Mohanlal and Priyadarshan to begin filming for Olavum Theeravum, a segment in the MT Vasudevan Nair anthology

Malayali film fans have been excited ever since the news broke that the Netflix anthology will feature films based on short stories by the legendary M.T Vasudevan Nair. The latest update about the project is that Mohanlal and Priyadarshan will begin filming for their film soon. 

As reported by the Times of India, the iconic actor-director combo will begin filming for the segment based on Nair’s short story Olavum Theeravum in the first week of July in Kozhikode. Santosh Sivan is reported to handle the camera for the film segment. 

Olavum Theeravum was a story that was part of an anthology, published by MT Vasudevan Nair in 1957. The story was then adapted into a film by PN Menon in 1970 and starred Madhu and Ushanandini. The film was the first to be shot entirely outside a studio and is also a prominent work that helped art house films find a market in Malayalam cinema. 

The Netflix anthology will consist of 10 segments, all based on Nair’s short stories and will also feature a long list of stars. Mammootty, Fahadh Faasil, Sidhique, Surabhi Lakshmi, Renji Panicker, Indrans, Asif Ali, Ann Augustine, and Indrajith Sukumaran will all be seen in the anthology series, apart from Mohanlal. 

Some of Malayalam’s most prominent filmmakers such as Santosh Sivan, Lijo Jose Pellissery, Shyamaprasad, Mahesh Narayanan and Rathish Ambat will also be directing segments in the anthology. Nair’s daughter Ashwathy Nair will also be helming a segment. 

Priyadarshan is also helming Shilalikhithangal based on Nair’s acclaimed short story of the same name. The segment will feature Biju Menon and Shanthi Krishna. 

Priyadarshan and Mohanlal, one of Malayalal cinema’s most successful duos, last collaborated for the period war drama, Marakkar: Lion of the Arabian Sea. The movie is available to stream on Amazon Prime Video now.