Prithviraj Sukumaran talks about the evolution and ‘natural progression’ of Indian cinema

Mollywood actor Prithviraj Sukumaran is gearing up for the release of his next directorial venture L2: Empuraan. Basking in the glory of the success of the 2019 prequel Lucifer, the actor-director shared his thoughts on the changing landscape of Indian cinema and the growing collaboration between the country’s various film industries.

Speaking to the Hindustan Times, he said, “There are more collaborations (between industries) than before. It’s the natural progression of how cinema as an art form, and as a business, has evolved.”

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The 42-year-old recalled an old conversation he had with filmmaker Karan Johar, predicting the rise of industry alliances. “In 2011, Karan offered me a film in an anthology he was directing. I remember him telling me, ‘We’re going into a time where there’s going to be a lot of migration of talent on both sides’. We’re getting there now.”

Reflecting on the successful year of the Mollywood film industry in 2024, with hits like Manjummel Boys, Aadujeevitham, Aavesham, Premalu etc. the actor said, “Malayalam cinema is going through a great phase; talented filmmakers, actors and producers are backing great content, which is wonderful. But, I don’t agree with the narrative of ‘Malayalam is the only cinema that’s great’ — and I think I have the right to say this because I’m from that industry. There have been years where we’ve looked at Hindi cinema and thought, ‘Man, what great content is happening in Hindi cinema! How are they able to pull off such gritty content?’”

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Prithviraj highlighted one key difference between between the Malayalam industry and other industries – the writers. He mentioned that, while in other film industries, the genesis of the idea may come from the director or production house, in Malayalam, the stories originate directly from the writers. “This is how traditionally Malayalam cinema has worked and I do think it made all the difference, especially since cinema, at its most basic form, is still a literary craft.”