Mohanlal himself suggested taking on a part in 'Thudakkam', reveals writer Akhil Krishna

One of the most talked-about moments in Jude Anthany Joseph's ‘Thudakkam’ is the scene where Mohanlal appears alongside his daughter Vismaya Mohanlal. The veteran actor appears at a crucial point in the film, in a role that has become one of its most discussed elements. According to co-writer Akhil Krishna, Mohanlal himself suggested that he take on the part when Jude was discussing the casting with him.
Akhil says the role was already part of the script, and the team was considering whom to cast when Mohanlal expressed interest in playing it.

Jude Anthany Joseph agreed, and the rest, as they say, became part of the film. The scenes between Mohanlal and Vismaya have since become some of the most celebrated portions of ‘Thudakkam’, with audiences responding enthusiastically to the combination. But for the writers, there was always one thing that had to remain clear. Mohanlal's presence could not come at the cost of Meenu's story.

Akhil says the character was conceived to support Meenu's journey rather than take it over. The team did make certain changes to suit Mohanlal once he came on board, including adding some stylistic touches to his portions, but the purpose of the character remained the same.

That focus on Meenu was there much before Vismaya was officially announced as the film's lead. For Akhil, a native of Thiruvananthapuram who works at Technopark, ‘Thudakkam’ is his first project as a co-writer. His involvement began last year, when Jude brought up a story written by Linish Nellikkal during a discussion.

Jude apparently felt the material needed some changes and asked Akhil if he would be interested in working on it and Akhil immediately agreed. The film was being developed for Vismaya's acting debut, something that was kept tightly under wraps at the time.

Akhil knew about it, but Jude had asked him not to tell anyone. That secrecy made the experience even more exciting for the first-time writer.
At the time, there had been no public indication that Vismaya was preparing to enter films. So, for Akhil, knowing that he was helping shape a script specifically for her was unusual. He also understood the significance of the project early on.

With Jude, the director of ‘2018’, at the helm and Vismaya making her first appearance, Akhil felt the film was unlikely to be an ordinary debut vehicle.
“It felt special to be part of the beginning of an actor like Vismaya,” he says.
Interestingly, the script's martial arts element did not come from Vismaya's own training. She is trained in martial arts in real life, and that has naturally led to speculation that Meenu's physical abilities were written around her.

Akhil says the idea existed in the original story. The lead character had always been trained in martial arts, irrespective of who eventually played her. But Vismaya's involvement changed how the character could be presented on screen.
For months before its release, the makers deliberately avoided revealing much about the plot. Even the genre was kept deliberately vague. The strategy worked. Much of the film's thriller component came as a surprise to audiences when they finally watched it.

Akhil says the screenplay was always designed to move between a family story, survival drama, redemption and thriller elements. Jude had made it clear during the writing stage that he did not want the film to become a full-fledged thriller.

That decision also shaped how the team approached the film's female-centred story. There have been several survival dramas built around women, but the writers wanted ‘Thudakkam’ to have its own identity rather than simply repeat a familiar template. The action was one way of doing that, particularly because it was tied to Meenu's character rather than added merely for spectacle.

The writing process itself was not without disagreements. Akhil says working with Jude meant there were occasions when the two did not see a scene or idea in exactly the same way. Rather than allowing those differences to become a problem, they discussed them. If one person's suggestion made more sense, it stayed.

Looking at the finished film, he feels the changes made during production and execution only strengthened the material that existed on paper. Perhaps that is also why the film's biggest surprises were kept hidden for so long. The makers were not simply protecting a twist. They were allowing the audience to encounter Meenu, her family and her circumstances without preconceived expectations about where the story would go.

Now that ‘Thudakkam’ is in theatres and enjoying a strong run, the secrecy has finally given way to conversations about how the film was made.