He turned into a wild tusker in 'Thudarum', says Stunt Silva on Mohanlal

Tharun Moorthy’s 'Thudarum', starring Mohanlal, continues to draw audiences in theatres. Actor Mohanlal, known for delivering solid nadan thallu (raw action), has reminded viewers of a raging lone tusker in some scenes and a prowling lion in others. Behind these intense fight sequences is renowned action choreographer Stunt Silva.

Silva recalled that when Mohanlal invited him to the project, the actor casually remarked, “Master, it’s a small film only.” But once on set, Mohanlal transformed completely, attacking fight scenes with the energy and enthusiasm of a teenager. Despite his commanding screen presence, Silva described him as a deeply soft-hearted person.

Speaking to Manorama Online, Silva said, “When it comes to fight scenes, Lal Sir is completely committed. Whatever film he does, he wants every moment to be perfect. He’s extremely interested in action. When he’s fighting, he forgets his age and body and becomes like a child. He bounces in full of energy and says, ‘Ready, start!’ before jumping into action. Watching him, it feels like a young boy leaping in.”

Recalling a specific scene where Mohanlal had to jump through a window and break glass, Silva said director Tharun Moorthy suggested that the actor should make an entry like a lion leaping in. “Tharun said the presence should feel like a lion in some scenes and a tusker in others. He told me, ‘It should feel like a mad elephant has stormed into the police station.’ So I too got into that mode and turned Lal Sir into a wild tusker. That’s how we did that fight sequence. No matter how simply we choreograph a scene, when Lal Sir performs, there’s always something superhuman about it.”

Silva, who has worked with Mohanlal on several films, including the much-talked-about forest fight in 'Lucifer', said his journey with the actor began with the Tamil film 'Jilla', and his first Malayalam project with him was 'Mr. Fraud'. “Lal Sir is the one who introduced me to Malayalam cinema. He gave me a good name here. I’m actually a Mohanlal fanboy,” Silva admitted. “The first film I ever watched after arriving in Chennai was 'Number 20 Madras Mail'. I even told him that. That’s how a fanboy ended up becoming his stunt master.”