King Of Kotha director Abhilash Joshiy opened up on the challenges he faced while filming Dulquer Salmaan’s introduction scene.
Dulquer Salmaan who is known for his romantic roles, has pulled off a surprise with Abhilash Joshiy’s action thriller King Of Kotha which hits the big screens today (August 24, 2023). The film has the actor essaying the role of a gangster who rules over an isolated city.
King Of Kotha marks the directorial debut of Abhilash Joshiy, son of acclaimed Malayalam filmmaker Joshiy. In a recent interview with Film Companion, Abhilash talked about Dulquer‘s introduction scene in his film and said that it was a ‘big challenge’ to pull off.
According to the debutant director, filmmakers generally shot the lighter portions first and gradually get into the beat of the character. However, they kickstarted the shoot of King Of Kotha with Dulquer’s introduction sequence which was a major action block.
Abhilash shared, “I was tense when the shooting began as there were some scheduling conflicts. I was also nervous as we had to shoot Dulquer’s introduction sequence during the first few days, and it was a big challenge. Filmmakers usually plan to shoot the lighter parts initially and get into the beats of the character gradually.”
He explained, “For the introduction scene, we had 400 to 500 junior artists on set at all the time as it was a major action block and all frames needed these people in one way or the other. I knew it would be a challenge to coordinate these logistical entities but the production team was so supportive, and never made me feel short of what we needed for each shot.”
Further, Abhilash also shared that it was Dulquer Salmaan who wanted him to make his directorial debut with an action flick like King Of Kotha.
“I have known him since our childhood, and we grew up together. We have always had a good connection and he agreed to do the film when I took the script to him. He was on the same creative page and wanted me to make my debut with this kind of film. Honestly, he wanted me to do an action film, something that is commercially viable. Dulquer too faced some issues as he had to get into the character from day one as we shot out of order, with the heavier parts falling early in the schedule. So he had to pick up the subtler beats quickly and we reworked many
scenes to get him to the groove. We were particular about presenting him in a new, never-before-seen avatar,” he told the portal.
Dulquer Salmaan starrer King Of Kotha also features Aishwarya Lekshmi, Prasanna, Nyla Usha, Gokul Suresh, amongst others.
