JOIN USAfter 14 years, Pawan’s smoking hot script takes off
Kannada filmmaker Pawan Kumar has a long association with ‘C10H14N2’ or rather ‘Nicotine’. It’s a script he wrote in 2008, even before he made his debut with ‘Lifeu Ishtene’ in 2011.
The project got great prominence when Pawan announced it as his next after becoming the poster boy of new-wave Kannada cinema with ‘Lucia’ in 2013. Yet, for varying reasons, the film didn’t take off for years even as excited fans kept reminding him about it.
The closest he came to filming it was in 2020, when he had locked the script and cast. But the pandemic had a different plan and Pawan again put it on the back burner. Finally, the long wait seems to have been worth it as he is set to direct it in Malayalam for Hombale Films with the ever dependable Fahadh Faasil and the gifted Aparna Balamurali in lead roles. The film is titled ‘Dhoomam’ and will go on the floors from November 2.
“I have re-written the scripts many times since 2008. I tried to better its layers and narrative. It was only in 2019 that I finally decided to lock it,” Pawan tells Showtime. The film’s poster depicts smoke coming out of a cigarette. It reminds you of Anurag Kashyap’s dark and experimental flick ‘No Smoking’ (2007). The John Abraham-starrer was about a chain-smoker who plans to quit to save his marriage.
“That film didn’t do well in theatres. The critics didn’t have a favourable opinion as well. It’s sort of a bane because a lot of producers I met sighted the example of ‘No Smoking’ and weren’t keen on supporting my film. It seemed like that film had scarred them,” says Pawan, with a chuckle.
So what is ‘Dhoomam’ about? “Well, it’s a film on tobacco so you definitely won’t have anything positive to say. It’s a drama-thriller and like all my films, it will generate strong conversations around its theme,” he says. “I am a non-smoker and it’s from that point of view. It will question certain aspects of smoking,” he adds. Pawan has repeatedly said in the past that he has found it tough to convince producers about his unusual stories. It was no different for this project. Many well-known names, including ‘Golden Star’ Ganesh, were considered for the film. “It so happened that whenever the actor agreed we couldn’t zero in on a producer and when we were lucky enough to get a producer, somehow the actors weren’t keen on the film,” he rues.
He is now excited to direct Fahadh, who emerged as India’s OTT star during peak pandemic. Pawan calls him an honest performer. “He effortlessly connects with his audience through his
eyes. There is a man-next-door charm in him. I have liked most of his performances. Even Aparna is blessed with fine acting skills,” he offers.
Malayalam cinema
Pawan’s first observation of artistes in Malayalam cinema has been positive. “In the Malayalam industry, the actors don’t care much about their off-screen image. If they find a story interesting, they don’t hesitate to plunge into it. If a character demands them to perform in a certain way, they do it without worrying about anything,” he explains. ‘Dhoomam’ will be dubbed in Kannada, Tamil and Telugu.