He said, 'If Dileep is the hero, I won’t work on this movie', reveals Director Kamal

Director Kamal recently shared some behind-the-scenes insights about his 2010 film 'Aagathan' in an interview with Kaumudi Movies. The film, starring Dileep and Sathyaraj, remains a favourite among Malayali audiences, with its songs also achieving significant popularity.

Kamal revealed that he initially chose cinematographer Venu for the project. “Venu and I had discussed working together on a few films before but they never materialized. When 'Aagathan' came up, I invited him to join as the cameraman. However, Venu immediately declined, saying, 'If Dileep is the hero, I won’t work on this movie.' They had some personal differences, so Venu opted out,” Kamal shared. This led to Ajayan Vincent stepping in as the film's cinematographer.

Kamal also recalled Dileep’s reaction to the serious tone of the role. “When I first narrated the story to Dileep, he asked if he would be able to pull off such a serious role. I told him it was time to take on more than just comedic roles. That’s how Dileep came on board,” Kamal said.

The director also reminisced about some challenges they faced during filming in Kashmir, particularly while shooting the popular song "Manjumazha." “There were some disturbances in the area, and many police officers and soldiers initially didn’t allow us to reach the shooting location. While we managed to start filming the song, the shoot was halted the next day. We were stranded on the road for three hours in the freezing cold without any food. Eventually, we secured permission and completed the shoot. That experience is something I’ll never forget,” Kamal reflected.