Exclusive! Ranjith Sankar: Like Cast Away, there’s a reason for solitude in Jayasurya’s Sunny too

Mollywood director Ranjith Sankar’s debut film Passenger itself was a game-changer for Malayalam cinema - in terms of its narrative that balanced both commercial elements as well as an unique format. His latest film Sunny is another step in that regard. The movie, which has him teaming up with Jayasurya again, is a solo-actor project, he tells us. 

In conversation with OTTplay, the filmmaker talks about Sunny, its possible OTT release, his writing process and more. 

The teaser of Sunny was released a few months ago. What more can you tell us about the movie?

Sunny was quite a challenging film and is unique because it’s a feel-good film with only one actor. There are a lot of films made with one actor, but it has always been thrillers or movies of that sort. Not many similar films as Sunny have been made. I don’t know if I have succeeded, but that was the idea.

There are reports that Sunny is heading for an OTT release. Any updates on that?

We have almost finalised a deal with an OTT platform. We would have loved it to be a theater release, because it demands attention. But now, we don't have many options and theatres are not showing any signs of reopening soon. Even if they do, the kind of audience I expect for Sunny will not show up, I feel, because we need an ideal condition for people to come and watch a film like this. So, I think OTT is the best option and you will hear about the release soon.

In the teaser of the film, we saw a single shot of Jayasurya going through a bunch of emotions. He has won national acclaim for his performances in your movies such as Su.. Su.. Sudhi Vathmeekam and Njan Marykutty. Can we expect something similar from Sunny?

See, we can only make a film and hope the audience like and enjoy it. That’s the first goal. Other things are a bonus. Sunny has been a challenging film to make in that sense. Like even the shot in the teaser, it is a mirror shot that I don’t think a lot of people have noticed. There’s a reason for that shot. 

First of all, it was a difficult film to write, because I have wanted to make a film with a single actor for many years now. I thought about a lot of subjects but I didn’t feel like making one. You could have an actor trapped somewhere and have them escape; that’s the template for films of such nature. I didn’t feel the motivation to do it earlier. 

In March 2020, I got this idea that I was excited about it because there cannot be a better subject to make a film on solitude. Like in Cast Away, there’s a reason for the solitude in Sunny too. We have all gone through it in the past year and are still going through it. So, that way, people will connect with it and this is the right time to make it.

Tell us how you went about writing the film.

I think Sunny is the first script I wrote without a one-liner and it took me six months to complete it. I wrote so many versions to convince myself I can do it. I wrote it without any actor in mind. I thought if I could write it convincingly, I would get an actor. Because his or her career, an actor would do just one film like this. 

Jayasurya and I were talking about planning other films like an entertainer during those months. I never told him about Sunny as I don’t want an actor to get excited because that would be a wrong reason to make a film. I needed to get excited to approach an actor. When I was ready to make the film, I just looked for available people who could do it.

What led you to cast Jayasurya?

I approached Jayasurya because of our relationship. First of all, I thought it would be a difficult film to make first. We were making it in difficult circumstances due to the restrictions and for this film to work, it needed outstanding teamwork. So, if I worked with a new actor for this film, we might not get the chemistry right. It is difficult to act for 100 minutes alone and people will get fed up. So, trust in each other is very important.

Firstly, the role needed an outstanding actor; not only in acting, but in patience and perseverance. It’s a feel-good film and for such a film to work with a single actor is tricky. It involves many songs and is a musical in a way. The character is a musician, and when I met him before the shoot, he was growing a big beard and I thought he could be the person. I talked to him about the film around October mid and he immediately decided to make it. We started shooting in 10 days. He had other commitments but he pushed it. We started the film quickly because it was very important to shoot it fast because we were at a phase where we had the conviction and it could fade away very fast with such films. 

If it was right now, maybe I wouldn’t have made the film. But I’m happy I made it and I hope people will watch it.

Over the years, Ranjith Sankar-Jayasurya combo has provided great movies like Pretham, Punyalan Agarbattis and Su.. Su.. Sudhi Vathmeekam. What makes this combination so good?

I think it’s primarily our friendship and then the belief in each other. Basically, we are trying to improve ourselves working as a team and more than all this, the screenplay. Rarely have I written a script for Jayasurya. It has always been the other way around. 

What are your upcoming projects?

Right now, I’m confused because there are a couple of projects I’m supposed to make, but in the current situation, I don’t think it is feasible to shoot because the situation needs to improve and we need a healthy atmosphere. When we shot Sunny, the situation was a lot better. Now, unfortunately it’s gotten worse and there are no signs of improvement. So I don't know. 

There is a love story and thriller I’m looking forward to making. There is also a period film I’m planning to helm, but it’s again a big film. I hope I can make it at least next year. These three are the scripts that I have finished and I’m waiting for. Then there are a few films like an entertainer, but all those cannot be made right now.