Did you shoot any part of the film in Pakistan?
No, I shot most of the film in Kerala and some parts in the Thar desert.
Are you trying to send any political message through this film?
I don't have any political message. I only want to take the side of those who are marginalised by society. I want to showcase their pain, agony and isolation. I want to show how they look at partition.
You are also a politician having been an independent MLA. Does the politician and filmmaker in you go parallel to each other, or do they meet?
I am basically a humanist, a filmmaker then a politician. It was by accident that I became a politician. There was a by-election in Guruvayoor and the CPI(M) asked me to contest as an independent with their backing. I did and won the seat. That was in 1994 immediately after I made Magrib.
What are your expectations from Paradesi?
Every filmmaker expects a lot from his film. We don't see any drawbacks in our films. We realise it only when others see it or point out the flaws. But I have high expectations, so also Mohanlal and the producer.
Mohanlal has come out with an amazing performance, perhaps his best. Even his mother says so.
Also read: 'My best roles have always happened in Malayalam'
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