PremiumFahadh Faasil: Dhoomam can be made in any language as it deals with an issue relevant to all societies
In an exclusive interview with OTTplay, Fahadh Faasil talks about Dhoomam, his view on pan-Indian releases and more
Last Updated: 09.23 AM, Jun 23, 2023
Post the success of the KGF movies, it would have been tough for any actor to reject an offer from Hombale Films, much less put forth his own demands. But that’s what Fahadh Faasil did to get Pawan Kumar’s Dhoomam made in Malayalam, instead of Kannada. That’s probably also why filmmakers across the country are queuing up to work with the actor, who tells us that he’s “in it to have fun and be happy” with his work.
In an exclusive interview with OTTplay, the Malayalam star, who is in the thick of shooting action sequences for Aavesham in Bengaluru, talks about his latest release Dhoomam, his positioning as an actor in other industries and why his ‘pan-Indian’ appeal is a reward for the work that he has been putting in since the beginning of his career and not just since the pandemic.
Pawan Kumar had been pitching the idea for Dhoomam since 2008 in Kannada. What led you to convincing him to do the film in Malayalam?
Pawan had always called me for Kannada projects. He first got in touch with me after Lucia (2013) and I said I wasn’t keen on doing movies outside Malayalam. After that I started doing movies in other languages and he reached out again and shared the pitch for Nicotine, which I found interesting. But he called me for another character; the lead role was supposed to be done by a Kannada star. That, however, didn’t happen and much later I called him to enquire about the status of Nicotine and that’s when he told me that it was with Hombale Films. I wished him best and told him to make his movie.
Hombale, along with executive producer Vijay Subramaniam, then got in touch with me and said they wanted to do the project with me in Kannada. Initially, I said no because I didn’t want to play a hero in a Kannada movie. But they kept following up, and eventually asked me what my deal was. I told them, ‘I want to make it in Malayalam. You can have other versions, but the original will have to be in Malayalam.’ They took a while and then got back, saying that they will do it in Malayalam and will have a Kannada version as well. That’s how Dhoomam happened.
Because it was initially aimed at the Kannada audience, were there a lot of changes in the script while adapting it for the Malayalam audience?
No. In Pawan’s films, the geography doesn’t matter. Be it Lucia or U-Turn, it’s the theme that drives the narrative. It can be set anywhere; what depends is how convincingly you can pull off the act. Dhoomam can be made in any language because it deals with a big issue that is relevant to all societies. So, the language isn’t going to be a barrier. I want to see how the audience digests what it conveys.
When Pawan narrated Nicotine to me, there was a shock factor, and I hope the audience too feel that. What it conveys is true and out there, if it manages to shock the audience, it will benefit them.
In the past, you have said you aren’t a huge fan of pan-Indian releases. Has that changed with your films Pushpa, Vikram and now Dhoomam all releasing in multiple languages?
Dhoomam is an expensive film and I can’t stop the producers from monetising it. I want the audience to watch the original; if the other versions are also viewed, it’s well and good. See, markets, not just cinema, are beyond our control. If a demand is created, you have to supply. That aspect I leave it to the producers.
On June 23, the first-ever mainstream Malayalam web series, Kerala Crime Files, began streaming. You have been the poster-boy for OTTs in Malayalam during the pandemic. So, how much has the OTTs helped widen your appeal to the audiences across the country?
I have done like five movies during the pandemic, out of which three (C U Soon, Joji and Irul; Malik was shot before the pandemic) had been released directly on OTTs. But I have a filmography of about 45 films. So, ideally I think that it’s the payback over time.
Not just me, my entire generation is witnessing a massive change in terms of making and marketing a film, the audience experience we are trying to create and also the viewers. It’s just that most of us are at the right place, at the right time. There’s a lot of exploration happening in that regard.
You are also reaping the benefit of you not positioning yourself as just a hero. In Pushpa as well as your upcoming Tamil movie Maamannan, you play the antagonists.
I am very clear that I don’t do this for anyone else. I am in this purely for myself and not to build anything. My parents have only asked me to have fun. It’s about being successful; it’s about being happy. When people like Sukumar, Mari (Selvaraj) or Lokesh (Kanagaraj) approach me for an association, I feel there’s an opportunity where I get to learn something that I don’t know and I get to explore things that are new to me. be it Maamannan, Pushpa or Super Deluxe, I would have done all these films even if they were pitched to me in Malayalam. It’s not like I went out and did something because I couldn’t do it here. I have the same excitement levels, while shooting a Malayalam film and a non-Malayalam movie.
You are now shooting for Romancham director Jithu Madhavan’s Aavesham. What can you tell us about that?
Aavesham is getting ready. It’s a very exciting film. I haven’t done anything like before. Hopefully, it will be an early 2024 release.