Suraj Venjaramoodu was living the character’s life, till the moment we called cut: 'Higuita' director Hemanth G Nair

Politics and football are two inseparable factors in the life of a Kannur native. Hemanth G Nair, who hails from Kannur, knew it well and when he was about to make his maiden directorial venture, he chose to combine both and that's how ‘Higuita’ was born.
Hemanth G Nair, who has assisted filmmaker Sibi Malayil in ‘Apoorvaraagam’ and ‘Violin’ is marking his debut as a filmmaker with the upcoming Suraj Venjaramoodu starrer ‘Higuita’.In an exclusive interview with ETimes, the debutant director spilt the beans about his upcoming film ‘Higuita’.
Footballer Rene Higuita and his scorpion kick would be the first thing that crosses the mind when one hears ‘Higuita’. Talking about the film's title, Hemanth said, "The movie is set in the North Malabar, Kannur region where football and politics are two defining factors. As football is a parallel narrative in the movie, we decided to name it ‘Higuita’ but, this isn’t a complete sports movie."
The movie which revolves around the life of Ayyappadas, a young man, who is sluggish and has the least expectations out of life under crucial circumstances has to take over his dad’s job as a cop. Ayyappadas gets appointed as the gunman of a fierce politician Panniyannur Mukundan and how his life changes from there is sure to get you on the edge of your seat.
"I would say ‘Higuita’ is a political thriller. The movie talks about a particular political wing and its revolutionary leader Pannyannur Mukundan. Suraj Venjaramoodu is essaying the daring politician and Dhyan will portray the character Ayyappadas," the debutant director adds.
Last year was a miraculous year for actor Suraj Venjaramoodu and now he has emerged as one of the most sought after actors in Mollywood. Although the actor has played several roles that were imprinted in the souls of the movie buff, the role of a politician would be challenging for him.
When asked about why he selected Suraj Venjaramoodu for the role of Pannyannur Mukundan, the director explains, "I have been working with the script for the last four-five years. Suraj Venjaramoodu was the first person I had in mind. It took me a bit longer to reach him. At that point, many of his hits weren’t released and he wasn’t a celebrated actor like now. It was difficult to get a producer at that juncture. But now everything came together and we are here!”
When asked about how Suraj Venjaramoodu transformed into the skin of a politician, the debutant director gave us a surprising answer. “Frankly speaking, I didn’t see The ‘Suraj Venjaramoodu’ at any point during the filming process. Be it his lunchtime or break time or in the caravan, Surajettan was making sure to keep the character alive within him. He wanted to know a lot about the character. From the time, he changed into the costume of the character, he was living as one. Suraj Venjaramoodu was living the character’s life, till the moment we called cut,” Hemanth added.
The movie is backed by debutants Sajith Amma and Bobby Tharian under the new banner 2nd Half Productions. Hemanth G Nair confesses that the project wouldn’t have been possible if not for them. “They are the backbone of the movie. They had no plans to step into movies. But the right things assembled at the right time!” the director said.
The team has completed a major part of the filming process in Kannur and they have about 10 days of schedule left, which will be filmed in Alappuzha. Popular actors Manoj K Jayan, Vineeth Kumar, Indrans, Binu Pappu, Navas Vallikkunnu, and Jayaprakash Kuloor have been roped in to play important characters in the film.
The director signs off by adding that the current crisis is a concern, but he is confident that the movie would work well, as art and cinemas have a pivotal role in the post-COVID world.