All language subtitles for The Risks That Paid Off- How Lokah Shattered Box Office Records & Expectations - InFocus - THR India

A lot of the time, people approach
movies being like, you know, this is

audience wants now.

This is what is working.

No.

We don't know what's working.

We don't know what they want.

You can see me. I talk with my hands.

I blink ten times in a conversation.

He's like, I don't want any of that.

He's like, you play a character that's
hundreds of years old. You need to move

that way.

My dad was like, very worried about the
cast going on.

You know, her dad called me and said,
what were you thinking? How did you

Why would you take this bet? What can
you tell us about Motown? It will take

more convincing.

I've been reading a lot of fan theories
that have been coming on YouTube and on

the internet.

And most of them, I think they've
cracked a lot of stuff.

Don't say that.

No, no.

But...

Dominique Kalyani -Dulkar, welcome to
The Hollywood Reporter India.

Thank you.

Congratulations on Loka. I can't tell
you how much I enjoyed this film.

I watched it on day two in Mumbai, and
the hall was almost full.

And at the end of it, people just
started clapping.

Okay, just spontaneous applause, which
is so rare and so wonderful.

And it's exactly why we go to the
theater.

So I want to... Just begin by asking you
what the last few weeks have been like.

How are you processing blockbuster
success?

The last figure I heard was 220 crores.
I don't know. Someday you should ask the

producer.

How vulgar.

I love that.

Indeed. But how are you all sort of just
looking at the way this very

ambitious punt that the three of you
took and your whole team took actually

landed?

It's been crazy the last couple of weeks
because we were never expecting

something like this.

We were almost sure that we did a good
film, but the kind of response that has

been coming, it's been really crazy. I
mean, I don't know. It took a lot of

for us to process. In fact, I was
telling him today.

Is it our imposter syndrome or what is
it?

Because it's surreal.

Yeah, it's surreal. It's been so crazy.

I mean, the kind of re -watch messages
that we get, I mean, okay, once or twice

is okay. I've caught messages saying
people have watched it for more than

times. So it's the filmmaker's dream
that your film gets re -watched and they

pick up small details from that and text
you those or send you screen grabs.

But yeah, when it's happening, it's
like, dude, this is happening. So it's

kind of crazy for me right now, yeah.

Is this also a producer's dream?

Absolutely. This is our seventh film
that we're producing.

And I don't think anything's been like
this. We've kind of landed safe.

But nothing's really been... We grew up
a little bit during that post -COVID

time. But nothing like this. This is
unprecedented.

Forget as a producer, I think even as an
actor, none of my films have blown up

like this, which is so widely accepted
across demographics, which is so now a

part of...

pop culture you know it's everyone's
referring to it so that i think that is

exciting part uh we as as as production
we were even thinking

we might lose something on this film we
were like okay maybe the first film we

lose okay what's the most we lose so
this is our calculation those were the

ideas like initially yeah because we're
like it's a good film but we didn't

understand the the sort of calculations
behind it because uh for the budget

And it was not like any of the buyers
got really excited about buying the

They were like, okay, maybe the first
film might take a hit.

But hopefully, if the franchise is
established, we'll do better on the

chapters.

But day one, and like you watched in
Bombay on day two, day one, I was seeing

reviews from all over the country,
which, I mean, I think can itself speak

volumes about Malayalam and just, you
know, Indian cinema in general.

People all over the country will go on
release day and give a film a chance.

And immediately talk about it, review
it, make reels about it.

So I found that, you know, like, it
generally made me happy. I was excited

it. But then I didn't quite process the
sheer enormity of it. Like, I think it

just, the way it blew up, I think all of
us were kind of in disbelief.

We were like, oh, wait a minute.

Now what do we do about the next step?

Yeah, no pressure.

Okay,

let me, there's lots of things that I
find amazing about what has just

right? But, and tell me if I'm getting
this right.

This is what I've understood about the
origin story of the movie, that you had

this idea in your head that, you know,
we create a superhero out of folklore,

which is the Yaxi story, the Neeli
story, which is very, very popular.

in kerala but it was a small budget
single it sort of independent standalone

film right you go to dulkar and you say
let's expand it

let's make a universe out of it correct
i i feel like i mean they'd obviously

appreciate to other producers and stuff
and i think i think there was these

ideas of maybe we can but i think it was
a tough pitch for them uh starting with

neely And that's the trip that they were
going with. I don't know if many people

got that.

I think what excited me was, yeah, I
love the fact that it was a girl

I'm like, hey, that's a good way to
pitch a film.

We have an interesting way. It's a
clutter breaker. It's an interesting way

at least, because now superheroes have
been done. At least we can maybe come

saying we're the first girl superhero.

But then all of these characters, all of
the so -called superheroes in the

universe, It's so known to all of us.
And that was already, I think, in their

minds. They were like, hey, you know, if
this works, then we could maybe create

a universe out of this.

So I think at that point, I was like,
no, then we should probably set it up

that plan in mind. Because unless we
commit, the audience won't believe that

will come out with subsequent chapters.

If we do a kind of, not half -baked, but
like a budgeted origin story of just

Neeli, in a smaller, and then you say,
oh, wait, you know, chapter two, we'll

come up with something.

I don't know how much they'll buy that.
So I was like, then if we're doing this,

we go all out and we'll try and create,
at least we'll make them believe that we

are going to come out.

So then we started exploring that more.
And this is, I think, 22 or something.

22, 23.

Yeah. And then, and then we were like,
wait, we don't, we don't really know

the whole universe can be. So I think
then they started sitting on.

fleshing that out. But, Dulkar, the
easiest thing for you as a producer

to say that, sure, we'll do the
Chandrath story, but let's begin with my

character because it's also commercially
more viable. Did that thought even

cross your mind?

I actually, my whole goal with Wayfarer
Films was to kind of, which is why the

company doesn't have my name attached to
it. I kind of want it to be a

standalone entity.

And I wanted to stand for, I'm super
greedy about movies. So, I want to have

great filmography of my own.

And I want the company also to have a
great filmography of its own, with or

without me.

So I think, for me, that is more
exciting than me producing my own

movie. It's a bit... It's a bit... A
little vain.

Yeah, exactly. I'm like... Typically, if
that fits to me, that'll be my

reaction. I'm like... So even this
cameo, I fought with them for it. I was

you guys should be able to make it
without me having to do anything.

Are you kidding?

We just saw that hair and started
screaming, okay?

But they conned me. They conned me. It's
only the eye.

So I was like, okay, so I just come in
for like half an hour and I go, I'm

And they're like, no, we actually want
to explore a little more.

But I also, both of you said in
interviews that at different times,

to both of you that don't worry about
the money, right?

We'll make that in subsequent films.

Just let's make a good film.

I mean, to me, the enlightened producer
is such a thing of beauty, right?

How did this free you up as an artist to
really go where you wanted to with

Luka?

Like I said, initially, this was a very
small budget. I mean, we thought of it

as an independent film. We'll make an
independent action superhero. Superhero,

love that.

Yeah, so that was the initial idea. But
when me and Nimish, we went to Luka and

we spoke to him about it, he said that
we could make it a bigger...

bigger film. Let it be a bigger film.

Don't bother that it's a female
-centered film. Let's just make the film

want to make. See, if you ask me, I want
to make a big film.

Definitely, we'll go for a bigger film,
which is visually appealing and all

there. But considering the industry
standards and since it's a female

film, we thought, let's just make it
constrained.

We'll work within our constraints and
we'll do what we can do best.

We've still done that.

Whatever we've done is still that. But
still, he opened up

opened up our mind so that we could
visualize a little more, what do you

Ambitiously. Ambitiously, yeah. So
that's what happened here.

And even when he says that don't care
about the money, we know that we have to

get the money back from the producer. So
that pressure is always there. Even if

he says that you want a producer to give
back the money. So that pressure has

been there. That keeps you going, I
think.

We should have that pressure. That
pressure keeps everybody on their toes

work towards what they want to achieve.

Yeah, I mean, yeah, that's it.

Kalyani, I read that you are the first
female actor in the four South Indus

trees to have a 200 crore film.

I mean, if your facts are right, then I
guess I have not done the research. I

mean, that's so amazing.

I want you to tell me a little bit about
the conversations you had with

Dominique about finding a way into her,
right? Because she's such a specific mix

of sadness and strength.

And you have to have both.

She's lonely, she's vulnerable, but
she's also phenomenally strong.

She's lived for so long. There is such
weight on her soul, almost.

How did you find your way in?

What were the questions you asked him? I
mean, this was one of those experiences

for me that when an actor does something
that's so different from who they are

and when there's some appreciation that
comes for that, that's when you feel

your best or you feel the happiest.

And the process for this was very much
like that.

I remember I had to unlearn a lot of my
own naturalism for the character. And

from the very beginning, Dominic was
like, this is not...

the you that we're used to. This is not
the you, the Kalyani that everyone's

seen before.

He was very sure that there needed to be
a certain kind of maturity to the role.

And at the same time, he said that she's
so emotionally numb. She's had so many

masks. She's carried different
identities through time that there's

her that she's lost and she's a very
detached person, right?

And so,

I even remember I was so insecure about
this character that I even called

Dulkarab. I'm like, I don't know what
I'm doing.

It feels so unnatural to me. He's
like... Hey, I know what you're talking

I know what that feels like. I remember
him telling me, he's like, are you happy

with everything?

You've lost judgment about yourself, but
are you happy with everything around

you that's happening?

Do you feel like Dominic's taking the
right call for everything? I'm like,

everybody else is bang on. And so he's
like, then I'm sure he's bang on about

you as well.

And I think that was where my initial
hesitation was. And then at that point,

completely surrendered to him.

At what point did you have this
conversation?

How many days?

Early. Yeah, very early. About four or
five days into shooting, I came back

thinking, I can't do this.

I remember coming because everything
felt so unnatural to me that I was like,

my God, how are people going to take
this? And then that's when I had this

conversation. You mean her stillness?
Yes, it's her stillness. Ma 'am, you can

see me. I talk with my hands.

I blink.

10 times in a conversation.

He's like, I don't want any of that.

He's like, you play a character that's
hundreds of years old.

He's like, you need to move that way.

So... I think her fear was she felt like
she's not doing anything. Yeah.

As actors, we're trying to...

you know, be alive and use body and
hands. Yeah. I'm like, I can't even lean

something. My dad's always said, use
everything around you to make something

more natural. And I'm there having to
float through time and space.

I remember that time calling Dominic and
Nimesh and being like, you know, just

maybe just ease her into it.

Like, you know, go three, four takes.
Two for you guys, two for her.

Let her feel like she's done her way of
doing it.

No, but it was the most rewarding part
of the process. Like, honest to God,

Thank you.

Are you very strict about your vision
and are you very collaborative? For

Chandra specifically, I've been
traveling with Chandra for a long time

knew how she would eat, she would walk,
she would sit, she would sleep.

So I had this very specific thing in my
mind. I wanted her to do exactly that.

I have given freedom to every other
actor, I believe, on set. Except you.

her. Because I had a very lot of
specific set of things that even when

at the tempo of her walk, I've given her
music references to actually listen to.

That is the pace.

That's what I gave her. So, with
Chandra, I was really specific.

Not with the others because the boys
were, I mean, they were free to do

they want. Yeah, he was like, just have
fun, guys. You.

You know, what I loved about the movie
was how it blends so many things.

Right? You're, of course, making a
superhero comic book movie. The colors

popping. But you're rooting it in very
sort of realistic,

If not textures, then at least things,
right? So she's a superhero, but she

needs to work.

She needs to mop the floor.

You know, the kind of thing that any
single woman living alone in the city

have to do.

But what I love most of all was you have
all of this action. And of course, it's

vampires, there's blood gushing
everywhere.

But it's so funny.

It was so funny.

You know, Sunny, the Nathlan character
and his roommates and the cat that the

-girlfriend gives back.

And that one man who's just... And that
one guy who's just lying behind.

You know, he's just in the theme zone
now.

How did you find that sort of balance
of...

okay, we need to make it an entertainer,
but also what works is the fact that

she's melancholic, that she's sad.

And you have Shanti Bala Chandran, who's
been credited for dramaturgy. You know,

so what were those conversations of how
do we, what's the secret sauce?

I don't know, but what we were thinking
was, see, we're going to tell Chandra's

story, but it should be through these
boys.

We are going to enter this world through
them.

Because they're us. There are. Yeah. So
let's make them as fun as possible so

that when it's humor, you always enjoy
it and you get into the film as quickly

as possible. So that was the only idea
that I had.

And I've been the biggest fan of a dad.

So humor is what I enjoy the most when
I'm writing as well.

I think I'm good with lines. So I come
up with these small things that can

actually... tickle a little bit. So I
think it was just the portal to the

was through these boys. So that was the
only thing that we have actually been

careful about.

And with Gandhi on board, we are going
to give a film with the

protagonist as a woman.

So see how hard I try, I won't be able
to bring that to the table.

We needed somebody like Shanti on board
to actually have that, if you call it a

feminist angle, that line should be
proper. I wanted that to be perfect.

So that's when Shanti came on board and
she was absolutely brilliant.

Small things like, there is a scene
where Sunny wakes up in her apartment

he wants to leave.

She asks him, like, why were you
following me?

He's like, I saw them kidnap you, so I
actually wanted to save you. So this

save you, and she responds like, me?

I just wrote it. I didn't have any
thought behind that. It was just written

the humor.

But Shanti brought in that there is this
element of a woman doesn't need saving

in those lines. That needs to be proper.

So I had to rewrite those lines.

in a way that comes out. So, yeah, like
that, small, small details. She's also

worked with costume department, art
department, with small, small, what do

say? Detailing. Detailing. A lot of
detailing from our side. And that's not

say that, sorry, that's not to say that
she was great only for the feminist

angle. Yeah, yeah. Like, she's
literally, like he said, he's worked

everything. Small detailing that even
the men would have left out, she was

specific about. She's like, this... The
Chinese symbol has one small comma

that's wrong. And we're like, oh, okay.
And she's refusing to let us take the

shot until that's fixed.

So, yeah.

And was she also the one who decided on
that killer white dress?

No, the white dress was part of the
screenplay.

Really? Because I wanted something to
actually represent the action.

Neeli.

Neeli. Actually, she's always in white.

It's a white sari usually.

So it goes back to that.

Okay, which of course people like us
would not know.

So and then it's launched a million
memes now.

I feel like all that hair color, like
everybody's like going red.

And the septum ring, I did not expect
that because I thought that would make

even more. And so I was initially like,
guys, are we sure we want the septum

ring? They were like, very sure we want
it. And now everyone's like, wow, that

septum ring just really works. Yeah, she
just looks so bad.

You know, we all want to be like her.

But tell me also about the decision to
make the villain, this man who's just

fueled by toxic masculinity, you know.

How did you arrive at, and my God,
Nachiappa is just...

And I love that little moment where he
almost can't bring himself to salute his

superior because the boss is a woman.

How did you say that, okay, this is what
we're going to talk about?

I wanted the antagonist to be a
policeman who has control.

Generally,

when you are out in the public at night,
you see a cop, you just be, I don't

know, for some reason we get scared.

So that's what I wanted to pick up.

If he's a cop, naturally you're scared
of cops at night. I don't know why, but

that happens.

So let's make Nachi up a police officer
who has a certain amount of power with

him, but he's still under a lot of other
people who have control over him. So

this guy needs power.

He's, I mean, what do you say?

He's itching to get that power and take
over the world kind of guy. So

that was the only thought.

I had initially while writing Nachepa
and the additions that came on were from

Sandeep.

Small details that the salute thing and
stuff like that, that came from Sandeep.

So, yeah, I just write. I don't know. I
don't think I have no formula for

writing. I've not learned screenwriting.
I don't follow the field.

I just...

Take my pen and just keep on writing.

Your handwriting?

No, first draft I do with my
handwriting, then I go to the laptop.

Really? You handwrite the first draft?
Yeah, first draft. How long is usually

the first draft?

It takes around two months.

And just in terms of pages?

Pages. The pages, I think it comes to
around 150 -100 pages. And you're

handwriting all of it?

Yeah.

I think a lot of writers do that.

I've forgotten how to write.

I write like a doctor.

Autographs, people are like... Self
-photo.

Dilka, tell me, as a producer, how hands
-on are you? Like, are you somebody who

would be on the set? Would you give
creative inputs?

Or do you feel like...

you've empowered, you've enabled, and
you step aside.

I think it varies film to film.

On this one? On this one, I was very
hands -off. As in, I would... Even now,

think even going forward, that's how I'd
like to be.

I would like to be the objective sort of
angle to the writing team or the

direction team.

Because they're going to be sitting on
it, they're going to be attached to it,

they're going to be living with it for
months or whatever.

i would like to come in only yet when
they have something which they feel is

more or less there or more or less bound
because at least i will have some

objectivity but i'm not so attached to
it or i don't know this journey of

arriving at these things and i think
that helped throughout this film i've

to set twice i think no way when was the
second time when he came for the camera

yeah of the two times

And even edit. Even edit, I only watched
it like twice. And I've had so many of

my productions where I would be
micromanaging everything.

I would be doing every, especially edit
and like writing.

I'm there a lot. But for some reason,
for me, I was like, I just felt like

guys know what they're doing.

Also like Nimish and Bangla and all of
them, whenever they come together, I

like I'm very sure of the world building
that they do.

Nimish and Bangla together.

Any of my films, most of my period stuff
has been them and I fully submit to

their vision of world building.

And from what, when Dom narrated the
story to me, I didn't find any major

in terms of structure or anything like
that. And it's charming, it's sweet.

I don't know if I'm the best judge of
humour. I always find humour a little

difficult to judge because you don't
know what the audience is used to

what's now popular.

It changes.

It keeps changing.

So that stuff, I'll always leave it to
them. But again, hats off to our actors.

I think if Narsin and Chandu and Arun
deliver any line, even if you've heard

10 times, I think they just bring their
own charm, own angle to it, where it's

just genuinely adorable.

When I kind of saw the first edit, I was
pretty happy in the sense I was like,

guys, I have nothing where I feel like,
oh, this should go, that should,

something needs to breathe, or this
needs to work, nothing. I was just like,

you want, you can just, spin trim and
maybe make it a little tighter. But I

don't really, I personally don't think
there's anything that I would change.

And I don't think we shaved much from
that.

No, I think... From the one I saw to
the... I don't think there's much of a

change. But what excited me was, I mean,
I was busy with my own films.

So I didn't see the final animation and
all that till in the cinema.

No. Yeah. So like, even like censor
cuts, it's my team that's watching it.

My sister is now kind of closely working
with us. She is like, oh my god, you

should watch the animation. I was like,
oh, I don't have time.

So I was like, you know what, I'm going
to watch it in cinemas.

And then I was like, oh, okay, now this
is awesome.

Which is great, because at some point, I
also get to watch our film as a viewer.

I know I know a lot about it, I'm
invested.

But somewhere I was like, there is that
last 10 % that maybe I just disconnect

from. But I want to watch it like a
viewer. And I had that.

amazing theatrical experience.

Yeah, but this film is also, one of the
other things you're blending is that

sense of melancholy, right, which the
protagonist has inside of her, her

vulnerability, her loneliness, that sort
of idea of the burden of immortality,

you know, and how heavily it weighs. I
mean, we all, none of us want to die,

this film is asking us to consider what
it's like to not die, right?

And yet it must work as an entertaining
blockbuster.

So, did you guys have any conversations
about, okay, how sad can we make it?

You know, how heavy can we go?

I kind of like the fact that every time
it would get a little heavy, they'd

diffuse it. Yeah. And I've always liked
that as a device in film. Is that a

Malayali thing?

I don't know. I mean, there's movies
that we've seen, you know, even

internationally. But like, whenever they
did that, I always thought that's a

smart thing to do. Because, you know,
it's not like you're taking away from

moment. But you are helping the viewer
kind of transition to the next scene.

know, they've absorbed the moment, but
hey, life goes on. Let's have a laugh

about it.

And that throughout the film, till the
very end.

Thank you, Tobino.

Yeah. And I love that about it. So I was
like, okay, it's not a film that is

taking itself too seriously.

And even though, you know, she lives on
forever, she still has this lightness in

her being, in her...

the way she chooses to lead her life.

So I think all of that gave me, I was
like, okay, there's something that they

know about entertaining, let's say.
Like, we can't be so consumed where the

doesn't become entertaining.

Correct. It cannot be just a story we're
telling and, you know, it's a hard

watch, it's a heavy watch.

Yeah. You know, Shanti said that this
was one of the most collaborative sets

she's ever been on. I second that.

I second that, yeah. So, tell me how
that happened. Is it organic?

Dom, as the leader of the pack, is it
something you intentionally wanted to

create because it was such an ambitious,
you know. I always believe that cinema

is a very collaborative effort. It's not
a one -man job anyway. So, there is

only so and so things I know about how
to make a film.

Then comes the expertise of Nimish.

Then comes Bangla and the art director
Jithu make a chronic.

the costumes by Artna and Melvi.

So, you just need to get the best out of
them.

That's the only way I know how to make a
good film.

So, when you have the best technicians
in the state working with you and they

all believe this to be their own film.
They poured in their heart to the film.

So, I'm a nice person. So, I don't know
if they'll like me or something. So,

I just try to keep the set.

Happy. Happy, yeah. I don't shout at
people. I'm not angry. I'm never angry.

Never been angry.

I'm always happy. Yeah, I just try to
keep everybody calm and cool. You're

under stress even? Yeah, I don't show
that. Do I show that? No, I don't show

that. I am stressful. I'm always
stressed. But yeah, I don't show that.

So I think it's that happy space that
everybody was so happy to be in.

They put in their 100%, maybe more than
100%.

I just have one thing to say. So the
last bit was the mix, right? And this

happened every step of the process. But
just to tell you how every department

worked on this, Rajat Rishan, he did the
mix for our film. And Rajat saw that

last... He watched everything.

And immediately he called me up and he's
like... He calls me Ammu, but he's

like, I don't know what you guys have
done.

It's out of this world. But I promise
you, mine is the last thing that is

into this. And I will give everything
that I have for...

I mean, to bring justice to what you
guys have done. And this happened to

department head.

Every part of the process. And I think
that's honestly to do with Dam's vision.

But the fact that every person felt that
and did that is why the film has become

what it's become, in my opinion.

Rajasthan likes me a lot.

He doesn't have to, okay?

But there was literally no egos on this
film.

And I've faced that as a producer many
times, I've faced that as an actor many

times, where people's egos get in the
way of the film, right?

I've worked with people who, to be
right, or to have it their way, might do

opposite of a gentle suggestion.

You know, where anyone on the film might
see something differently and suggest

something, and if you are going to do
the opposite just to be right, then it's

no longer about the film.

And there's been so many instances of
that.

Maybe that's another reason why I was so
hands -off on this film because the

energy was so good, so positive.

Everyone was just happy to be doing what
they were doing and excited and wanting

to tell this story to the best of their
ability.

So even to my team, I was like, guys,
give them what they want. I don't think

you should worry about... I don't see
them faffing or...

wasting our time, energy, money in any
which way. I feel like they're just

really passionate young team and they
want to make something. So, like, we

be a part of this and push that and make
it happen.

I don't know which other film will do
this.

But this is the one.

So, Tulkar, you've said that you're
going to share the profit.

Sure. Always a part of... This is
something that I always want to do

When films do extremely well, that
people should be rewarded.

And also, I like...

my key HODs and all being stakeholders
in the film. So like Dom, Nim are all

like stakeholders in the film. Because I
just feel like then it becomes their

own film.

You know, there again, I can step back a
little bit on micromanaging because

they also do care about the cost of the
film.

Everyone's invested. Everyone's
invested. Yeah.

And I believe this works well.

But, I mean, obviously in the press meet
when they said, will you be sharing?

And I said, yes, I will be sharing. It
doesn't mean... I also...

for the company.

It'll be great when we have a bit of a
war chest and not have interest burden

and then we can invest into our own
film. That is obviously the goal.

So, yeah, I mean, I would be really
silly if I gave it all to her. Again,

going and taking it. You've got four
more films to make. Exactly. Yeah, I

thought that's what you meant. You'll
put it back into the... Of course, yeah.

She's giving you a dirty look. She's
like, what do you mean?

But I do believe in them being
investment.

I think that's a great model.

Yeah, yeah. Okay, let's talk about the
next four.

Why don't you talk about it?

So, Dom, in my head, when you're
building a universe, This is my fantasy

how a filmmaker builds a universe. Like
there's some big chart or, you know,

Blackboard and you're just sort of
charting out plots and moving

Is that how it happens?

No, we have an idea of the whole
picture. You have a Bible for

the next four as well. It's not the next
four. It's actually how everything

started. It's the origin that we have.

You've seen Neeli's origin story.

We have every origin story and what has
happened over the past 10 ,000 years or

something. That we have laid out.

And we need to connect it to the present
day. We know how this is going to end.

What are the main plots that will happen
in the upcoming films. But we are yet

to work on screenplays for all the four.
We just have a vague idea of everything

that's going to happen. We have to
expect that this is going to happen.

But how it's going to happen, we need to
sketch that out.

You've got like the major piece, would
you say, of this.

But you know, when you have a
blockbuster, it is a double -edged

Because now is where it gets really
tricky because we want more of the same,

we also want it different.

Do you think you change any of your
decisions? How does this impact on your

creativity? No, I find this a very
exciting time.

Because I've been reading a lot of fan
theories that have been coming on

and on the internet.

And most of them, I think they've
cracked a lot of stuff.

Don't say that.

No, no.

But yeah, but it's not all right.

It's not all correct. But yeah. But I
mean, what they are cracking is kind of

what you put out there. Yeah, yeah,
exactly. So I think they are. It's

extrapolating from there. Yeah, even
whatever certain imagery or anything.

that's been put out there, they're able
to read into it. I heard you mention

this in an interview also. I was so
excited about the fact that, hey,

catching on to these things.

The stuff that we have planted there in
the backdrop or in an animation, they

are making some sense of it and putting
it together, which is also exciting.

Yeah, because I think that they are
ready for even bigger stuff, maybe a

more to delve deeper into the world.

I think that's an exciting time for me
to start writing the next chapter.

For now, I'm just in that space right
now. I'm not thinking too much about...

think even if they're able to piece it
together, it is kind of like knowing one

of our epics.

But they still don't know how we're
going to interpret it or how we might

position it or bring it into today's
world, where the characters are going to

set. There's obviously a lot of
discovery there for us also.

I don't think that knowing that is
something that we need to hide.

We only put it out there.

And what can you tell us about Mothan?

What can we tell about Mothan? No, it's
exciting.

It will take us more convincing.

Prove it to me. Like, okay.

Chapter 1 looks okay. Yeah, sure.

But he definitely feels proud. It better
get better and bigger.

And, you know, by the time, then maybe
I'll say, yeah.

You think?

I don't know. He's the hardest person to
convince.

Really? He's been proud so far. He's
been really proud so far. At least. He's

been really proud. Your dad has done a
wonderful thing. Absolutely, yeah.

But, I mean, I always liked the idea of
us having to earn it.

You know?

It shouldn't be something that, because
we have access to him, that...

You can't just walk in there on
breakfast and say, Dad, I've got a

It would really help.

Just say, please.

No, but he's really proud of the film,
proud of all of us.

And even he was, I don't think he
expected this.

Her dad did not expect that at all.

Really? He was like, what are you doing?
I think they all thought we were a

little, I don't know, mad.

My dad was like, very worried about the
cost going up.

Even her dad called me and said, what
were you thinking? How did you know?

how could, why would you take this bet?
Like, why would, you didn't make a small

film, you made a big one.

I said, I don't know, sir. I just, I
don't know. I just believed in the idea.

Like, I don't know. I really thought,
like, I was so worried.

I, and he went on and on. I said, no,
no, no.

They're very concerned about what we're
up to.

About the crazy risks you guys are
taking.

But they're very proud now. Yeah, very
proud now.

I think now we have a little leeway to
make the kind of movies.

Yeah.

Now you've earned it. They're like,
yeah, maybe you guys know what you're

So, Dominic, for you, the next few years
are the next four?

Yeah, hopefully.

Yeah? You're like fully committed?

I don't know. The whole of the country
seems to be like after him. So,

he doesn't get distracted.

No, no. I'm just focused on Loka for
now.

Not against right now.

You're putting it out there. There is
nothing else that's going to happen.

For now, yeah.

Kalyani, do you get to choose
differently?

In what way, ma 'am?

I mean, what you just pulled off is
incredible, right? And I know that

there's not a lot of female actors in
Hindi cinema as well who have this sort

success, you know?

So what changes for you?

I mean, if anything, I think the one
lesson that I've learned is that

we make too many assumptions about the
audience.

And they will surprise you in many ways
that you don't imagine.

So that's good for me to understand that
I can try new things.

Some of them will fail. Some of them
will work. But at least I don't have to

in with the assumption that something's
not going to work or I can't go in with

the assumption that this is going to
work.

The one thing that my dad has always
said, and in fact, the first message he

sent to me after the night that he found
out what's happening with this film was

um don't let success get to your head
and don't let failure get to your heart

and he was like he's always said this to
me but he was like i need to send this

to you as a message and he keeps
reminding me of this every day so just

make sure that i continue to grow as an
actor somehow or the other um i hope i

get the liberty to fail sometimes as
well because i think that's how we grow

actors um so i hope that

My career is going to be that. I get to
tell different kinds of stories.

Fail sometimes.

Explore my range as an actor sometimes.

Keep taking risks. Yeah, exactly.

Hopefully.

That's wonderful. Because sometimes
success can do the opposite, right? It

make you insecure.

It can make you afraid. It can make you
want the high all the time.

Also, it makes you really scared to take
the next step sometimes.

But I think that you just need to stop
thinking about that and do it.

Again, I hope I get the liberty to fail
sometimes because that's the only way I

learn.

Her dad is like, he's so adorable,
right? So he's like, I don't know, she's

doing all these action movies and I
think his concern is she's going to hurt

herself.

That's my mom's concern.

My dad's concern is...

Are you even capable of doing this? He
laughed.

He was like, why are you doing things
that you're not capable of doing? She

already did this boxing thing in the
movie Antony.

And now she's doing this. I don't know.

Even at a large event.

Yeah. I don't know what she's doing. I
love that part of your job as producer

is just to handle dads.

Dulkar, I have to ask you about Kantha
because that's another film that looks

fascinating.

I'm hounding Rana about it.

But now that I have you in front of me,
do we have a release date?

I mean, initially,

suppose we now, mid -September, we don't
think Loka is going to do a release.

So now I think we should wait, give this
that time to breathe and not get in the

way of things.

But also, like, we are...

It's a film that's been so long in
gestation. I heard it first in 2019.

I've been living with this film for six
years.

And we as a team have been brainstorming
it for so long and going back and

forth. Because I think it's something
very ambitious, something we don't... We

never fully understood how to... It just
did not feel like a typical film. Even

the way we shot it.

So now in edit, I feel like...

even you give us two extra days, we're
finding something more. There's so much

discovery on the film.

So I'm kind of, now I'm just like, you
know, I don't know if I want to rush it.

I'm like, maybe it's the film that needs
this time in everything.

So I think we're mostly there on edit. I
think we're now cracking some music.

But I'm excited about it. It does look
very exciting. I mean, it'll be a

break. Yeah. Like how Loka was.

Yeah, yeah.

Okay, I have two more questions.

One is,

what you got Tovino to do in this film,
right? And he's part of his own

superhero world, right?

And again, that speaks to me about the
Malayalam film industry, that

he would do this, he would come in.

Soban is there for one frame.

And, you know, when he came on screen,
everyone just went crazy. All over the

country. Just crazy screaming.

How do you...

keep these relationships.

That people are actually genuinely there
for the art.

And it's not about, but I'm also part of
that film and does this impact on Minal

Murali in any way? Can I be Chatham?

How do you do that?

Jovino has been a really close friend
for a long time.

I feel like he was a part of this before
even I came.

It's a bouncing ball.

Actually, Jovino has worked with both

Dom's first film was Toveeno.

Nimish's first film was Toveeno.

And we go back as far back as my third
film, Devam, or AB3, he's acted in.

So I feel like he's always been there,
you know, in all these discussions.

And what I love about Tove is that he
just... I don't know, again, like, I

using the same word as greed. Like,
we... I don't want to take this away

him. But he genuinely wants... to be a
part of great films and wants to, you

know, support as me from this possible.
He was, he was, I think, I mean, you had

your doubt.

I'm producing, so I'm a little edgy.

He was the most excited about the film,
the role, everything. Like, he had no

doubts ever. Like, and he's coming up
with ideas, coming up, you know, this is

what I'm going to do with my look.

He's like, I'm traveling, I'm going to
take the jacket with me. I can shoot

something. I'm like, only he can do
this.

he's all heart and he's all uh you know
that energy that you see on screen is

palpable all whenever you hang out with
him and it's that love that he wants to

be and same with like as soon as we
mentioned it to him he said when when do

come when when do you want to shoot
really wait hear it he doesn't care he's

like i don't know i think they just also
maybe we all have history together and

we're all we all want to do The common
thing is trying to make great movies,

right? And nobody knows what's going to
work.

So I think we all are like, hey, what if
this works? Then we should be a part of

it.

I think we all are FOMO.

But how lovely is that? That that is
bigger than every individual ego, right?

Which to me is what makes your cinema so
great, genuinely.

You know, I... exited the theatre and I
posted on X, is there anything that

Malayalam cinema cannot do?

So is there anything?

No, that's the thing. I think that's the
challenge. What else can we do? What do

we do next?

Even when we're hearing scripts, how do
we find something that is unique or that

has not been done before or that just
stands out from everything you're

listening to?

And I feel like any time that we've
attempted stuff like that, there's

been...

There's always been that acceptance of,
hey, at least this guy's tried something

new. Or they tried something different.
They really genuinely tried to make a

good film.

And that's also my belief. So I don't
know how to calculate business.

This is my cost. This is going to be
what maybe will land us.

You don't do that on a piece of paper.
This is what's coming back.

My CEO does.

Jom does. But I'm always like...

If we try something great and fail, I'm
okay with that.

But if we are just doing projects to
keep ourselves busy and turnovers

happening, I have no idea where those
things will land. They will end up

it can go both ways.

So I think the encouragement mainly over
here, especially in Malayalam that

comes with is the fact that they will
always accept you trying something

sincerely, genuinely.

which has not been done before.

I think that's the courage that we get
from this audience.

It is. I mean, the Kerala audience is
truly... And they are, you know, they're

tough audience also.

You have to... I think there's so much
that we learn now where I'm like, hey,

cannot spoon -feed this audience.

You have to keep them guessing. You have
to keep them... Because they're smarter

than you. They're smarter than... And we
have to believe that.

Unless you think, They are smarter than
you.

Because a lot of the time, people
approach movies being like, you know,

what the audience wants now.

This is what is working.

No.

We don't know what's working. We don't
know what they want.

And in doing that, sometimes we think we
are smarter than them.

And that is when I feel like our films
get affected. We are either dumbing it

down or we are not putting as much
effort.

You're getting lazy.

You're getting lazy.

I feel like my sort of bible that I go
with is the fact that they

are smarter, they know better, they can
catch every little thing, they can guess

anything. I love now, like even in a
canta, I love not filling in all the

blanks.

I'm like, I just feel like they'll
figure it out.

You don't have to explain everything,
like halfway open something, let's see,

don't know.

You know, that stuff is now exciting.

It is exciting.

Thank you, Dominic, looking at you
because like no pressure, but write it

quickly.

Really need to see chapter two.

But really, thank you to all of you and
more power to all of you. Thank you so

much. Thank you.