Pathirathri director Ratheena PT on why she found casting Navya Nair as a cop challenging

Navya Nair is still Balamani, her hugely popular role from Nandanam, for many Malayalis. She plays a cop in the upcoming film Pathirathri, helmed by director Ratheena PT.

Ratheena PT, Navya Nair as cop in Pathirathri

Malayalam actress Navya Nair has several notable roles in her filmography after she made her debut in cinema with Ishtham in 2001. But for scores of Malayalis, Navya is still Balamani, her hugely popular role from Nandanam, also starring Prithviraj Sukumaran, which released in theatres in 2002. Now, Navya is gearing up to play a cop for the first time in the upcoming Malayalam Pathirathri, helmed by Ratheena PT. The woman director now opens up about casting Navya Nair in her film and why she found it challenging.

Navya Nair to play police officer Pathirathri

The Malayalam film Pathirathri stars actors Navya Nair and Soubin Shahir in the lead roles of cops. Speaking about casting Navya in the role of a cop during a chat with The Cue, Ratheena PT said that she was thinking about collaborating with Navya on a film, when she heard about a story of a woman SI and constable

"I found the thought of Navya as a cop amusing. Audiences are familiar with the Balamani image of Navya Nair, and I found it challenging to bring about a change in this. Also, Navya is an amazing actor,” explained the director, best known for helming Mammootty-starrer Puzhu, which was also her debut directorial.

About casting Soubin, Ratheena said that his constable character grapples with many problems in life. He also has sheer contempt for all women. “I found Soubin perfect for the constable role,” she added.

What is the story of Pathirathri

Pathirathri, meaning midnight in Malayalam, mainly revolves around the happenings around a single night.

The film revolves around woman SI Jancy and constable Harish. Some problems happen in their life. Amid this, another problem comes up during a night duty, which alters the course of several lives.

Also read: Paathirathri: Teaser hints at a gritty cop drama with Soubin Shahir, Navya Nair playing a couple

Apart from them, the film features Sunny Wayne as a journalist while Anne Augustine plays his wife. Harisree Ashokan plays a grade SI, along with Indrans, Shabareesh Varma and Kannada actor Achyuth Kumar. Pathirathri is yet to announce a release date, but is expected to hit theatres in October 2025.

FAQs

Q. What is the new movie of Ratheena?

A. The new movie of Ratheena is Pathirathri.

Q. Who is the director of the movie Puzhu?

A. Ratheena PT is the director of the movie Puzhu which stars Mammoootty and Parvathy Thiruvothu.

Q. Was Puzhu a hit or flop?

A. Puzhu had a direct OTT release on Sony Liv and OTTplay Premium

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