Barroz

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Barroz
File:Barroz.jpg
Directed byMohanlal
Produced byAntony Perumbavoor
Written byJijo Punnoose
Based onBarroz: Guardian of D'Gama's Treasure
by Jijo Punnoose
StarringMohanlal
Music by
CinematographySantosh Sivan
Edited byB. Ajithkumar
Production
company
CountryIndia
LanguageMalayalam

Barroz is an upcoming Indian Malayalam-language fantasy film directed by Mohanlal in his directorial debut. The screenplay was written by Jijo Punnoose based on his novel Barroz: Guardian of D'Gama's Treasure. The film was produced by Antony Perumbavoor through Aashirvad Cinemas. It stars Mohanlal in the title role, with Maya, Sara Vega, Tuhin Menon, Cesar Lorente Raton, Kallirroi Tziafeta, and Guru Somasundaram in other important roles.

Principal photography for the film commenced in March 2021 but was interrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic in India. The film underwent significant changes in the delay. Filming restarted in December with a revised story, screenplay, and cast, and concluded in July 2022. The majority of the shooting took place in Kochi and Goa, with two songs filmed in Bangkok and Chennai. The film was shot in 3D.

Premise[edit]

Barroz, a treasure guardian has been protecting Vasco da Gama's hidden treasure for 400 years and has been entrusted to hand over the wealth only to a true descendant of da Gama.

Cast[edit]

Production[edit]

Development[edit]

On 21 April 2019, Mohanlal took to social media to announce his directorial debut—a 3D film adaptation of Jijo Punnoose's novel Barroz: Guardian of D'Gama's Treasure.[1] Originally, Mohanlal and T. K. Rajeev Kumar had planned to create a 3D stage play, seeking guidance from Punnoose, the director of India's first 3D film, My Dear Kuttichathan (1984). However, due to the high production costs involved, the project was put on hold.[2] During their discussion, Mohanlal proposed the idea of adapting Punnoose's novel into a film, with himself as the director. Punnoose agreed to the proposal. Mohanlal also mentioned that the film would be shot in Goa and include foreign actors.[3] Described as a "fantasy film for children",[4] the story revolves around a 17th-century fable rooted in a Portuguese-Afro-Indian myth along the Malabar Coast, recounting the tale of a hidden treasure belonging to the D'Gama family.[5] The story explores the maritime history of Portugal, Spain, Africa, and India,[6] while the mythical being is known locally as kappiri muthappan. According to Mohanlal, it took one-and-a-half years to finalize the screenplay. Initially, he encouraged Punnoose to direct the film, but Punnoose declined. Mohanlal also considered other directors before deciding to take up the role himself.[7] He mentioned that Punnoose granted him freedom to make changes to the story, as the original premise had a more serious tone that underwent revisions.[8]

Punnoose discovered the Portuguese-Afro-Indian myth in 1980 while exploring various indigenous fables for India's first 3D film. Eventually, he opted to adapt the kuttichathan myth instead. In 2003, he revisited the subject and crafted a story that he shared with friends.[9] Years later, responding to his colleagues' insistence, Punnoose decided to turn the story into a film in English and Hispanic languages, taking on the role of director. He revised the 2003 story and penned it as a novel in 2017 to claim copyright. It features two primary characters—Barroz, an elderly Afrikaner ghost, and Isabella, a teenage girl of Malayali-Portuguese descent. While Punnoose's screenplay deviated from the novel in terms of setting and narrative technique. Foreign actors were considered for various roles, including that of Barroz. However, the project underwent significant changes in the course of events.[10]

In a 2022 blog, Punnoose provided a detailed explanation of the film's development and its departure from his original work.[11] In mid-2018, Mohanlal and Kumar sought Punnoose's consultation for a 3D stage show. Kumar proposed making the film in Malayalam language, with Mohanlal portraying Barroz. In February 2019, Punnoose changed the character to a Malayali to accommodate Mohanlal, but opted out of directing. Mohanlal then took on the role of director, while Antony Perumbavoor joined as the producer. Punnoose revised the screenplay 22 times to his satisfaction and to the liking of Mohanlal and Antony, while keeping Isabella as the central character. Mohanlal contributed several story elements, which were incorporated into the film.[10]

Preparations for the film were finalized by early January 2020[10] and filming was set to begin in June.[12] However, their plans were delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic in India, which affected the set work scheduled for February. The work resumed by the end of 2020. A team of approximately 160 personnel worked at Navodaya Studio at various departments. The extended time allowed for improvements in previsualization, voodoo doll animation, visual effects, and action sequences. Pre-production was completed in March 2021.[10] Production was officially announced on 24 March 2021, with a pooja ceremony held at Navodaya Studio.[13] Filming began in the same month but was interrupted after one week due to the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in Kerala. By the time the lockdown restrictions began to ease, Aashirvad Cinemas had shifted their focus to producing films for direct OTT streaming. As a result, there were discussions about shelving Barroz due to its perceived non-viability. However, in November 2021, Mohanlal took the initiative to revive the project, capitalizing on his four-month gap before starting other films.[10][14]

Considering the challenges posed by the pandemic, including the difficulty of bringing back foreign actors and shooting in distant locations, extensive discussions led to a decision to change the story, screenplay, and actors. In December 2021, Mohanlal and Kumar collaborated to rewrite the scenes, locations, and characters to ensure the film's feasible completion. Mohanlal reimagined his character in line with his successful commercial films to cater to his fans. In May 2022, Jijo expressed his determination to pursue his original plan of directing a film in English and Hispanic languages through his blog, as his original screenplay and production design had not been utilized. This decision ultimately led to Jijo leaving Barroz. He also requested to have his name removed from the screenplay credits.[10][14]

Casting[edit]

In July 2019, Mohanlal announced the casting of Spanish actors Paz Vega, Rafael Amargo, and Cesar Lorente Raton in the film through social media.[15][16] Amargo was cast as Vasco da Gama, while Vega was chosen to portray his wife.[17] Raton, who initially worked in the casting department, was invited to audition for a part and landed in dual roles.[18] Later in September, Mohanlal revealed that American child actress Shayla McCaffrey would play the lead role.[19] In March 2020, Pratap Pothen confirmed his signing for the role of the voodoo doll.[20] Speculations about Prithviraj Sukumaran's casting arose when he was spotted with the crew during the film's pre-production discussions in March.[21] His presence in the cast was confirmed during that same month.[22] Sara Vega, the sister of Paz Vega, replaced her in the role of Teresa de Gama.[23]

Due to the COVID-19 lockdown in India, the film faced delays, leading to the replacement of some major cast members when production resumed in December 2021. Prithviraj opted out of the film due to scheduling conflicts with Kaduva and Aadujeevitham.[24] Tuhin Menon was brought in as his replacement.[25] McCaffrey was replaced by Indo-British actress Maya[26] due to conflicts with her academic studies and noticeable physical changes.[27] In December 2021, Guru Somasundaram confirmed his casting in the film, who was called by Mohanlal after the release of his film Minnal Murali (2021).[28] He plays a cop[29] and was scheduled to join in February 2022.[30] Komal Sharma was cast in an undisclosed role. Sharma shared her experience of working on the film, highlighting Mohanlal's equal treatment of all cast members regardless of their status as leading stars, newcomers, or children.[31] Pranav Mohanlal was spotted filming in the set.

Filming[edit]

Principal photography began on 31 March 2021 at sets constructed in Fort Kochi.[32] Before filming began, K. U. Mohanan, who was initially appointed as the cinematographer, was replaced by Santosh Sivan.[33] Sivan described Barroz as "a visual film that doesn't have a conventional story. It's got magical realism, 3D and is VFX heavy".[34] Santhosh Raman oversaw the production design. Filming took place at sets in Navodaya Studio in April.[35] The film prominently features Goa, and the shooting schedule there was planned to start in early August.[5]

Filming, which initially involved 85 crew members, proceeded for a week in Kochi before being halted due to the second COVID-19 lockdown. In May, efforts were focused on caring for the 24 infected cast and crew members and arranging the return of foreign actors to their home countries, as airline operations had been suspended.[10] With Aashirvad Cinemas changing their plans, Barroz came close to cancellation, leading to the dismantling of the treasure cellar set at Navodaya Studio on Antony's instruction. However, in November 2021, Mohanlal revived the film. Due to logistical challenges like bringing back foreign actors and shooting on location, even in nearby places like Goa, the decision was made in December 2021 to change the story, screenplay, and cast. The revised plan involved shooting in and around Kochi, primarily using indoor sets at Navodaya Studio for major filming.[36]

Filming resumed on 26 December 2021, with recasting and reshoots taking place.[37] Portions featuring Prithviraj, shot in April 2021, were scrapped by Mohanlal. From February to April 2022, filming occurred in Kochi.[38] In April, Punnoose assisted in executing a rotating-set mechanism for a scene involving Barroz walking on the walls of the treasure cellar, which was his only involvement after he left the film.[14] It was followed by a schedule in Goa, which was completed in May,[39] marking the majority of the film's completion, with only two songs remaining.[34] In early July, a song featuring an animation sequence was filmed in Bangkok. The title song was filmed in Chennai by the end of that month.[40] The original plan was to film the title song in Portugal.[8] Filming wrapped up on 29 July 2022.[41] Kumar served as an associate director[8] and Mohanlal's daughter Vismaya Mohanlal worked as an assistant director.[42]

Post-production[edit]

The post-production work of the film commenced in 2022 shortly after the conclusion of filming. It took place at Thailand and India, with sound mixing done in Los Angeles. In September 2022, Mohanlal revealed plans to complete post-production and submit the film for certification by the Central Board of Film Certification within the same year. He worked towards completing the film in time for a projected theatrical release within March 2023.[8]

Music[edit]

During the film's pre-production in 2019, Mohanlal hired 13-year-old pianist Lydian Nadhaswaram for composing the film's music, a child prodigy who won the CBS reality talent show The World's Best that year.[43] In February 2023, Mohanlal took to social media to announce that composer Mark Kilian, known for his work in Hollywood films, has been brought on board to compose the music for Barroz. However, it remains unclear whether Nadhaswaram has been replaced or if both composers will be involved in the film.[44]

Release[edit]

In September 2022, Mohanlal stated that Barroz is planned for a theatrical release within March 2023.[8] In a radio interview in Doha in November 2022, Mohanlal said that the film's trailer is scheduled to be released in theatres along with Avatar: The Way of Water on 16 December 2022. However, the trailer missed the date.[45] In March 2023, Santhosh Raman reportedly informed a media outlet that the film is targeting a release during Onam 2023.[46]

References[edit]

  1. ↑ Entertainment Desk (21 April 2019). "Mohanlal to turn director with Barroz". The Indian Express. Retrieved 7 November 2022.
  2. ↑ Onmanorama staff (22 April 2019). "Mohanlal to direct a 3D movie 'Barroz – Guardian of D'Gama's Treasure'". Onmanorama. Retrieved 7 November 2022.
  3. ↑ FP staff (23 April 2019). "Mohanlal to make his directorial debut with 3-D film Barroz - Guardian of D'Gama's Treasure". Firstpost. Retrieved 7 November 2022.
  4. ↑ Kumar, P. K. Ajith (30 July 2019). "Mohanlal reveals cast of his directorial debut 'Barroz'". The Hindu. Retrieved 7 November 2022.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 Team Cafe (6 April 2021). "Mollywood's biggest superstar set to make blockbuster on Vasco da Gama's 'lost treasure'". O Heraldo. Retrieved 18 May 2022.
  6. ↑ "Mohanlal ropes in popular Spanish actors for his directorial debut Barroz". The New Indian Express. 29 July 2019.
  7. ↑ Web team (8 September 2022). "'അവകാശങ്ങളല്ല, അവകാശ വാദവുമല്ല'; 'ബറോസ്' പോലൊരു സിനിമ ഇന്ത്യയിൽ ആദ്യമെന്ന് മോഹൻലാൽ". Asianet News (in മലയാളം). Retrieved 6 November 2022.
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 8.4 മനോരമ ലേഖകൻ (5 September 2022). "ബറോസ് ഒരുങ്ങുന്നത് രാജ്യാന്തര നിലവാരത്തിൽ, സെൻസറിങ് ഈ വർഷം: മോഹൻലാൽ പറയുന്നു". Manorama Online (in മലയാളം). Retrieved 4 October 2022.
  9. ↑ Punnoose, Jijo. "D'Gama's Treasure - Novel". Navodaya Studio. Archived from the original on 3 November 2022. Retrieved 7 November 2022.
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 10.3 10.4 10.5 10.6 Punnoose, Jijo. "Evolution of film D'Gama's Treasure". Navodaya Studio. Archived from the original on 1 November 2022. Retrieved 7 November 2022.
  11. ↑ TNM staff (2 November 2022). "Barroz, Mohanlal's debut film as director, is not based anymore on Jijo's script". The News Minute. Retrieved 7 November 2022.
  12. ↑ Sidhardhan, Sanjith (24 February 2020). "Mohanlal's Barroz to go on floors by June 2020". The Times of India. Retrieved 4 October 2022.
  13. ↑ K., Janani (24 March 2020). "Mohanlal's directorial debut Barroz kicks off. Mammootty, Prithviraj attend launch". India Today. Retrieved 4 October 2022.
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 14.2 ETimes.in (1 November 2022). "Jijo Punnoose washes his hands off 'Barroz', says the screenplay has been changed and fashioned like Mohanlal's films 'Odiyan' and 'Pulimurugan'". The Times of India. Retrieved 7 November 2022.
  15. ↑ "'Barroz': Mohanlal ropes in Spanish actors for directorial debut". The Week. 30 July 2019. Archived from the original on 30 July 2019.
  16. ↑ "Mohanlal ropes in Spanish actors for his debut directorial 'Barroz'". The News Minute. 31 July 2019. Archived from the original on 31 July 2019. Retrieved 19 January 2020.
  17. ↑ "Mohanlal commences work on 'Barroz'". The New Indian Express. 23 February 2021. Retrieved 1 March 2021.
  18. ↑ Soman, Deepa (25 February 2023). "Spanish theatre artiste Cesar Raton is thrilled to have worked with Mohanlal in Barroz". OnManorama. Retrieved 29 June 2023.
  19. ↑ CE Features (23 September 2019). "Mohanlal's Lucifer to be extended as a trilogy". Cinema Express. Retrieved 4 October 2022.
  20. ↑ "Mohanlal casts Pratap Pothen in Barroz". The New Indian Express. 6 March 2020. Retrieved 25 March 2020.
  21. ↑ Timesofindia.com (17 March 2020). "Has Prithviraj Sukumaran secured a part in Mohanlal's 'Barroz'?". The Times of India. Retrieved 4 October 2022.
  22. ↑ K., Janani (25 March 2020). "Mohanlal and Prithviraj Sukumaran at Barroz launch afterparty. See pics". India Today. Retrieved 4 October 2022.
  23. ↑ Rondán, Á. (22 May 2021). "Así es Sara Vega, la polifacética hermana pequeña de Paz Vega". 20 minutos (in español). Retrieved 12 October 2022.
  24. ↑ V. S., Goutham (28 December 2021). "Prithviraj Sukumaran leaves Mohanlal's Barroz". The Indian Express. Retrieved 18 May 2022.
  25. ↑ Canchannels (21 April 2022). "ബറോസിന്റെ ഷൂട്ടിംഗ് പൂര്‍ത്തിയാകുന്നു. കേരള ഷെഡ്യൂൾ ഏപ്രിൽ 23 ന് തീരും. ഗോവ ഷെഡ്യൂൾ 27 ന് തുടങ്ങും" (in മലയാളം). Canchannels.com. Retrieved 4 October 2022.
  26. ↑ ETimes.in (6 January 2022). "Mohanlal launches the majestic first look poster of his maiden directorial 'Barroz' on New Year's Eve". The Times of India. Retrieved 4 October 2022.
  27. ↑ Sidhardhan, Sanjith (2 December 2021). "Mohanlal to scrap already-filmed portions of his directorial debut Barroz and restart from December 15". OTT Play. Retrieved 4 October 2022.
  28. ↑ ETimes.in (26 December 2021). "Mohanlal's Barroz update! Guru Somasundaram to play a major role in the film?". The Times of India. Retrieved 18 May 2022.
  29. ↑ ETimes.in (22 November 2022). "Guru Somasundaram to play a police character in Mohanlal's 'Barroz'". The Times of India. Retrieved 29 June 2023.
  30. ↑ M., Athira (4 January 2022). "Guru Somasundaram on 'Minnal Murali': I wasn't prepared for this level of adulation". The Hindu. Retrieved 12 October 2022.
  31. ↑ Outlook Web Bureau (1 July 2022). "Acting With Mohanal Sir Is An Award-Winning Experience: Komal Sharma". Outlook. Retrieved 4 October 2022.
  32. ↑ Timeofindia.com (1 April 2021). "Lights! Camera! Action! Mohanlal's maiden directorial 'Barroz' goes on floors". The Times of India. Retrieved 18 May 2022.
  33. ↑ CE Features (17 October 2020). "Santosh Sivan to join Mohanlal's Barroz?". Cinema Express. Retrieved 12 October 2022.
  34. ↑ 34.0 34.1 Sidhardhan, Sanjith (17 May 2022). "Exclusive! Mohanlal has a vision of his own, he doesn't imitate anyone: Santosh Sivan on Barroz". OTT Play. Retrieved 18 May 2022.
  35. ↑ Mathrubhumi (22 April 2022). "Mohanlal's latest pic from 'Barroz' location goes viral". Mathrubhumi. Retrieved 7 November 2022.
  36. ↑ Onmanorama staff (2 November 2022). "Revised 'Barroz' script 22 times to Mohanlal's liking: Jijo Punnoose". Onmanorama. Retrieved 7 November 2022.
  37. ↑ Onmanorama staff (27 December 2021). "Here is why Prithviraj opted out of Mohanlal's directorial debut 'Barroz'". Onmanorama. Retrieved 18 May 2022.
  38. ↑ Sidhardhan, Sanjith (20 April 2022). "Mohanlal to complete Barroz's Goa schedule next, to head to Portugal after winding up Bigg Boss Malayalam". OTT Play. Retrieved 18 May 2022.
  39. ↑ Sidhardhan, Sanjith (14 May 2022). "Mohanlal completes Barroz's Goa schedule, final schedule planned in Portugal next month". OTT Play. Retrieved 18 May 2022.
  40. ↑ Sidhardhan, Sanjith (25 July 2022). "Exclusive! Mohanlal to wrap up Barroz shoot with a song sequence in Chennai this week". OTT Play. Retrieved 29 September 2022.
  41. ↑ ETimes.in (30 July 2022). "Mohanlal's 'Barroz' wraps up the shoot". The Times of India. Retrieved 29 September 2022.
  42. ↑ Timesofindia.com (17 July 2020). "Mohanlal's daughter Vismaya to work with him in 'Barroz'?". The Times of India. Retrieved 4 October 2022.
  43. ↑ CE Features (14 June 2019). "Lydian Nadhaswaram to compose music for Mohanlal's Barroz". Cinema Express. Retrieved 4 October 2022.
  44. ↑ The Hindu Bureau (17 February 2023). "Hollywood composer Mark Kilian on board Mohanlal's 'Barroz'". The Hindu. Retrieved 28 June 2023.
  45. ↑ Team OTTplay (2 November 2022). "Mohanlal's Barroz trailer to be released along with James Cameron's Avatar 2?". OTT Play. Retrieved 3 November 2022.
  46. ↑ ETimes.in (5 March 2023). "Mohanlal's 'Barroz' planning to release on THIS date!". The Times of India. Retrieved 28 June 2023.

External links[edit]

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