Actress turned producer Sandra Thomas is in high spirits after completing the US schedule shoot of the much awaited Malayalam film "Peruchazhi." Sandra is coproducing "Peruchazhi" along with actor Vijay Babu under the banner of Friday Film House and is one of the most ambitious projects of the team. Sandra is busy finishing the shoot of the film, but managed to take a few minutes to share her thoughts about the MOhanlal starrer with International Business Times, Indian edition.
How is the Shooting of "Peruchazhi" Progressing?
It is progressing well and going as per the schedule. If everything goes well, shooting of the film will wrap up on 5 July. There were few small portions that were left to take and we are currently finishing them. Everything has gone well until now. I am keeping my fingers crossed.
Tell us More about "Peruchazhi"
I can't reveal much now. But as one of the producers, I can promise a visual treat. "Peruchazhi" will not disappoint you in terms of its visuals. Frames are going to be entirely different from what we usually see and it is going to be a new experience for the Malayali audience. Colour tone and feel of the film is going to be a special one. Our locations in the US have given us the desired result.
How was the Shooting Experience in the US?
We shot for around 35 days in the US and as a producer and as an actress it was a learning experience for me. Actually, the crew at the US taught us punctuality. Most of our crew members were from there and their work culture is entirely different from ours. When they say 'crew will start at eight in the morning', it means 'we are not going to wait for anyone and we will start at sharp eight.' So we always made sure we reach the shooting spot on time. As a producer, it was a great relief and I never had to worry if the hero or heroine is on time for the shoot.
Carry on...
Again, the crew works for a fixed schedule of six hours. We were wondering how the shooting is going to be done with such a tight schedule. But those people really work hard in that six hours and gave us the best results. Their professionalism is something different which we never experience back home. We are more relaxed at work compared to them. [Also Read : 'Peruchazhi' Gallops at Universal Studios]
"Peruchazhi" was also Shot in Universal Studios, your co-producer and Actor Vijay Babu had Posted Pictures of that on Facebook. How was your Experience There?
It was one of the most incredible experiences for me. To shoot my film at the Universal Studios was like a dream come true. It is entirely a different world there. I guess the last Indian film shot there was "Jeans" directed by Shankar starring Aishwarya Rai and Prasanth. They are very strict about the security systems inside the studio especially after 9/11. The place has also become more expensive after the incident. We did end up paying triple the amount which we spend here. Again, "Peruchazhi" is worth spending.
Coming to the Budget of the Ffilm, "Peruchazhi" is Supposed to be One of the Most Expensive Films in Malayalam. Isn't there a Risk Involved in Investing a Huge Amount for a Small Market like Malayalam?
There is a reason why I said you "Peruchazhi" is worth spending. We don't see the film as a single project. We see it as a project extending for another two and half years. I am sure many people thought we are mad to invest a huge amount for a small market like Malayalam. The film will have to run successfully for at least 50 days for us to recover the amount which we have spent. That is a huge gamble. But there are going to be remake of "Peruchazhi" in Tamil, Telugu and Hindi. So it is just not us who are going to watch this film as a reference. If we wanted, we could have shot in a set in Kerala than going all the way to America. We even shot at Los Angeles Airport. We did that because we did not want to compromise on the quality of the production in our film. We wanted "Peruchazhi" to be rich in every way.
So, When Can we Expect the First Glimpse of "Peruchazhi"?
Soon, I cannot tell you the exact date of the teaser release because it's like spoiling the party. The film's trailer and music launch will happen by the beginning of August and you can expect "Peruchazhi" to hit theatres on 29 August. [Also Read : Mohanlal's 'Peruchazhi' Releasing on 29 August ]
