'Sarvam Maya' deeply personal, accident & ventilator scene lived experiences, reveals Director Akhil Sathyan

Sarvam Maya, a soothing, emotionally haunting drama that enlivened the bond between a spirit and a troubled young man, has been one of the most loved Malayalam films of late. The movie radiates a carefree joviality, but there are moments that land like sudden jolts.

Director and writer Akhil Sathyan says much of ‘Sarvam Maya’ is deeply personal. Prabhendu’s character is inspired by a friend of Akhil’s, an atheist priest. Even the climax draws from lived experience. Akhil recalls a traumatic accident involving drunk bike passengers. “It wasn’t my fault, but even now, thinking about it affects me,” he says. The ventilator scene, one of the film’s most haunting moments, was inspired by a close friend’s experience, where a brother had to consent to taking his sister off life support.

Since the film's release, there has been so much debate on nature of relationship of characters. Was Delulu ever real, or was she always a thought Prabhendu needed to survive? That question, which lingers long after the final frame of ‘Sarvam Maya’, is perhaps the biggest reason the film continues to haunt the audience. Long after its theatrical run and even more so after its OTT release, Akhil Sathyan’s film has sparked discussions, debates, and deeply personal interpretations. What could have settled into a neatly resolved narrative instead embraces uncertainty, asking viewers to sit with discomfort, doubt, and emotional grey zones. And that, Akhil believes, is precisely why the film found a second, even wider life online.

‘Sarvam Maya’, starring Nivin Pauly and Riya Shibu, emerged as one of last year’s most talked-about Malayalam films. But its OTT release unlocked a fresh wave of engagement, reaching audiences who may have missed it in theatres. Speaking to Onmanorama, Akhil admits he never anticipated this scale of response. “I had confidence that the film would work,” he says, “but I never imagined so many people would watch it in such a short span after it came on OTT.”

At the heart of the film lies a delicate emotional balance, one that constantly blurs the line between friendship and love. Akhil reveals that this balance was a conscious creative decision, shaped early in the writing process. Initially, actor Preity Mukhundhan was cast as Delulu. “If Preity had played Delulu, the love angle would have felt predictable,” Akhil explains. “The moment Riya came in, that predictability disappeared. The story shifted. It became more about friends.”

That casting choice fundamentally altered how the relationship between Prabhendu and Delulu unfolded. Romance, when it appears, feels organic rather than imposed. It grows out of companionship, emotional dependence, and shared loneliness, not cinematic declaration. “The romantic aspect happens naturally,” Akhil says, “and that was important to me.”

Naturally, the film’s climax has sparked the most debate. Viewers remain divided on whether Prabhendu is Delulu’s lover or whether Delulu exists only as a construct of his mind. Akhil leans into that ambiguity. “The ending is deliberately open,” he says. “There’s a certain confusion about whether Delulu is Prabhendu’s delusion or something he has created in his mind. Prabhendu himself even says that Delulu is a thought for him.”

Yet Akhil also offers a layered clarification. “Prabhendu is not Delulu’s lover, and she is also not a thought,” he says. “But when Delulu’s mother asks him if he is her lover, Prabhendu says yes. That is also true in that moment, because Delulu fell in love with him. What Prabhendu couldn’t tell Delulu directly, he tells her mother.”

For both Prabhendu and Delulu’s mother, that answer becomes closure. “That moment completes something for both of them,” Akhil says. “And what I find interesting is that people are still talking about it.”

Many have tagged the film as Nivin Pauly’s comeback, a reading Akhil acknowledges with calm certainty. “I was very sure this film wouldn’t flop,” he says. Once shooting began, the belief only grew stronger. “The entire crew knew this would work. Nivin and I were confident, and that’s why we didn’t over-publicise the film.”

According to Akhil, ‘Sarvam Maya’ is the kind of film that grows on you. “This is a movie that gives you a response after you watch it,” he says. “It stays with you.”

That staying power, however, came at the cost of time and effort. ‘Sarvam Maya’ was not an easy film to make. “The writing alone took over a year,” Akhil reveals. “The songs took more than two years. Nivin and I argued a lot over the writing.” Yet, despite the creative friction, everything eventually aligned. “Compared to my previous film, this was a smooth ride. We didn’t even realise when the film ended.”

Casting, Akhil says, is one of the aspects he enjoys most about filmmaking. “I love casting,” he says. “Even during ‘Njan Prakashan’, (Sathyan Anthikad’s film), I was deeply involved in casting.” He believes unfamiliar faces allow audiences to see characters first, not stars. He points to ‘Pachuvum Athbutha Vilakkum’ as an example. “If a well-known actor had played Hamsadhwani, the audience would have seen the actor. Because Anjana played it, the character felt new.”

In ‘Sarvam Maya’, that philosophy paid off. “People don’t call Riya by her name anymore,” Akhil says with a smile. “They call her Delulu.”

The film itself, Akhil explains, was born out of necessity. ‘Pachuvum Athbutha Vilakkum’ was a geographically scattered project, and its shoot was halted during the Covid pandemic. “We had started shooting, but everything stopped,” he recalls. Fahadh Faasil later suggested it might not resume soon. That uncertainty gave rise to the idea of a smaller, more contained film.

Asked whether being Sathyan Anthikad’s son comes with pressure, Akhil answers honestly. “During my assisting days, I was scared. I wondered if I was good enough,” he admits. That fear gradually faded. ‘Njan Prakashan’ marked a turning point. “That’s when my father gave me more creative freedom.” Their conversations continue, and notably, it was Sathyan Anthikad who suggested not showing Delulu’s lover on screen.

Looking ahead, Akhil confirms that another collaboration with Nivin Pauly and Aju Varghese is already in the pipeline, this time a romcom.