than I was. He was left speechless for some time, and then, without realising it, he exclaimed, ‘God!’ After that, he called his wife Suchitra, then Antony and Antony called me… It was truly amazing how everything came together.”
The film’s screenplay is based on Jijo Punnoose’s popular novel “Barroz: Guardian of D’Gama’s Treasure“. In the novel, Barroz protects Vasco da Gama’s hidden treasure for over four centuries. It’s his responsibility to pass on this wealth to a true descendant of Vasco da Gama.
Mohanlal plays the titular role in the flick. The other cast includes Maya, Sara Vega, Tuhin Menon, Cesar Lorente Raton, Kallirroi Tziafeta, and Guru Somasundaram.
Antony Perumbavoor of Aashirvad Cinemas is backing Barroz. Santosh Shivan is the cinematographer and B Ajithkumar is the editor. Lydian Nadhaswaram is composing the music. Mark Kilian is composing the background score.
The film had also landed in controversies over time, Jijo Punnoose in August announced his disassociation from Mohanlal’s debut directorial, saying that it was “no longer” his film.
In his blog, Jijo Punnoose explained how his original script was changed multiple times over the years. The writer-filmmaker said he wanted the focus to be on the little girl who can see and talk to the ghost of Kappiri. But the final draft by Mohanlal had the main focus on the ghost, which is being played by the actor himself.
(Edited by Sumavarsha)
