Thudarum director Tharun Moorthy reveals why Jyotika turned down Mohanlal's film: ‘She was excited but…’

Mohanlal is all set to entertain audiences with his upcoming, highly anticipated film Thudarum. The actor is set to share the screen with Shobana in the film. However, the film's director, Tharun Moorthy, revealed in a recent interview with Red FM that before casting Shobana, he had pitched the film to Jyotika, but she couldn’t come on board. (Also Read: Interview | Mohanlal says even if superstar culture ends in Indian cinema, 'there will always be great actors')

Why Jyotika turned down Thudarum

Tharun recalled that although Shobana was always their first choice for the film, they were unsure how to contact her. So, before approaching her, they considered a fresh pairing with Jyotika. He said, "When I told (scriptwriter) Sunil that there was no better option than Shobana madam, he asked me how we would contact her. Then we thought of a new pairing for Mohanlal and considered Jyotika."

He further recalled narrating the script to the actor and added, "She was very excited. But at the time we planned the shoot, Jyotika and Suriya had scheduled a world tour. So then we called Shobana madam."

For the unversed, Shobana and Mohanlal are one of the most beloved pairs in Malayalam cinema. The actors have reunited on screen after 20 years. They have featured opposite each other in several films, including Avidathepole Ivideyum, Thenmavin Kombath, Minnaram, Pavithram, and Mambazhakkalam, among others.

About Thudarum

Thudarum is an action-comedy drama film starring Mohanlal and Shobana in the lead roles, alongside Farhaan Faasil, Maniyanpilla Raju, Binu Pappu, Irshad Ali, and Aarsha Chandini Baiju in supporting roles. The film’s storyline is written by K.R. Sunil, with music composed by Jakes Bejoy. It is jointly produced by Mohanlal’s production house, Aashirvad Cinemas, and Rejaputhra Release. The film is scheduled to release in cinemas on April 25.

Jyotika’s upcoming film

Following the success of Dabba Cartel, Jyotika will next be seen in Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari’s yet-untitled courtroom drama, which also stars Sonakshi Sinha. Produced by Excel Entertainment and Baweja Studios, the film will premiere on Amazon Prime Video.