For Anoop Sathyan, to choose a family drama for his directorial venture Varane Aavashyamundu was only natural. His father and veteran director Sathyan Anthikad is known for the family entertainer genre of movies.
And the cast of Varane Aavashyamundu has already excited movie buffs.
“It is like a miracle that Kalyani came into this movie. The character was supposed to be essayed by Nazriya. However, there was a small confusion in the last minute. It was on a Monday that we thought about casting Kalyani. On Wednesday morning, she was roped in. I wasn’t hopeful that Kalyani, who is a popular actress in Telugu, would say yes to this movie,” Anoop said.
According to Anoop, he shared a special bond with Dulquer Salmaan for long. Anoop was a clap boy in Dulquer Salmaan's movie Vikramadityan and he had then refrained himself from revealing that whose son he was.
“Once, when I told a suggestion Dulquer really liked that. He would ask me about the scenes and soon we grew close. Two weeks later he asked me why didn’t you tell me earlier that you are Satyan uncle's son. I felt a special bonding when he said that,” Anoop said.
The software engineer turned filmmaker reveals that his initial plan was to make his debut with a Dulquer-starrer itself.
“That is so true. I waited for one and half years, searching for a story that suits Dulquer. Finally, I decided to do a movie without Dulquer. After hearing about this, he called me and said he would like to enact the character. To be honest, that was quite unexpected. Though we are close friends, he is a star. He kept aside his stardom and joined this movie as an actor. That in fact is this film’s first magic moment – the moment when someone realized that it is a good movie,” he stated.
On working with Dulquer, Anoop is reminded of a scene from the film.
“The scene has Dulquer and Kalyani on the terrace at night. After filming that scene, I noticed the cameraman was in tears. At that moment, I could see a Dulquer whom none of us have seen until then. Dulquer had done magic in that scene,” said Anoop.
A few days after they wrapped up the shoot, Dulquer told Anoop he wished to live in a flat like the one that is in the movie.
“We are sure that something so beloved and special has happened between all of us,” he said.
Anoop also said at times he wondered how veteran actors like Suresh Gopi and Shobhana could be so simple and gracious.
“When Suresh Gopi embraced me and patted on the back as he was leaving after the shoot, I felt like something had pierced through my heart,” he said.
The movie would mark the reunion of Suresh Gopi and Shobhana after a gap of 13 years. The actors, who have worked together in movies like Sindoorarekha, Rajaputhran, and Commissioner, had last acted together in the cult hit Manichithrathaazhu.
For now, Anoop is engrossed in the anxious days ahead of the release of Varane Aavashyamundu, slated to hit the screens on February 7.