A big-budget film, produced by two Doha-based Indian expatriates, is getting ready for a worldwide release, raising expectations and interest in India and outside.
Veeram, a period drama, is produced by Chandramohan D Pillai and Pradeep Rajan, under the banner of Chandrakala Arts, and directed by award-winning director Jayaraj Nair.
The emotionally-surcharged action film, shot in three languages - English, Hindi and Malayalam -, stars Bollywood actor Kunal Kapoor as the leading man.
Veeram has just been selected as the opening entry at the Brics (an association of the five major emerging national economies of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) Film Festival in New Delhi on September 2.
“This is a great honour indeed,” Chandramohan told Gulf Times yesterday. “We are extremely happy for getting this opportunity to screen this film in front of so many dignitaries from different parts of the world, even before its general release,” he said.
Set in the 13th century Kerala, the film brings to life Kerala’s folkloric anti-hero, Chandu, a main character of the Malayalam ballads of medieval origin, known as Vadakkan Pattukal.
“Sharing broad similarities with the story of the rise and fall of Macbeth, Veeram spans the journey of Chandu, a master of Kalaripayattu, a martial art form of Kerala,” said Chandramohan.
“Chandu, like Shakespeare’s Macbeth, meets a tragic end as an outcome of his betrayal. The story revolves around the protagonist’s greed,  wherein the path is strewn with love, lust, treachery and deceit.”
Director Jayaraj, with his eyes set on a global audience, has roped in top Hollywood technicians for his film.
“We have brought on board four renowned Hollywood technicians to helm the action, make-up, music and colouring facets of the film,” said Chandramohan.
Action choreographer Allan Poppleton (of 300, Hunger Games, Avatar and Lord of Rings fame), Oscar and Emmy  award-winning make-up artist Trefor Proud, music director Jeff Rona (of Phantom, Traffic and Prince of Egypt fame) and visual effects compositor and colourist  Jeff Olm (of Monsters vs Aliens, How to Train Your Dragon, Titanic and Spiderman fame) have  been associated with Veeram.
“Another interesting feature of the film is that it casts many Gulf-based Kerala actors like Arun Pillai from Doha and Arun Kumar, Gopan Mavelikara, Vinod and Satish from Dubai besides character actors from across India,” Chandramohan noted.
Kunal Kapoor, who essays the main role, made his movie debut as the male lead opposite Tabu in Meenaxi: A Tale of Three Cities (2006) which was helmed by legendary painter M F Hussain.
Kapoor’s next film was the Aamir Khan-starrer Rang De Basanti (2006). He received a nomination in the Filmfare Best Supporting Actor Award category for his role in Rang De Basanti .
Veeram has been partly shot around the Ellora caves of Aurangabad.