In an exclusive conversation with Indian actor and producer Prithviraj Sukumaran, he discussed his next film, "L2 Empuraan," which is the sequel to "Lucifer's" 2019 film. He also discusses the character and how he worked with an actor like Mohanlal. In the final one, he talks about how filmmakers consider their options carefully before investing.
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00:00No, they love Mohanlal sir and yeah, I am flattered that they love me also, but more
00:10than either of those, I think they love this franchise.
00:13I'm sure.
00:14Part one of this film was a very, very big hit in Kerala and later on actually, it went
00:21on to bring us a lot of appreciation from across the world, across the country when
00:25it streamed on platform and people watched it after its theatrical run and all that.
00:30So yeah, I think more than anything, the excitement is for the fact that this is a follow-up to
00:35one of Marayana cinema's biggest hits, which thankfully I was able to make.
00:45The pressure is all outside, you know, you can't let that pressure dictate how you make
00:49the film.
00:51And one thing that I'd like to bring to your notice, which I think most of the viewers
00:56in Kerala already know, is that this is not a part two that was made as an afterthought,
01:03as a follow-up to the success that part one had.
01:05Even when we were writing part one, we knew that it was going to be a three film series.
01:10We knew that the entire story can only be said in three parts.
01:14But of course, when we made part one, we didn't say that because we didn't know if part one
01:19was going to work, you know, unless it worked, a part two was not going to happen.
01:22So when part one released, the success celebration of part one, we did say that there will be
01:28two more films following it in the same franchise.
01:30So it was always written as a three film series and a three film franchise.
01:35And as a filmmaker, I thought it was very important for me to keep telling myself that
01:40regardless of how big part one has become, or what people expect, or all the pressure
01:45that there is, I need to focus on what I originally set out to make.
01:49There's a part two to this franchise that the writer and myself have envisioned.
01:54We can't let external forces dictate how we make that film.
01:58That's what I've done.
02:00And I hope people like what they see.
02:07There's a part three too, you know, so I can't tell you the entire story in part two,
02:12but there is a, yeah, I mean, you're going to get a lot more information about who and
02:16what these characters are in part two.
02:18And part two has its own plot.
02:20So this is actually, for people who have not seen part one, this will just be a standalone
02:27film and you will still enjoy it as a start to finish story.
02:31But yes, for people who have seen part one, I'm assuming that some of the throwbacks,
02:35some dialogues that the characters speak to each other will hold more resonance if you
02:41know what happened in part one.
02:42Even otherwise, we're very keen that this should still serve its purpose as a standalone
02:49film.
02:50And I think it does.
02:51You will get a lot more information about who these characters are, but obviously there
02:56is still a lot more to be told in part three as well.
03:04I mean, directing him is like the easiest thing to do.
03:07Like it's one of the, he's one of the easiest directors to direct.
03:10I mean, yeah, he's very, very gifted, obviously, but I don't just mean that.
03:14But the way he's as a professional really puts you at ease as a filmmaker.
03:18This is a third film I'm directing and all three films have Mr. Mohanlal, you know, as
03:23a lead in it.
03:25And it's been an absolute privilege because, you know, I'm an actor primarily and directing
03:31Mohanlal sir is a constant reminder to myself how I need to conduct myself as an actor.
03:36Because the way he surrenders to the material, the way he surrenders to the director's vision,
03:43it's just a joy.
03:45And he's just one of those actors that have got immense talent and he'll just bring that
03:50immense talent and completely surrender that to you and then ask you, now you tell me what
03:54you want me to do.
03:56What could be a bigger joy for any filmmaker?
03:58So, I mean, I just, in fact, Mohanlal sir is the least tense I've ever been directing.
04:05You know, I think the most I'm comfortable and cool and I'm not worried at all is when
04:12I'm directing him.
04:17And I'll be lying if I tell you no, but because I think I've done more than 100 films as
04:23an actor.
04:24So I think I have a fair idea of what makes an actor uncomfortable or what is an actor
04:29looking for from a director.
04:31I know what I look for from a director.
04:33I know what would make me uncomfortable on a set.
04:36I know there's a complex scene being shot.
04:38What would I be hoping for as an actor?
04:40And as a filmmaker, I keep reminding myself that, see, this is what you would have liked
04:44if you are in front of the camera for this particular scene, for this particular shot.
04:48This is what you would have been hoping for.
04:50So I think that way I have a slight advantage in terms of understanding actors.
04:56And when you see my films, you might not realize this because they're these big canvas,
05:03you know, especially with Lucifer 2, then Puran, you know, you have these big visuals.
05:08And I know after the teaser, maybe the whole conversation is about the technicalities of
05:12it and all that.
05:12But I have, I'm always a believer that direction more than anything else is to get the performances
05:21right.
05:21And what I enjoy the most is shooting close ups.
05:26There's this classic saying that Ramagopal Varma sir also told me the same that there
05:30is no bigger visual in cinema than an actor performing in a tight close up.
05:34So the biggest joy as a director for me is to be directing great performance.
05:39And I've been privileged that all three films have had fantastic performers to work with.
05:48The budget of a film is not determined by the director.
05:52It is not determined by the producer.
05:54It is not determined by the star.
05:56The budget is determined by what is written on paper.
05:58So when you have a script written, and as a director and a producer, you sit across
06:04the table and you sort of conceive how that is going to be as a film, you realize it's
06:10going to take this much money.
06:12You either spend that kind of money and do what's on paper, or you decide, listen, this
06:16is not, this is way beyond what we can do.
06:18We will not do this.
06:19So as far as Em Guran is concerned, the first narration, in fact, I flew to Dubai and Lal
06:25sir also came to Dubai.
06:26And I gave a long, like a six hour narration with every particular scene and how I'm going
06:32to shoot each scene.
06:33And at the end of it, we knew what this film is going to entail, how much this is going
06:38to cost, what kind of a scale are we talking about.
06:40And all of us were on the same page.
06:42We knew that this is what it's going to take, and we're going to do it.
06:45And once that decision is made, then there is absolutely nothing to be worried about,
06:50because you've decided that you're going to do it.
06:51The worry comes in when you've sort of decided you're going to do a film in a particular
06:56way, and then you lose track.
06:57You lose track, and you realize that your initial assumptions slash plans were all
07:02off mark.
07:03That luckily has not happened to any of my films, because I am a stickler for process.
07:10People who work with me will tell you the same thing, that if I go into a location,
07:15I know that I have 11 shots to take, and I take those 11 shots.
07:19And I do not take a 12th shot, because I don't know what the 12th shot is.
07:23You know, all three of my films, my first cut will be three hours and one minute, three
07:31hours and two minutes.
07:32And my final cut will be two hours and 59 minutes.
07:34That's it.
07:35That's all the extra footage that I would have shot.
07:38So that way, I'm a stickler for process.
07:40And once you're such a stickler for process, you don't lose track of what you're doing.
07:43There was no worry while making this film.