Olavum Theeravum (2024 film)

Olavum Theeravum is an upcoming Indian Malayalam-language period drama featurette written by M. T. Vasudevan Nair and directed by Priyadarshan, based on the 1957 short story of the same name by Nair. It also serves as a remake of the 1970 film adaptation. The featurette is part of the web series Manorathangal (English: Mindscapes), which is an anthology of nine featurettes adapted from nine short stories of Nair. It stars Mohanlal as Bapootty and Durga Krishna as Nabeesa, two star-crossed lovers in a riverside hamlet in 1950s Kerala.

Principal photography for the featurette began in July 2022 in Thodupuzha and its surroundings, completing within the same month. The featurette, following the style of the 1970 film, was made in black-and-white format. The release was delayed for two years due to the anthology series, originally commissioned for Netflix, being turned down by the platform reportedly due to cost overrun. Olavum Theeravum is scheduled to be released on ZEE5 for digital streaming from 15 August 2024.

Premise
Set in a riverside hamlet in 1950s Kerala, Bapootty, a timber trader falls in love with his dead friend's sister Nabeesa. However her mother, a prostitute, wants to marry her off to Kunjali, a wealthy trader.

Cast

 * Mohanlal as Bapootty
 * Durga Krishna as Nabeesa
 * Mamukkoya as Abdu
 * Hareesh Peradi as Kunjali
 * Surabhi Lakshmi
 * Vinod Kovoor
 * Appunni Sasi
 * Jayaprakash Kuloor

Development
Olavum Theeravum is part of an anthology series, Manorathangal (English: Mindscapes), consisting of nine featurettes, based on nine short stories of M. T. Vasudevan Nair, which was originally produced for Netflix. According to Onmanorama, the anthology draws inspiration from Stories by Rabindranath Tagore (2015), a television series based on the works of poet Rabindranath Tagore. Written by Nair himself, Olavum Theeravum is based on his 1957 short story of the same name and serves as a remake of the 1970 film directed by P. N. Menon. This new segment in the anthology was initially reported by the media in September 2021, to be directed by Priyadarshan. Nair condensed the original screenplay of the 1970 film for the featurette.

Olavum Theeravum is Priyadarshan's second featurette in the anthology after Silalikhithangal, making him the only director who has directed two featurettes in Manorathangal. With a runtime of 50 minutes, it is the longest featurette in Manorathangal. Srikant Murali served as the associate director. The anthology was produced by Saregama India, with line production handled by Newsvalue Productions. Aswathi V. Nair, Nair's daughter, contributed as the creative producer, with Sudheesh Ambalappadu acting as the line producer.

Casting
Mohanlal plays timber trader Bapootty, the role played by Madhu in the original film. In June 2022, a month before filming began, Priyadarshan said that he is yet to finalize the remaining cast barring Mohanlal. Durga Krishna was cast in the role of Nabeesa, played by Usha Nandini in the original. Hareesh Peradi was cast as the villain Kunjali (played by Jose Prakash in the original) and Mamukkoya in the role of Mammad. The cast also includes Surabhi Lakshmi, Vinod Kovoor, Appunni Sasi, and Jayaprakash Kuloor.

Filming
The anthology began filming with its first featurette, Abhayam Thedi Veendum, in 2021. Principal photography for Olavum Theeravum began in early July 2022 in Thodupuzha. According to Priyadarshan, although the original screenplay mentioned the river as a character, the film itself did not prominently feature it, which left him disappointed. This prompted Priyadarshan to prioritize portraying the river as an integral character in the featurette. The featurette was shot in and around various locations including Thommankuthu, Chappathu, Kudayathoor, Kanjar, and the Malankara Dam reservoir. A set was constructed in Kudayathoor. Santosh Sivan was the cinematographer, while Sabu Cyril handled the art direction. Dhanya Balakrishnan was the costume designer, while Libin Mohanan handled the makeup. Filming wrapped up on 17 July 2022 in Thodupuzha. In the same month, it was revealed that the film would be released in black-and-white format, same as the 1970 film. The featurette's dubbing began in August. M. R. Rajakrishnan was the sound designer.

Since the 1984 film Ente Gramam, only two films have been released entirely in black-and-white format—1956, Central Travancore (2019) and Bramayugam (2024). Despite Olavum Theeravum completing production ahead of Bramayugam, the two-year delay caused the latter to release first. In a 2022 interview with Mathrubhumi, actor Madhu, who portrayed Bappootty in the 1970 film adaptation, expressed his indifference towards filming in black-and-white. He noted that in 1970, Malayalam cinema was limited to black-and-white, despite the world being in colour. He felt the remake should have been in colour to offer a distinct experience for audiences viewing it 50 years later.

Release
Olavum Theeravum, along with the eight other featurettes, was originally commissioned for Netflix. However, the anthology series faced rejection by the streaming platform, purportedly due to cost overruns resulting from the inclusion of new featurettes, including Olavum Theeravum. The featurette is scheduled to be released on ZEE5 for digital streaming on 15 August 2024.