Fahadh: 'Malik' will trigger extensive discussions

Fahadh Faasil is on a roll. ‘Malik’, set to release on Amazon Prime Video on July 15, is his fourth direct-to-OTT release since the pandemic. While ‘Irul’ was a misfire, ‘CU Soon’ and ‘Joji’ enhanced his reputation as a star of new wave cinema. The Malayalam actor is upbeat about ‘Malik’, directed by Mahesh Narayanan.

The story of ‘Malik’ revolves around the coastal history of Kerala. “The first 20 minutes of ‘Malik’ has been shot in a single take and introduces all the characters in the film. It literally takes the audience through what the film has in store,” says Fahadh during an interaction with Showtime.

Best known for his roles in ‘22 Female Kottayam’, ‘Bangalore Days’, ‘Maheshinte Prathikaaram’, ‘Thondimuthalum Driksakshiyum’ and ‘Kumbalangi Nights’, Fahadh says all his roles allowed him to stretch his creative liberties.

Fahadh explains how he picks films. “I always observe the techniques used by directors to get their stories across. Telling a story and narrating it are two different things. I am always interested in the way the director wishes to narrate the story and this aspect is what caught my attention when I accepted ‘Malik’,” says Fahadh.

Politics is just one layer in the film, says Fahadh. “It portrays very honest human emotions. The screenplay is very fresh and I have not done something like this before,” he says. He adds that all the characters in the film appear convincing in three different time zones.

'Malik' was made for a theatrical release. The film team’s strongly believed that its grandeur and scale were meant to be savoured on the big screen. But the pandemic disrupted its plans. After initial hesitancy, the team decided to settle for a direct-to-OTT release.

“The film will be released in 240 countries. The grandeur of the film was meant to create a huge impact on the audience. I believe people will watch ‘Malik’ multiple times and discuss extensively,” he says.

Among Fahadh’s pandemic releases, ‘Joji’ garnered maximum praise. How difficult was it to play the role of a man with dark shades? “It was a very disturbing role. There’s a difference between difficult and disturbing. I needed time to do those scenes because the character was very organic,” he offers.

Fahadh will be collaborating with his father and veteran filmmaker Fazil in ‘Malayankunju’. The father-son duo is working together after 18 years. “My father rarely comes to the set. He is producing the film. It is always good to be working with him,” he says about the film to be directed by Sajimon Prabhakar. Do they discuss films at home? “We don’t,” he sums up.