Akkarakazhchakal director Abi Varghese is all set to enter Mollywood with the film Monsoon Mangoes
Abi Varghese
Abi Varghese might not be a very familiar name for cine-goers and in film circles. But Akkarakazhchakal — the sitcom directed by Abi was one of the most popular programmes among television audience. Following the actors and the screen writer of that super hit sitcom, who have all stepped into M’town, Abi is also all set to enter tinsel town in the role of a filmmaker. After a two-year-long pre production effort, he is foraying into the world of feature film through the Fahadh Faasil-starrer Monsoon Mangoes. Like Akkarakazhchakal, this film is also completely set in the US, where the director has been living for the last 23 years.
“ It was after we concluded the production of Akkarakazhchakal, I sat with my friend Matt Grubb to discuss a feature film project, which in fact was my dream for the past few years. So, we had gone through a detailed process as part of the scripting itself and thus we took around two years for that,” says the director, who wrote the script, along with ABCD fame Naveen Bhaskar and Matt Grubb.
According to Abi, the film is conceived as an out and out comedy film which is bound with slightly dramatic scenes. Though it is a humour flick, no slapstick humour elements have been included in it. What the situation demands is only added in the script. As the film is set in the US, the major share of technicians, including cinematographers are recruited from there. Around 90 percent of the film was shot in the US and the rest in Rajasthan. Vinay Forrt, Iswarya Menon, Vijay Raaz, Jaco Gregory, Thampi Antony, Sajini and Tovino Thomas will appear in major roles in the film,” says the 33-year-old director.
Though he has done several short films and advertisements, it was Akkarakazhchakal that gave him the first break. “It was around six years ago, we got a half an hour slot in a Malayalam channel to do a sitcom. Thus, we friends joined together for that project, which eventually became a huge hit. We had done several episodes, with different themes, for around three years,” says Abi, whose new film is all set to be released by Balaji Telefilms.
( Source : deccan chronicle )
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