Photographer K R Sunil on how his story became the script for Mohanlal-starrer ‘Thudarum'

The Hindu

05-05-2025

Photographer KR Sunil has always been a captivating story-teller. And he finds his stories in the unlikeliest of places — the streetside, a temple festival, a random conversation with a stranger, a police station. It was one such story that led to Mohanlal-Tharun Moorthy super-hit revenge drama, Thudarum.
Twelve years ago, at his hometown Kodungallur, Sunil saw an elderly man anxiously looking over the wall of the police station. Intrigued, he began to observe him and it seemed that the man's gaze was fixed on the vehicles parked inside the compound of the police station. The expression on the man's face, a strange mix of worry and determination, says Sunil, sparked a series of thoughts in his mind.
'What if he was looking at his vehicle that was intercepted by the police and was wondering how to retrieve it? What if that vehicle was his possession? What if it was the one thing he truly valued in life? It was all so visual, I had to write it down as a screenplay,' says Sunil.
The story, which revolves around Mohanlal's character Shanmugham (a taxi driver fondly known as Benz, owing to his obsession with his vintage Ambassador car), remixes reality with filmy twists and turns.
For the photographer whose startlingly sincere frames have constantly pushed us to ponder over the human experience, writing for a film was new. 'Though I didn't have experience in scripting, I have nurtured some friendships in the industry, especially with stalwarts such as Kamal and Lal Jose. I have also assisted Rajeev Ravi on the camera in two films (Quotation and Rasikan) . These helped me shape my cinematic language,' he adds. Even during his early days as a student at the Fine Arts College, Thrissur, Sunil used to be a regular at Film Society screenings; he would watch commercial films, too.
Fuelled by the energy of his fresh script, Sunil read it out to producer Rajaputra Ranjith, who found potential in it. 'He could easily relate to a character who was so obsessed with his car, he would go to any length to take care of it.' Ranjith eventually spoke to Mohanlal and producer Antony Perumbavoor, who were equally impressed with the story. 'They had seen and known people like Benz who were obsessed with their cars,' says Sunil.
But cinema, with its uncertainties and vagaries, took its own time. It was in 2022 when Sunil happened to watch Saudi Vellakka, written and directed by Tharun Moorthy, that things took a turn. 'The film had a simple story told so compellingly that the scenes stayed with me. It struck a chord,' Sunil recalls. When Tharun heard the story, he knew too that it had all the makings of a good film.
Tharun met Sunil in 2023, at Mattancherry, where he was showcasing his works. They decided to work together on the script and what followed was a joyfully creative exchange, says Sunil. 'Communicating with Tharun was easy and he offered quite a few suggestions, which I felt were suitable for the narrative, and we began work on a new script.'
Sunil, who was present at most of the shooting locations, says it was an inexplicable experience watching Mohanlal emote the characters he created. 'We know Mohanlal as an actor. But as a person, he is extremely down-to-earth. People come from different places just to get a glimpse of him.' Sunil recounts how an elderly woman who was running an eatery near the shooting location in Thodupuzha brought a day's meal for Mohanlal, who gladly relished it.
Sunil admits he is a bit overwhelmed by the response the film has been getting. 'The film has resonated with people across generations and the feedback is truly heartening,' he says. Sunil has quite a few stories in his head, but for now, he is concentrating on his upcoming photography shows in Goa and Mumbai.