Kerala, Aug 12: The Travancore Devaswom Board has granted strict conditions to the shooting of the much-awaited Malayalam ‘superstar’ Mohanlal-starrer ‘Athimanoharam’ directed by Tarun Murthy in the Sabarimala Sannidhana and surrounding areas. The crew plans to shoot the second phase of the film in the holy shrine.
Recently, director Tarun Murthy met Devaswom Board President K. Jayakumar and officials and submitted an official request. Following the controversy over the shooting of a film without permission during the Makaravilakku festival in the past, the board has imposed strict conditions this time.
Key conditions of the Devaswom Board
The film crew must submit the complete story and script of the film to the board. There should be no scene or dialogue that denigrates or misrepresents Sabarimala, the temple, its traditions or the faith of the devotees. Before the start of shooting, the film crew must deposit Rs 50,000 and obtain separate permission from the Forest Department.
Mohanlal in the role of a police officer
In the recently released first-look poster, Mohanlal is seen in the role of an ordinary police sub-inspector named ‘Loulajan’, standing among the Sabarimala Ayyappa devotees. Meera Jasmine is playing the female lead. This is the second film in the combination of Mohanlal and Tarun Murthy after the success of the film ‘Thudarum’. Ratheesh Ravi has written the screenplay and it is being produced under the banner ‘Aashiq Usman Productions’. Shaji Kumar is handling the cinematography.
The producers said that 80% of the shooting of the film has already been completed and ‘Athimanoharam’ will be released in cinemas worldwide on December 24.