Why did Pratap Pothen drop Anjali Menon project?

Pratap Pothen

's upcoming directorial was highly anticipated for many reasons ' it marked his comeback as a director after two decades and Dulquer Salmaan playing the lead. Above all, it would be scripted by Anjali Menon, the writer of two of the most successful films in the recent past in Malayalam '

Ustad Hotel

and Bangalore Days. Thus Pratap's sudden announcement that he has shelved the project ' tentatively titled Love in Anjengo 'was a bit of a shocker for film lovers. However, the actor-director says there is no going back, because 'he can't do a script he is not convinced about'. 'I got the script only two months before the proposed shoot. And I found that whatever I had said not to be included in the script, was there,' he claims.

Pratap alleges that he had specifically told Anjali Menon that he doesn't want natural calamities in the story, but a tsunami was part of the climax. 'Malayalam films are of small budget, and acts of God don't work in our films. I made the mistake of doing a film I was not convinced about with my film Makudam, and at the age of 64, I can't make that mistake again,' he says.

So weren't there any discussions earlier with the scriptwriter regarding this? 'Yes, for three days we discussed this at Mumbai. In fact I never asked Anjali for a script in the first place. I only asked for an opinion on another script. She said 'this is all mushy, I will write another one for you, a love story set in Varkala'. I said, cool, but pointed out the bit about calamities then and there,' he claims.

And what does Dulquer Salmaan think about the whole thing? 'Dulquer is a nice guy, and I really wanted to work with him. I told him, 'If there is anything for you in this script, go ahead and do it with anyone you like. It just doesn't work for me'.'

What about Anjali Menon? 'She said I should find another writer if I didn't like it. That is fine. But I won't be bullied just because I'm old. I have worked with scriptwriters like MT Vasudevan Nair and no one has ever told me what to do. A film is a director's vision and not the writer's. I have already proven myself as a filmmaker and don't need to do a film for money either,' says a miffed Pratap, while adding that he has no issues with Anjali Menon, only with her script.