Malayalam film industry is in its golden phase today: Prithviraj Sukumaran

Mumbai: Actor-director Prithviraj Sukumaran said Malayalam cinema filmmakers can think about mounting movies on a large scale today, hoping his upcoming directorial ‘L2: Empuraan’ is a step in the same direction.

He was speaking at the Hindi trailer launch of the Malayalam movie, which is a sequel to 2019’s ‘Lucifer’. “We are going through a golden phase in our industry where we are making beautiful films and wonderful filmmakers and actors coming out with splendid performances. So, there’s nothing to be complained about as far as Malayalam cinema is concerned. Thankfully Malayalam cinema is today at a place where we can think of big budgets and canvases,” Sukumaran told reporters here at the Hindi trailer launch.

The filmmaker, who also stars in ‘L2: Empuraan’, said while the Malayalam film industry has produced critically acclaimed, independent movies with unique narratives, it’s yet to make a mark in the mainstream space.

“Malayalam cinema is not essentially known for big-ticket and main-scale popcorn entertainers if I can call them that. We are known for making a different kind of cinema which is yet to find its own space within the distribution theatrical network that we have in this country. I’m sure we’ll get there. This particular film (‘L2: Empuraan’) is maybe our attempt of crashing into that phenomenon,” he said.

‘L2: Empuraan’, the second instalment of the action franchise, will see Malayalam cinema star Mohanlal reprise his role of Stephen Nedumpally aka Khureshi-Ab’raam from ‘Lucifer’.

The movie is a ‘large scale, big canvas, big-ticket and commercial action entertainer’, added Sukumaran.

“Whether I have succeeded or not, I don’t know. We are hoping that this will break a few barriers. This will get a few people to think, ‘Hang on. Next time a Malayalam film comes to a small screen in Jharkhand, maybe it’s worth giving it a try on a weekend’. That’s what we are hoping for. We dream very big, us down south. This time we have managed to follow up with some seriously good work. But I hope this film has a bit of finesse that will appeal to you,” he said.

Sukumaran, who has also directed Mohanlal in ‘Bro Daddy’, said it was his privilege to direct a legend like Mohanlal. “Especially for my generation, the reason we are in cinema must be Mohanlal sir and Mammooty sir to a big extent because we grew up watching them. I grew up trying to walk like him, trying to talk like Mammootty sir... How privileged am I that today I’m sitting next to him having directed him thrice.”