Prithviraj Sukumaran on difference between Malayalam and other film industries: 'everything begins with the writer'

He went on to discuss a key difference he has observed over the years between Malayalam cinema and other film industries.

Prithviraj Sukumaran and superstar Mohanlal are gearing up for the release of their much anticipated film L2: Empuraan on March 27. At a recent press conference in Delhi, Prithviraj spoke about multitasking as the director and actor in the film. He also opened up about one stark difference in Malayalam film industry and other industries.

During interaction with the media, when asked about how he balances between direction and acting in the film, Prithviraj said, "More than anything I am a student of cinema. The primary craft that I practise is acting. And I am always going to be an actor first. But having said that I am a student of cinema and every opportunity that I get to learn any craft in cinema, I will learn as much as I can. So for me the entire process of filmmaking is a giant collaborative process where different people could be handling different things, or the same person could be handling multiple things and I want to know, learn, practise and excercise as my crafts as I can. That is how you learn cinema and I hope I will continue learning as its a wonderful form of art."

He went on to discuss a key difference he has observed over the years between Malayalam cinema and other film industries. He shared his perspective on Malayalam cinema, emphasizing that one of its distinct qualities is its strong focus on writing. Drawing from his experience working across multiple film industries, he noted that Malayalam films are always driven by well-crafted scripts, with writers playing a central role in the filmmaking process.

"Whatever cinema is happening in Malayalam, everything begins with the writer. Writer is who sets the project together. And that is how power and respect we give our writer," Prithviraj remarked.

Prithviraj further revealed that the concept for the Lucifer film franchise was conceived back in 2016-17, a period when terms like franchise, sequel-prequel, or multi-part films were not as common in the industry. "This is not a second installment of a franchise that is born out of the success of part one. It was always designed to be three films," remarked the actor.

Also read: Adolescence actor Owen Cooper to make his film debut with Margot Robbie, Jacob Elordi in upcoming film

For those unversed, L2: Empuraan is the sequel to the Malayalam film Lucifer that released in 2019 starring Mohanlal. It was Prithviraj's directorial debut, making this film franchise all the more special.

L2: Empuraan is penned by Murali Gopy and backed by Lyca Productions, Aashirvad Cinemas, and Sree Gokulam Movies. The much-anticipated film is slated for a grand theatrical release on March 27, 2025.