Actor Prithviraj's directorial debut 'Lucifer' has set off a good buzz even before its release scheduled for March 28. An official trailer launch was held in Dubai on Thursday in which all the leading crew members of the movie were in attendance. The video of the event was simultaneously streamed live on the Facebook pages of the stars as well.
Answering to the queries of the media, came one question about casting veteran director Fazil in the film. Talking about it, Prithviraj said, “The people in the industry knows well that Fazil is an amazing actor. Personally, I got a chance to see his acting skills. I was studying in the 11th standard when my mother had sent me to him asking him to help me with screen test. Thus, I went to his house in Alapuzha where another girl had also arrived for the same purpose. What amazed me was that, Fazil would himself enact a scene and showed us, first in a male's version and immediately switching to female version. I still have a wondrous memory of that moment. From that time onwards, I had it in deep in my mind how skilled an actor he is.”
Further, Prithvi also revealed that the girl was none other than Asin Thottumkal, who went on to become a leading Tamil film actress, and that was the first time he met her. She was in the 9th standard.
Interestingly, unlike the reports of a cameo role, Prithviraj clarified that Fazil will play a full-length character in 'Lucifer'. “Although he appears as a priest, he will be seen playing a fatherly-role to Mohanlal's character and will be the one to influence him in every way.”
When Mohanlal was roped in as the lead character called Stephen Nedumpally, the casting for his father's role was not easy, explained Prithvi.
“I wanted that someone who can match the aura of Mohanlal and that's how Fazil's image came to my mind. I didn't call hi, but went directly to his house and told him that I was making a movie and he can't say no. That's how he was cast,” he added.
It's after almost 34 years that Fazil is making his comeback to acting. He had made a cameo appearance in Mohanlal’s 1985 movie 'Nokkethadhoorathu Kannum Nattu'.
Mohanlal made his debut in 'Manjil Virinja Pookkal' (1980) which was Fazil's directorial debut and hence there's no denying the fact that the screen time when Mohanlal and Fazil appear together is one of the most-awaited moments in 'Lucifer'.
