Mohanlal’s directorial debut ‘Barroz’ to release on the day he made his on-screen debut 44 years ago

A poster of Mohanlal’s directorial debut ‘Barroz’
| Photo Credit: @aashirvadcine/X

Malayalam superstar Mohanlal’s directorial debut, a 3D fantasy drama titled Barroz, has been delayed multiple times since it was announced in 2019. The film, which was recently set to release on October 3, was once again postponed, reportedly due to technical issues and the preparation of IMAX version of the film.

On Friday (November 15, 2024), Mohanlal announced an update on the release date of the film, which interestingly coincides with the release date of 1980’s Manjil Virinja Pookkal, the film that marked his first on-screen debut in cinema.

On Facebook, Mohanlal posted a video featuring director Fazil, the veteran filmmaker who made Manjil Virinja Pookkal. “When Mohanlal informed me of the release date, I was very pleasantly surprised and wondered if there was a divine intervention that caused this coincidence. I shared the same with Mohanlal, and he seemed even more surprised. The entire crew, including producer Antony Perumbavoor, was surprised,” said Fazil.

“Here’s the thing: Manjil Virinja Pookkal is the film that turned a 19-year-old Mohanlal into the star we now know. That was a film that set Malayalam cinema on a new path back then. Years later, another film by Mohanlal broke many records and turned out to be even more successful, with audiences watching it repeatedly. The film even won State and National Awards. Manjil Virinja Pookkal was released on December 25, 1980. Manichitrathazhu was released on December 25, 1993,” said Fazil, adding that it feels like a divine intervention that Mohanlal’s debut directorial Barroz is also set to release on December 25 later this year.

The veteran further called Barroz a mammoth of production and conveyed his heartfelt wishes to Mohanlal. “I sincerely hope that the film becomes an iconic film, far beyond Manjil Virinja Pookkal and Manichitrathazhu,” he added.

Barroz has a script written by Jijo Punnoose of My Dear Kuttichathan (1984) fame, which is based on his novel Barroz: Guardian of D’Gama’s Treasure.

The film has music scored by Lydian Nadhaswaram. Hollywood composer Mark Kilian, known for working on films like Deep Blue Sea 3 and Pitch Perfect, has composed the background score.

The film has cinematography by Santosh Sivan and editing by B Ajith Kumar. Barroz is backed by Antony Perumbavoor under the banner of Aashirvad Cinemas.