Karam: Vineeth Sreenivasan reveals he wasn’t the first choice to direct it, ‘wanted to return to thrillers’ | Exclusive

It’s been 12 years since actor-director Vineeth Sreenivasan helmed his cult thriller Thira. Though he had his reasons to stay away from the genre, he is finally returning to it with Karam, starring Noble Babu Thomas and former Kerala Blasters head coach Ivan Vukomanovic.

In this exclusive chat with OTTplay ahead of the film’s theatrical release on September 25, Vineeth talks about his reasons for shifting gears after a string of feel-good dramas such as Hridayam and Varshangalkku Shesham, the hurdles of shooting in Georgia, and how working with a trusted team helped bring Karam to life.

After more than a decade since Thira, you are back to thrillers with Karam. Why now?
When you work on films like that, the kind of reference materials you rely on takes you into a different headspace. For Thira, I kept reading autobiographies of women involved in rescue operations, and most of them were very dark. That darkness seeps into you, which is why I decided to focus on feel-good films for a while.

But right now, maybe because of my age, I am able to approach it more objectively. Still, while shooting certain scenes—which filmmakers today might do more easily—I do have apprehensions. Yet I always wanted to return to the genre, and this felt like the right time.

Were you always meant to direct Karam?
No, the plan was for Noble to direct the film. He had been working on the screenplay for over two years, from 2021 to 2023, and I had heard it back then. After 2023, I told him that if he could wait a year, I would like to direct it. Eventually, we worked on the script together and made it happen.

Would you classify Karam as an action film?
Not really. It’s a thriller with a little bit of action here and there.

A big chunk of the film was shot in Georgia. How challenging was that?
Extremely challenging. I think this is the first full-fledged Malayalam film to be shot there. We had line producers, casting directors and stunt choreographers from Georgia, but their working styles were very different from ours. They don’t work on Sundays, their workday is strictly 12 hours, and the weather was unpredictable — the mornings and afternoons felt like two different seasons. Synchronising all that was the toughest part.

How much did having cinematographer Jomon T John onboard help in shaping the film’s visual language?
When Jo is behind the camera, you organically get the right aesthetic. Since I first met him, I’ve known the kind of films he watches and the visuals that attract him. He makes it a point to share those references with me. It was the same for Thira, and again for Karam.

Usually, I do the recce. For Karam, Noble first checked the locations, then I did a detailed recce with him, and finally we showed Jo. He only suggested changing one or two locations. Interestingly, the visual tone you now see in the trailer wasn’t pre-planned. After days of shooting, just before a particular scene, Jo asked me to check the monitor and said, “Let’s use this look for the film.” That reminded me of Thira. With Jo, we don’t use a rigid look-book — it’s always something organic that evolves while shooting.

Does working with a familiar team, Jomon, producer Visakh Subramaniam, composer Shaan Rahman, and Noble, make things easier, especially while shooting in a new terrain like Georgia?
Definitely. Everyone was equally invested in the film from start to finish. For example, even though it’s not a full-on action movie, Noble handled a lot of the stunt choreography himself. He would perform it and then show it to me, and I would step in where it needed to be dramatised. There was always clarity on who would manage what, even during post-production.

On a different note, you and Shaan are credited with writing the lyrics of the Arabic song Al Malik in the film. How did that come about?
Initially, we approached an Arab writer, but the lyrics didn’t sync with the music we had in mind. We even tried working with Indian writers who knew Arabic, but it still didn’t fit. That’s when Shaan and I decided to write it ourselves. We cracked Al Malik over a phone call; we wanted a catchphrase that was familiar to many and also gave perspective to the character.

You had once mentioned that after becoming a father, you avoided darker subjects. Was Karam a conscious deviation?
Yes. I wanted to do a thriller even before Varshangalkku Shesham; in fact, in 2023 itself. That’s why I asked Noble for this script to direct.

As an actor, though, you’ve picked thrillers like Mukundan Unni Associates and Thankam. Was that a deliberate choice too?
I like thrillers a lot. Since the films I direct are usually feel-good or coming-of-age, I find thrillers refreshing as an actor. It’s not just Mukundan Unni and Thankam, back in 2011, I did Traffic and Chappa Kurishu for the same reason. Whenever I get the opportunity to be part of such films, I grab it.

What makes thrillers so appealing to you, both as a viewer and a filmmaker?
Some thrillers warrant a repeat watch. For instance, I watched Rekhachithram twice in theatres. It’s been a long time since I’ve done that for a Malayalam film. Then there’s Oru CBI Diary Kurippu, one of those rare thrillers you never get tired of rewatching. The beauty of thrillers is that they engage you almost like a game of chess. You’re participating, solving puzzles alongside the protagonist. The engagement quotient is very high, and that’s what excites me about the genre.

FAQs

Q. Is Karam connected to Thira?

A. So far, the makers have not confirmed that Karam is related to Vineeth Sreenivasan's directorial Thira. Karam is scripted by actor and producer Noble Babu Thomas.

Q. Who plays the villain in Karam?

A. Former Kerala Blasters coach Ivan Vukomanovic essays the antagonist Andre Nicola in Karam.

Q. When is Karam releasing in theatres?

A. Karam will hit theatres on September 25, 2025.