The house and the picturesque watery backdrop of Kuttanad play a crucial role in Christo Tomy's film 'Ullozhukku,' starring Urvashi and Parvathy. However, in a recent interview with Onmanorama, the two-time National Award-winning director shared that shooting the movie at his own home was quite a challenge and something he would not recommend to others.
“I would never suggest that people shoot movies at their own homes now. This was a place I grew up in. During my childhood, it was my favourite spot to play. However, after my grandfather passed away, we had to stay there for almost nine days for his cremation, which was delayed due to floods. That experience greatly influenced the premise of the story,” Christo explained.
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As he conceptualised the film, Christo recalled that his own house was the first location that came to mind. “When writing certain scenes, I imagined them taking place in one of the rooms of the house,” he added.
During pre-production, the team explored other potential locations, but Christo felt a strong connection to his home. “While we considered other houses, I was drawn to this one. However, it was quite a task, as we needed to flood the house and the surrounding acres of land, which ultimately led us to proceed with my house,” he said.
Shooting at his home proved to be a difficult endeavour. The constant flooding and heavy rains caused the house to deteriorate, with roofs leaking and structural issues arising. “In a way, a place that I grew up in and held dear was subjected to a lot of abuse during the making of 'Ullozhukku,' which I wasn’t really happy about,” he reflected.
Christo also mentioned that his family, including his grandmother, uncle, aunt, and children, had to live in a rented house for two years due to the filming. “My grandmother had never left the house for more than ten days prior to that. After the shoot, they renovated the house before moving back. It was a challenging experience for me, but I think everyone is now happy that the house will live on forever in the movie,” he shared.
