Mamukkoya, a veteran actor and football enthusiast, was set to star in the lead role of the upcoming film ‘Malabar’. Although the actor’s sudden demise has left the filmmakers in a difficult position, they are determined to release the film despite the odds. Director Dheeraj Bala says that 75% of the film has been completed, and the team is confident that they will be able to release the film in the near future.
“Mamukkoya’s character is a 71-year-old football coach. This is his first full-fledged role in a Malayalam movie. Thankfully, we were able to shoot the majority of his scenes by the end of last year. However, since he had some health issues, we had to postpone the shoot of the climax scene. His sudden demise had left us shocked,” said Dheeraj.
The film’s director had approached Mamukkoya nine years ago, but they faced difficulties finding a producer for the film. However, Dheeraj says that the success of recent OTT releases, such as ‘Home’, renewed their hopes, and they decided to proceed with the film. Mamukkoya was excited about the movie and constantly inquired about its progress. Despite appearing frail during the shoot, he delivered his lines with zeal.
According to Dheeraj, ‘Malabar’ will be a tribute to Mamukkoya and his acting prowess. “After his demise, many said that filmmakers didn’t explore Mamukkoya’s acting prowess to its fullest extent. We wanted to change that when he was alive. We aimed to tell the world that Mamukkoya could carry a film on his own, though we regret we were not able to bring this out earlier. ‘Malabar’ is a tribute to him and what he represented,” he said.
The team is considering some changes to the final scenes of the film, as there were special moments toward the climax that cannot be included due to Mamukkoya’s demise. “So, we plan to make some few alterations in the script,” said Dheeraj. Discussions are underway regarding the changes that can be incorporated into the film.
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