Rahul Riji Nair of Ottamuri Velicham fame is currently working on his next project titled Dakini. The first look of this film was released recently and has been received well by film buffs. The director had carved a niche for himself with Ottamuri Velicham, which has upped the expectation levels for Dakini. Interestingly, the film stars Savithri Sreedharan and Sarasa Balussery, who were seen in Sudani from Nigeria, but they appear in a completely different look.
The film is a comedy entertainer that has a largely senior cast of women actors in the lead and promises to be a laugh riot.
The film also features Suraaj Venjarammoodu, Chemban Vinod Jose and Alencier Ley Lopez in pivotal roles besides Savithri and Sarasa. Rahul Riji Nair shot into the limelight when Ottamuri Velicham, his debut directorial, won the Kerala State Film Award for the Best Feature Film last year. The film was also awarded the German Star of India [Best Feature Film] at the 15th Indian Film Festival Stuttgart this year. Incidentally, the film did not have a theatrical release but was released on an online platform.
The director is an accomplished short film and documentary maker as well. He has the documentary The Human Boundaries made in 2012 to his credit, besides the short films Troll Life, Netaji, Rs. 2, MJ and Malai Kofta.
In an interview with the New Indian Express earlier, Rahul Riji Nair said, “After Ottamuri..., I thought of doing something more fun. Ottamuri... had a tight and gripping narrative where you had to follow a certain rhythm. There was no room for improvisation, whereas in the case of Dakini, we were able to try out different things.” On his star cast, he said, “These ladies were game for anything. And this film has songs, dances and even fights. I was astonished! Unlike us men who can get lazy at times, they were full of vigour, despite their age. I never saw them complain about anything. If we needed retakes, they were ready to do it. And we shot in Ooty, of all places (laughs).”
(Content provided by Digital Native)