Trusting Abhinav’s Vision
Given that Abhinav’s debut film was a refreshingly twisted dark tale, many assume Mollywood Times will also tread similar lines. Ashiq, however, denies it. “I won’t say it’s a dark film like FIRST, but it will definitely have Abhinav’s signature touch all over it.” While on Abhinav’s unique working style, Ashiq vividly remembers their first script reading session as a ‘unique experience’. “Before the narration, Abhinav turned off all the lights, closed all the windows, and drew the curtains. It was completely dark except for a small light source to read. I was wondering what this guy is up to, but after 15 minutes, Naslen and I realised why he did it. Wait till you watch the film.”
Abhinav was lauded for taking a brave, unconventional route in FIRSTmost of which, as confirmed by the director, was shaped during the post-production stage. It was no different in Mollywood Times. Ashiq says, “Abhinav’s only request before committing to the project was that he needed five months for post-production. Being an editor himself, he concentrates a lot on that part. It eventually took up to seven months to finish the work, the longest for any of my films, but that’s fine because he’s ultimately working towards perfecting the final output.”
From Naslen to Mohanlal
When talks about a potential collaboration between Abhinav, Naslen and Ashiq first surfaced, Premalu hadn’t been released, and Naslen was yet to establish himself as a bankable lead. However, Ashiq reveals that stardom has never been his concern. “I mostly collaborate with friends and like-minded talents. If you see, even Thallumaala didn’t have many big names at that time,” says the producer, as he adds on how Naslen came into the picture. “Abhinav conceived this project after being impressed by Naslen’s performance in Jo and Joand I was more than happy with it.”
Ashiq is set to dabble in his first real test of stardom with Athimanoharamheadlined by Mohanlal. With Thudarum director Tharun Moorthy at the helm, the hype only gets bigger. Interestingly, Ashiq had originally announced a Mohanlal film, directed by debutant Austin Dan, before it was dropped. Even as various speculations continue to do the rounds on why the original project was dropped, Ashiq, the seasoned producer, remains tight-lipped. “Let’s just talk about the positive things. It’s still too early to talk about Athimanoharamexcept that Lal sir plays a cop in it. We’ve completed almost 70% of the shoot, with around 45 days of filming left, which we hope to wrap up by the end of July. We initially had plans for a Pooja release in October, but that’s now unlikely, and we aim to get it out before December.”
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