'Kavya Madhavan was not original choice for that Dileep-starrer film, it was Manju who suggested her name'

Lal Jose is a director who has given several unforgettable films in the Malayalam film industry. He began his career as an independent director with Oru Maravathoor Kanavu after working as an assistant director to Kamal. His second film was Chandranudikkunna Dikkil, starring Dileep. In a recent interview, Lal Jose shared how Kavya Madhavan was cast as the heroine in the film, and the video is now going viral on social media.

Lal Jose's words

In Chandranudikkunna Dikkil, Shalini was originally chosen for the role that eventually went to Kavya. However, Shalini had already committed to Niram, and after looking at the dates, it turned out that both Niram and Chandranudikkunna Dikkil had overlapping schedules. As a result, I decided to cast someone else. After giving it some thought, I visited Dileep's house one day, where Manju was also present. I explained to them that Shalini’s dates didn’t work out, so we needed to find someone else. I told them I didn’t have anyone particular in mind and that we would need to look for a fresh face.

It was then that Manju suggested, "Get a new person, chetta." I replied, "I have someone in mind. Her name is Kavya Madhavan." Dileep and Manju already knew her, but I was unsure, as I feared that Kavya might appear too young on screen. However, it was Manju who reassured me, saying, "No, chetta, Kavya will look mature enough when she wears a churidar. She will be a good option." At that time, Kavya was just 14 years old. That is how Kavya came into the film.