We've Approached Maranamass As A Full-Fledged Dark Comedy

When filmmaker Sivaprasad set out to make his debut film, he considered many directions before finally choosing a playful narrative that still allowed room for bold experimentation.

- VIVEK SANTHOSH

When filmmaker Sivaprasad set out to make his debut film, he considered many directions before finally choosing a playful narrative that still allowed room for bold experimentation. That choice became Maranamass, which hits theaters tomorrow.

"We've approached this film as a full-fledged dark comedy, rather than a film with shades of it. It follows characters with very different personalities who all get caught up in a crime. The story explores the comedic, tense, and emotional sides of that situation," he says.

Set in a fictional village called Vallikkunnu, Maranamass avoids tying itself to any specific region, slang, or district. The setting is symbolic in many ways. "The name of the village is actually a wordplay. 'Valli' means problem, and this is a place full of problems," he adds. Though the film's tone leans towards dark humor, it doesn't stick to one genre. Sivaprasad and his co-writer Siju Sunny—also an actor he had earlier worked with on ad films—wanted to stretch the story into different emotional territories.

"We have also tried to blend in other genres and explore different emotions but I think we've approached it in a balanced manner. We've even tried to find humor in some of the more sentimental moments," says the director.

The idea for