- Mammootty spent two and a half days listening to OM's complete screenplay at his Kochi residence.
- The actor wanted to understand every character's arc and dialogue.
- Director Rajkumar Periasamy says Mammootty arrived on set completely prepared for the shoot.
For Mammootty, getting ready for OM – Chapter 1: Udhiram – The Blood Wood began well before he stepped in front of the camera. The veteran actor wanted a complete understanding of the film, including the story, its characters and even their dialogues. Director Rajkumar Periasamy has now revealed that Mammootty dedicated two and a half days to listening to the final script.
Sharing details of those two and a half days, the director told Galatta Plus, “He called me to Kochi and spent two and a half days, except for the night hours, where he wanted me to read the script and he would just listen to it. The full first half and then the second half, and the half day for his scenes, so that was his process.”
Rajkumar explained that the actor was interested in understanding how the story moved forward and how each character developed. From the first dialogue to the different plot points, Mammootty wanted to go through everything. He also used the time to ask questions and clear his doubts, including those about smaller details in the screenplay.
It was this attention to detail that helped him arrive on the sets with a clear understanding of the film. Recalling his experience, Rajkumar said, “He would want to know more about these… so when he came [to set] he was fully prepared,” said the director.
OM – Chapter 1: Udhiram – The Blood Wood features Mammootty, Dhanush and Sai Pallavi in lead roles, with Naseeruddin Shah also playing a prominent character. Mammootty plays an international smuggler, while Dhanush's character works under him and is closely involved in his dealings.
Sai Abhyankkar has composed the music, while Ezhil Arasu K. is handling cinematography and R Kalaivanan is the editor. A. Pannerselvam is the art director, with Yannick Ben and Kecha Khamphakdee overseeing the action choreography.
Produced by Shraddha Agrawal, Dhanush and Azmat Jagmag, OM – Chapter 1: Udhiram – The Blood Wood is set to release on November 20.
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