Art director Manu Jagadh reveals hotel nightmare during Ranjith’s ‘Pranchiyettan & the Saint’ shoot

Malayalam art director Manu Jagadh has recently shared a disturbing experience from his time working on Ranjith’s directorial film ‘Pranchiyettan & the Saint’, revealing unsettling practices within the film industry.

Taking to his Facebook handle, Manu recounted an incident where he was forced to travel from Chennai to Thrissur at midnight for a film shoot, only to encounter a deeply troubling situation with his accommodation.


Manu's harrowing experience began when a production controller arranged a hotel stay in Thrissur, where he and the production manager arrived late at night. To their shock, the hotel turned out to be caught up in a police case. The building was in a state of disrepair, surrounded by withered palm trees marked with police tape and scattered with dry leaves. The absence of lights and the eerie atmosphere immediately set off alarm bells.

Initially suspecting that the scene might be related to some film shoot, Manu was further unsettled when an elderly man with a set of keys appeared. The man revealed that the property was under police investigation and led them to the upper floors, where they discovered a lack of electricity and water. As they climbed the stairs, Manu was confronted with a strong, unpleasant odor that filled the building.

Upon reaching their designated room, they found pigeons flying out through an open window, and the room itself was in a state of chaos, with the carpet rolled up on the bed and a pervasive stench.

Adding to the discomfort, loud construction noises from a nearby site echoed through the room. Despite the grim conditions, Manu chose to stay, driven by his respect for the director Ranjith and his dedication to the project.

Manu expressed frustration over the deceptive practices that led to such a dire situation. He called for an end to such unethical behaviors and stressed the need for industry-wide reforms to ensure the safety and well-being of film workers.