The Malayalam megastar Mammootty currently has Priest, which is being directed by debutant Jofin K Chacko, in his kitty. There were reports earlier that it is a thriller that has impressed the star so much that he allotted dates for it pushing back other projects in the pipeline.
Anto Joseph is bankrolling the film under his banner in association with filmmaker B Unni Krishnan. Manju Warrier has been roped in to play the female lead in it. Incidentally, this is the first time Mammootty and Manju Warrier are sharing the screen space despite being in the film industry for decades. Besides Manju Warrier, The Priest will also have Nikhila Vimal in an important role.
On getting Mammootty and Manju Warrier on board, director Jofin had said in an interview to The Times of India, “It was special to direct them, especially because they are acting together for the first time and that too in my debut film. Many Mollywood filmmakers and fans have wished to bring them together onscreen and I consider it a blessing that it happened with this film. However, the idea was never that. The producers and I thought it would be great if Manju ma’am played this particular character and that’s how we approached her. The rest was a result of both of them liking their roles and coming onboard.”
The director, however, pointed out that neither Mammootty nor Manju Warrier told the team anything about being cast together for the first time. Jofin added that they were thorough professionals right from the start and never let their emotions out except for acting.
On Priest’s progress, the director revealed that he has completed shooting portions involving Mammootty but still needs to can some portions that require Manju Warrier’s presence. The shooting will resume after the lockdown ends and will be shot in Kochi and Kuttikanam, he said.
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