Maranamass star Siju Sunny: 'An actor with more star value than me had to play P P Luke...' | Exclusive

Siju Sunny gained popularity among Malayalis due to his performance's ability to make audiences giggle for a while. However, few know that he wrote the screenplay for Basil Joseph's latest dark comedy, Maranamass, apart from playing a pivotal role in it. Since its release on SonyLIV, the film has gained more praise with many lauding the cast, especially the Nunakuzhi star. In an interview with OTTplay, the young actor talked about how the plot of the film was written.

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Are there any real-life inspirations incorporated into the film?

No actual incident served as the inspiration for the movie. The only thing I have seen once is a drunk elderly man sitting next to a young girl in a bus. I observed her moving to a different seat because she felt uneasy about his talking loudly and upsetting other passengers. There were not many people on the bus, and it was evening. I just used this one incident in the movie, rest all are fictional.

Did you have this cast in mind when you were writing the script for Maranamass?

When we first wrote the script, we didn't have anyone in mind. After a while, there was a suggestion that that I should play P P Luke. However, after lots of thought, we concluded that an actor with more star value would be beneficial to the movie. It did work, didn't it? The Pravinkoodu Shappu star was perfect for this role. Subsequently, director Sivaprasad recommended that I portray Aruvi in this.

Before Maranamass, in which you performed a poignant character, Malayalis had only seen you in comedic parts. How did you find the experience?

Many people had expressed that they thought my character in the movie would be humorous. But other people had also reached out to me directly to express how deeply they felt connected to Aruvi. Hearing such an audience feedback always makes me happy.

The movie included numerous allusions to pop culture and social media trends. Did you add each one gradually, one at a time, making the scripting process a lengthy one?

This movie's plot was not developed in a typical manner. One by one, the film incorporates satirical and mock elements as each character is introduced directly to the audience. The screenplay changed at every stage, and we were free to include any references we wanted. The final script took a year and a half to complete. Thanks to my active Instagram account, I was able to incorporate a number of comedic elements into Maranamass. Our main concern was figuring out how many to include in the script. 

This is 'not everyone's cup of tea,' as we stated at the start of the movie since we knew that many people would not be able to relate to the plot or the humour. Overall, it was an experimental movie that would mostly appeal to a particular audience.

What are your upcoming films?

I am working on two scripts. Meanwhile, I am playing a prominent role in the film, Vyasanasametham Bandhumithradhikal, which is expected to hit the big screen next month.

Also Read: Will Basil Joseph's Maranamass have a sequel? Here's what Siju Sunny has to say | Exclusive