Glad that my father’s eventful life is being made into a movie: Vijayaraghavan on NN Pillai’s biopic

Recently, on Nivin Pauly’s birthday, it was announced that the actor would be teaming up with Rajeev Ravi for a biopic on NN Pillai’s life. NN Pillai is widely regarded as one of Kerala’s greatest theater artistes of all time. He was also a freedom fighter in Netaji Subash Chandra Bose’s Indian National Army (INA). Rajeev Ravi’s biopic will showcase his life as a young soldier and his days as a drama artist.

NN Pillai is also famous among the Malayali movie lovers for his spectacular Performance as the patriarch Anjooran in Siddique-Lal’s cult classic Godfather. His son Vijayaraghavan is also a well known actor in the industry. The latter is actually delighted that a movie is being made on his father’s eventful life.

In a recent interview to a daily, Vijayaraghavan opened up about his father’s early days. NN Pillai went to Malaysia and joined the INA when he was 19 years old. He returned to Kerala in 1945 only to return back to Malaysia with his family within a year. He stayed there for three and a half years before coming back and settling in Kerala.

The upcoming biopic is based on NN Pillai’s autobiography Njaan. The book chronicles all major events that happened in his life till Vijayaraghavan was born. Iyobinte Pusthakam fame Gopan Chidamabram is scripting this movie, which will reflect the history of Kerala and the role of Keralites in INA.

E4 Entertainment is producing this big budget movie. Ace cinematographer Madhu Neelakandan has been roped in to crank the camera. More details regarding the other cast and crew members is expected to be announced in the coming days. The makers are planning to start shoot by early next year.