Mahesh Narayanan on 'Patriot': 60 Per Cent Of It Is Complete

In an interview with Onmanorama, before the release of his first film as producer, Thalavara, starring Arjun Ashokan, Mahesh Narayanan confirmed that as much as sixty per cent of the shoot for his upcoming film, Patriot, was complete. The big-budget multistarrer, with Mohanlal, Mammootty, Kunchacko Boban, Nayanthara and Fahadh Faasil, had undergone a few changes to accommodate the schedules of these stars. 

In the same interview, he added that this film was originally planned to be a modest entertainer but that it had grown multifold during the process of production. It was Mohanlal who revealed the film’s title to be Patriot in an interview he gave to a Sri Lankan media house. A large portion of the film is being shot in the Island nation. He also added that the film was massive, not just for its budget or scale but also in terms of the large starcast. Apart from stalwarts Mammootty and Mohanlal, the film’s cast also includes Fahadh Faasil, Nayanthara and Kunchacko Boban. 

Patriot marks Mohanlal and Mammootty’s reunion in key roles after a gap of 17 years since Twenty:20 (2008). The shoot for the film began late last year. Earlier this February, producer Anto Joseph released a video welcoming Nayanthara to the film’s sets. 

Earlier in July, Mahesh Narayanan was confirmed to be directing the biopic of Narain Karthikeyan, India's first Formula One driver, according to a report by Variety.  The Tamil-language film, which is in development at Blue Marble Films, will reportedly be produced by Faraz Ahsan, Vivek Rangachari, and Pratik Maitra, with Amish Shah and Nilaanjan Reeta Datta serving as associate producers. The screenplay of the film will come from Shalini Usha Devi, who wrote Sudha Kongara's critically acclaimed Soorarai Pottru (2021).

Mahesh Narayanan last directed the acclaimed 2022 film Ariyippu, starring Kunchacko Boban and Divya Prabha.