Jackie Shroff in Athishayan

Director Vinayan is always in the news, because every time he comes up with something new and different. This time the hit maker is busy with the making of a science thriller, titled Athishayan, shooting for which is in progress in and around Kochi.

Produced by Gokulam Gopalan under the banner of Sree Gokulam Movies, Athishayan tells the story of a young orphan boy, who is one among the orphans brought up by Maya, a television reporter. And when Maya unveils some controversial scams involving some powerful politicians, she is kidnapped. And then the six-year-old boy sets out to rescue Maya. And in the process, he reaches the laboratory of a noted scientist and happens to drink a potion prepared by him which makes him invisible. And then he sets out to save Maya. He succeeds in his mission, but something untoward happens after that. The effect of the potion cannot be reversed. What all happens eventually forms the plot of Athishayan, in which debutante Master Devdas, who is the son of popular actor Ramu, plays the lead role.

A main attraction of the film is that it has noted Hindi filmstar Jackie Shroff playing a central character, appearing in a Malayalam film for the first time. He plays the role of an eminent scientist named RC Shekhar, who has based himself in the US. He comes to Kerala in connection with the research and develop ment of a drug that could make human beings invisible. A widower, Shekhar’s wife was from Kerala and that is what brings him here. He has a daughter too. He succeeds in discovering the drug, but just then he has to fly back to the US. The medicine, however, is taken in by the hero of the film, a young orphan boy, who eventually becomes invisible. This forms the plot of the film and the character played by Jackie Shroff is no doubt pivotal to the theme.

It is heard that so impressed was Jackie Shroff with the character that he agreed to act in a Malayalam film. Anyhow, this is going to be a really big thing for Malayalam film viewers, for Jackie Shroff has alwas been having admirers all across the state of Kerala.

Others in the cast are Kavya Madhavan who plays the young television reporter Maya alongwith Mukesh, Harisri Ashokan, Rajan P Dev, Thilakan, Jagadeesh, Mala Aravindan, Devan, Augustine, Bheeman Reghu, Ramu, Usha and Karthika. Jayasurya also appears in a cameo role.

While the story and screenplay for Athishayan is by Vinayan himself, the dialogue are penned by Sunil K Anand. Lyrics by Vayalar Sharath Chandra Verma and Prabha Verma are set to tune by Alphonse. Rajarathinam, who has been an associate of noted cinematographer Ravi K Chandran and who has recently made his debut as an independent cinematographer in Malayalam with Chinthamani Kolacase, does the cinematography for Athishayan, which also features art-direction by Shaji Pattanam and editing by G Murali. The film, which is currently being shot in Kochi, will later shift on to Thiruvananthapuram. Athishayan will be brought to the theatres by Swargachithra Release.