The debutant filmmaker talks about the script, the shooting process, and about the protagonist (Dulquer Salmaan) of 'King of Kotha'.
Abhilash Joshiy with Dulquer Salmaan on the sets of 'King of Kotha'. (Supplied)
King of Kotha (2023), which marked the directorial debut of Abhilash Joshiy, created a huge buzz among the audience even before it hit the theatres.
The movie is running successfully in cinema halls with a steady collection at the box office.
In an exclusive interview with South First, director Abhilash Joshiy revealed his thoughts about filmmaking, his association with his father Joshiy (also a veteran director himself), King of Kotha, and Dulquer Salmaan.
According to the filmmaker, scriptwriter Abhilash N Chandran narrated three stories and they finalised the last one for King of Kotha. The movie could have been done on a small scale, but he visualised it otherwise.
“I liked the story because all the characters in the film are crucial. I also liked the arc of those characters. They all have grey shades and each one of them is interconnected. If we trim a scene, the connection will be lost,” Abhilash Joshiy noted.
He added, “King of Kotha is also different in terms of characters. The villain has a justification for whatever he does and is certainly not a typical commercial-film antagonist.”
About the names of villages used in the movie, he pointed out, “The story is set in the 80s in two fictional villages — Gandhigram and Kotha. As per the plot, the drug trade is rampant in Gandhigram which is named after Mahatma Gandhi. It is an irony and I liked such elements in the script.”
A still from the film ‘King of Kotha’. (X)
Abhilash shared that Dulquer Salmaan liked the premise of King of Kotha as he could connect with the characters.
“Dulquer liked it because it isn’t a solo-hero project. He never performed a role similar to Raju in his career spanning 10 years. It was risky, but Dulquer came out of his comfort zone. He needs to be appreciated for this daring step. He can do love stories for another 20 years,” the director said.
He further added: “I think he (Dulquer) isn’t interested in doing a typical commercial film meant only for showcasing mass elements.”
The movie has music composed by Shaan Rahman and Jakes Bejoy. The background music and some songs were composed by Jakes Bejoy.
“I wasn’t interested in the new age music as the story is set in the 80s and 90s,” the director quipped.
“I jammed with Shaan during pre-production. I gave some references of characters and he gave me tracks that caught the mood of the movie. I collaborated with Jakes, after wrapping up the shoot, for the background score. It was great to work with these talented music directors.”
Abhilash Joshiy and Dulquer Salmaan at the shooting location. (Supplied)
Abhilash Joshiy said he didn’t take much stress and pressure during the shooting, though there were quite a few challenges.
One such challenging scene in the movie was shooting the football sequence where 2,000 people were present.
Abhilash admits that it was a difficult task and thanks his eight assistant directors and the crew for pulling it off. “It was a team effort!”
King of Kotha was shot in Karaikudi, Rameshwaram, Puthukottai, Madurai and Kochi.
“I could have done the movie in Fort Kochi by taking five acres of land. But we shot in certain places so as to give the audience a different visual experience,” he explained.
#KingOfKotha Enters into 2nd Week Successfully
Catch the #BlockbusterKOK In Cinemas Now 😎 pic.twitter.com/HyrY5mXO1J
— #KingOfKotha (@KOKMovie) August 31, 2023
According to Abhilash Joshiy, Gokul Suresh is an actor with determination and delivered a mature performance as Tony in King of Kotha.
The filmmaker described Shabeer Kallarakkal, who donned the role of Kannan Bhai, as a director’s actor. “He brilliantly portrayed the transformation of his character in two different stages.”
About Nyla Usha, Abhilash said she gave her best to her role — a powerful negative character. “Many heroines would have thought twice before taking it up but she readily agreed. Her character has a backstory, too!”
‘King of Kotha’ is Abhilash Joshiy’s debut movie. (Supplied)
Abhilash Joshiy feels that there is a dire need for doing more big-budget films in Malayalam. “My film is a small step in Malayalam in terms of big-budget ventures and we need more such flicks so as to sustain.”.
Regarding the length of King of Kotha, he said he received genuine feedback where viewers felt that the duration is 15 minutes long.
“I respect the feedback. But we decided to showcase all the backstories and wanted the audience to enjoy the arcs of the characters,” the debutant director clarified.
When asked if he has plans to do a sequel, Abhilash Joshiy stated that the sequel would depend on the overall response gained by King of Kotha.
“Also, the response to the characters in the film is crucial for me to decide on a sequel since we all tried something new, especially Dulquer. He showed us a new dimension of his acting skills here,” he hastened to add.
As of now, the director hasn’t signed any new projects and is looking for a worthy script.
‘King of Kotha’ was released in multiple languages. (Supplied)
Abhilash Joshiy says his dad inspired him a lot. “In Malayalam, he did big-budget films with many actors. It’s easy to shoot a frame with one or two actors. But, if there are 500 people, we have to make sure that all are doing well. I feel that my dad is an expert in this aspect and is adept at crowd management.”
New Delhi (1987), Dhruvam (1993), Kauravar (1992), Naduvazhikal (1989), No 20 Madras Mail (1990), Ee Thanutha Veluppan Kalathu (1990), and Kuttettan (1990) are some of the movies directed by Joshiy that are on top of Abhilash Joshiy’s favourite list.
On the negative campaign targeted against the movie, Abhilash Joshiy said he was sad that the negativity was coming from within the industry. “I don’t degrade others’ work. An industry can grow only if all films do well at the box office,” signed off.
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