Fahad Fazil in a still from Monsoon Mangoes.
Chennai:
Abi Varghese, director of Malayalam sitcom Akkara Kazhchakal is back and this time, with a feature film that has a comical take on the journey of an expat filmmaker and his struggles.
"It was 3 years back when I first conceived the idea of Monsoon Mangoes and a year later, we had approached Fahad Fazil with the script," said the director. Monsoon Mangoes will release on January 16.
Of Fahad's comeback, he said: "I didn't think of anybody in particular while scripting the movie, but once Fahad said 'Yes', we reworked the script to suit Fahad's style with witty dialogues."
Mr Varghese said that though Monsoon Mangoes is set and shot in US, it is unlike his earlier work, and will not be just about the Indian-American diaspora. "It's more about one's character, people skills and the comical situations he (Fahad) gets embroiled in. And Fahad has done complete justice to it."
With films like Drishyam and Premam garnering more attention across the country, he hopes Monsoon Mangoes too would reach out to people outside Kerala and even outside India. "The humour used is not kept regional and is mostly situational" and something that anyone can relate to.
And true to his expectations, the quirky trailer of Monsoon Mangoes has already gone viral. The trailer has also received much attention for its cinematography and its distinct locales. "We did not shoot in New York because we didn't want to glorify the US. New Orleans was perfect for us as it has a unique flavor that lent itself to the story."
When asked about social media and a whole bandwidth of people who have turned critics, Mr Varghese said: "We don't show the movie in a private screening so we should accept the good or bad things that our script receives in theatres. Though some are out there to just destroy others, I always embrace social media as it is a good means to improve our work, it really helps get the pulse of the audience."
Of the film's name, Monsoon Mangoes, he said with a mystic smile: "Go watch in the theatres."
"It was 3 years back when I first conceived the idea of Monsoon Mangoes and a year later, we had approached Fahad Fazil with the script," said the director. Monsoon Mangoes will release on January 16.
Of Fahad's comeback, he said: "I didn't think of anybody in particular while scripting the movie, but once Fahad said 'Yes', we reworked the script to suit Fahad's style with witty dialogues."
Mr Varghese said that though Monsoon Mangoes is set and shot in US, it is unlike his earlier work, and will not be just about the Indian-American diaspora. "It's more about one's character, people skills and the comical situations he (Fahad) gets embroiled in. And Fahad has done complete justice to it."
With films like Drishyam and Premam garnering more attention across the country, he hopes Monsoon Mangoes too would reach out to people outside Kerala and even outside India. "The humour used is not kept regional and is mostly situational" and something that anyone can relate to.
And true to his expectations, the quirky trailer of Monsoon Mangoes has already gone viral. The trailer has also received much attention for its cinematography and its distinct locales. "We did not shoot in New York because we didn't want to glorify the US. New Orleans was perfect for us as it has a unique flavor that lent itself to the story."
When asked about social media and a whole bandwidth of people who have turned critics, Mr Varghese said: "We don't show the movie in a private screening so we should accept the good or bad things that our script receives in theatres. Though some are out there to just destroy others, I always embrace social media as it is a good means to improve our work, it really helps get the pulse of the audience."
Of the film's name, Monsoon Mangoes, he said with a mystic smile: "Go watch in the theatres."
