Audience should not expect a Baahubali or Pazhassi Raja: Mamangam director Padmakumar

‘Mamangam’ directed by M Padmakumar is currently in the last stages of shoot. Starring Mammootty in the lead, the movie is shaping up as an action packed historical flick. Since ‘Mamangam’ is a period flick set in a medieval era, parallels are certain to be drawn with ‘Baahubali’, which has set a new benchmark for Indian cinema in this particular genre. In Malayalam, Mammootty’s own films ‘Oru Vadakkan Veeragatha’ and ‘Pazhassi Raja’ are considered as the standard.

However, director Padmakumar has made it clear that audience should not be expecting a film like ‘Pazhassi Raja’ or ‘Baahubali’. According to him, Mamangam is, in a way, the story of a failed hero. It focusses on the life of people considered below the ruling classes in the social hierarchy of those times. As per the director, it is a thrilling story and has all the elements of an entertainer.

Earlier, Mammootty had also said that ‘Mamangam’ be entirely different from ‘Baahubali’ as it is a more realistic film with very less VFX and computer generated imagery. ‘Baahubali’ is completely fictitious while ‘Mamangam’ is a historic film with almost 80% of it being based on true events. It is based on the religious festival, Mamangam, that took place every twelve years in a place called Thirunavaya, on the banks of the Bharatapuzha, for over 280 years.

The movie’s original director Sajeev Pillai penned the script after doing an extensive research for over twelve years. Shankar Ramakrishnan later adapted the screenplay. Shoot is nearing completion and the makers are planning to release it by the end of the year.