Kutty Shranku set to take off

The shooting of Kutty Shranku, starring superstar Mammootty in the lead with reputed cameraman-turned-director Shaji N. Karun, is all set to begin on June 15. To be produced by Anil Ambani's Reliance Entertainment, Kutty Shranku is the first film in which the two acclaimed veterans of the Malayalam film industry are teaming together.

"I am really excited because I will be playing three different characters but not three different roles," said Mammootty, who features as a sailor who operates a goods boat (Charakku Kappal) between Kondugnaloor and Kollam (through the backwaters of Kerala).

In the film, Mammootty's character will have three lady loves in the three islands he visits. "It is going to be a challenge for me because the basic nature of all the three characters is the same but there are different behavioural patterns and mannerisms based on how he interacts with what the three women say," he added.

It is learned that one of the female leads will be a Sri Lankan, while the other two are still under consideration. The movie will be shot in three schedules, in and around the famous Vembanad Kayal. The locations chosen for Kutty Shranku are Kaavaalam, Kumarakom and Vaikkom in the backwaters of central Travancore.

The script is penned jointly by Shaji N. Karun and noted British writer Farukh Dhondy. Anjali, who has been working with acclaimed cinematographer Santhosh Sivan, will crank the camera. The film to be made in Malayalam with English subtitles for an international audience, is scheduled for an international premiere at Cannes Film Festival next year.