Kayoze Irani on Prithviraj Sukumaran: 'He's my co-director on Sarzameen'

Filmmaker-actor Kayoze Irani highly praises Prithviraj Sukumaran, the lead actor in his forthcoming film Sarzameen. Despite the film's emotional thriller-like elements, he discovered that working with the Malayalam actor-filmmaker added a fresh perspective to the production.

Calling him a co-director

In an interview with MidDay, Irani gushes over Prithviraj, describing him as his "co-director" and exclaiming to have never worked with someone more magnificent. He said, He’ll spoil you. And he’s never there for himself; he’s there for the film. He gives me feedback about everything except himself. Maybe because he’s that good."

While filming Aadujeevitham in Jordan, Irani reflects on how Prithviraj was cast. He revealed, "My writers Somil and Arun told me, ‘It will be fun to have Prithvi sir.’ And I said, Really? You think so? We hadn’t even met him. We had just connected." Once they reached out, things progressed swiftly despite the schedule and geographical obstacles.

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Because of his time constraints, he read an outline. The very same evening, he returned the call with the words, "I’m very, very interested. Let’s do it."

Director's actor with a team spirit

With a background in filmmaking (he helmed blockbuster movies in Malayalam such as Lucifer and L2: Empuraan), Prithviraj added a team-player attitude to the performance. Irani says that he would frequently consult him for his thoughts on certain scenarios. He went on to say, "Sometimes I’d go to him on set and say, ‘Sir, I’m feeling this in the scene,’ and he’d listen and either say, ‘You’re absolutely right,’ or give a subtle suggestion. He claims I never listen to him, but I do. A lot."

Although it is rare for a single actor to elevate an entire film, the director asserts that Prithviraj accomplished this repeatedly. According to Irani, the actor was an essential component of Sarzameen beyond his onscreen role because of his humility and dedication to the film's bigger goal. "He's a dream to work with," Irani exclaims.

Sarzameen release date

On July 25, Sarzameen will make its JioHotstar (OTTplay Premium) premiere.