Eko: Bahul Ramesh explains how Mammootty's The Priest helped him shed his fear of working with dogs

Eko writer-DOP Bahul Ramesh looks back at Mammootty film as the ‘foundation’ that prepped him for shooting with dogs, which is integral to his latest hit film, and helped him break free of inhibitions

Bahul Ramesh, Mammootty in The Priest

Three years before the Malayalam film Kishkindha Kaandam was released and became a hit, writer-cinematographer Bahul Ramesh got the opportunity to shoot for a particular schedule of Mammootty-starrer The Priest. Akhil George was the cinematographer for the Mammootty film, but a certain work inconvenience led Bahul Ramesh to chip in for a few days. Bahul looks back at this 2021 film as the ‘foundation’ which prepped him for shooting with dogs, which is integral to his latest hit film Eko, and helped him break free of inhibitions. The Sandeep Pradeep-starrer completes his Animal trilogy after the film Kishkindha Kaandam, and series Kerala Crime Files 2.

Bahul Ramesh: From The Priest to Eko

Recounting how Mammootty’s The Priest turned out to be a ‘great learning experience’ on shooting animals, Bahul Ramesh said, “I just chipped in for that movie, when the film’s cameraman could not be available for a particular schedule. I learned a lot during that shoot. What and all is possible to shoot with a dog without aggravating it, how to interact with the dog trainer. There were a lot of shots that we had to take in close range. Because of that, I could break inhibitions or fear of whether the dog would attack. That was like a foundation.”

The 2021 Malayalam film, The Priest, marked the debut of director Jofin T. Chacko, who helmed Rekhachithram in 2025. Apart from Kalamkaval actor Mammootty, the film also features Nikhila Vimal and Manju Warrier. (The Priest is now streaming on Prime Video, and OTTplay Premium subscribers can also access the film with a top-up option.)

Challenge of shooting dogs in Eko

Eko, the 2025 Malayalam film, has a pack of dogs at its centre of a narrative which revolves around a fugitive dog trainer Kuriachan and his Malaysian wife Mlaathi Chettathi. Before Eko’s shoot, Bahul wrote the story for Kerala Crime Files 2 - The Search for CPO Ambili Raju, which was shot by his friend Jithin Stanislaus.

“Though I did not shoot it, I was present on set during shooting, and I got acquainted with the dog trainer Jijesh from Thiruvananthapuram at that time. So then itself, I realized that if Eko ever got greenlit, then Jijesh is the person to reach out to. And he joined Eko, when we started working on it. We would just give our objective for a particular scene to him and whether it would be possible to get that,” he recounted. Eko is helmed by Dinjith Ayyathan, and the duo had earlier collaborated on Kishkindha Kaandam and Kakshi: Amminippilla.

Also read: Eko director Dinjith Ayyathan on how Kishkindha Kaandam success gave him confidence to cast Sandeep Pradeep | Exclusive

On the difficulties of shooting with animals, Bahul explained, “There could be instances of the dog being tired, so can't push the dog. So we have to get our required shot within the first or second take. So we have to be that vigilant, with no room for error. If we feel that the dog is not going to behave as we intended, we will have to adjust the frames to get a shot that is required for the narrative. There is not much time to discuss and all. The entire crew and Jijesh Bhai were alert and we were able to pull off.”

“So it was never a challenge to shoot with the dogs. The challenge was always the climatic conditions, the biggest challenge was to shoot a particular scene before the next rain, or the next fog because the continuity is affected,” says the cinematographer of Eko, which is set in the hilly regions of Kerala’s Idukki district.

Also read: Eko Review: Dinjith Ayyathan-Sandeep Pradeep's film keeps enthralling or haunting you in the most sublime ways

FAQs

Q. What is the next film of Bahul Ramesh?

A. The latest film of Bahul Ramesh is Eko, starring actor Sandeep Pradeep. Bahul is the writer and cinematographer of the 2025 Malayalam film, marking his third collaboration with director Dinjith Ayyathan after Kishkindha Kaandam and Kakshi: Amminippilla.

Q. What's the Eko movie about?

A. The Eko movie revolves around Peeyoos (played by actor Sandeep Pradeep), who takes care of an elderly woman, Mlaathi Chettathi, in a remote hilltop. The place is guarded by a pack of dogs, trained by the woman's husband Kuriachan who is now missing. The mystery behind his disappearance and the connection to the dogs are explored in the film.

Q. Who are the actors in the Eko movie?

A. Young actor Sandeep Pradeep leads the film Eko, along with senior actors Vineeth, Narain, Saurabh Sachdeva, and Binu Pappu. Biana Momin also appears in the key role of Mlaathi Chettathi

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