‘Pazhassi Raja,’ which brings together M.T. Vasudevan Nair, Hariharan and Mammootty after 18 years, narrates the story of a battle for independence. “We shot a few scenes in Chennai earlier this month and the rest of the film will be shot in Kerala,” says director Hariharan, who is confident that he would be able to recreate the magic of ‘Oru Vadakkan Veeragatha.’ That film by the trio had conquered the box office as well as the critics. Superb visuals, fine performances, melodious songs and unforgettable dialogues turned the film into a classic.

Mammootty is playing the title role of ‘Pazhassi Raja.’ In fact, Mammootty has given life to many memorable characters penned by M.T. ‘Aksharangal’, ‘Anubandham’ and ‘Utharam,’ and ‘Sukrutham’ saw the actor breathe life into the characters created by the writer. His portrayal of Chanthu in ‘Oru Vadakkan Veeragatha’ had caught the spectators’ imagination. M.T.’s Chanthu was a tragic hero. So is Pazhassi Raja, one of the first to revolt against the British in India.

Says Hariharan: “M.T. and I discussed a few other themes before we decided to make a film on Pazhassi. We felt that Pazhassi Raja had not got the recognition he deserved, especially outside Kerala, for his contribution to the freedom movement. The 1857 Sepoy Mutiny is considered the first freedom fight, but Pazhassi Raja fought the British 50 years before that, in the jungles of Wayanad. My film is about how he fights the British by organising a tribal force in Wayanad and how he gives up his life for the cause.”

Kanihaa plays Pazhassi’s wife. Padmapriya plays the other major female role in the film. “Actually, I am nervous.I have heard so much about M.T. and Hariharan that I am in awe of them. Although Malayalam cinema has always given me great roles, my character in ‘Pazhassi Raja’ is quite different from anything I have done before. I am playing a tribal girl opposite Manoj. I also get to do a lot of fights as I am the one who leads the female warriors. I am happy that I am part of two major films in Malayalam this year – Adoor Gopalakrishnan’s ‘Moonnu Pennungal’ and ‘Pazhassi Raja.’”

Also in the cast of ‘Pazhassi Raja,’ which is produced by Sree Gokulam Movies, are Sharath Kumar, who makes his debut in Malayalam cinema as the commander-in-chief of Pazhassi, Biju Menon and Jagathy Sreekumar. “It took me a long time to finalise the cast; I had even gone to Bollywood to find a girl who could play Pazhassi’s wife before I zeroed in on Kanihaa. The film will also have artistes from Hollywood and Britain,” says Hariharan.

The director admits that ‘Pazhassi Raja’ is his most challenging assignment yet. “This is an even bigger film than ‘Oru Vadakkan Veeragatha.’ Making a period film is not like a making a contemporary film. Period films call for a lot of home work and each shot has be filmed carefully. A lot of time has been spent on the script and preparations of ‘Pazhassi Raja;’ I sought the help of artist Namboodiri in designing the costumes. ‘Pazhassi Raja’ will not be just another Malayalam film. It will be dubbed into English and will be shown all over India and abroad too. A film of this magnitude requires a producer who loves good cinema. I have found such a producer in Gokulam Gopalan,” says the veteran director. O.N.V. Kurup and Gireesh Puthenchery have written the lyrics, which have been set to tune by Ilayaraja. The film will reach cinemas in December.