‘Honey Bee’ a fun film, assures Lal Jr.

‘Honey Bee’ a fun film, assures Lal Jr.

His love for films goes back to the times when as a toddler he was taken to watch late night movies by his father. He also remembers how he would accompany his father to movie sets when he was a young lad. Meet Jean Paul Lal, son of Malayalam director, actor and producer Lal, whose debut film, ‘Honey Bee’ releases in UAE on Friday.

“The story is about four young friends who manage a dance company in Kochi,” revealed the 25-year-old director who has penned the script.

“They are a fun group and drinking alcohol is a part of their lifestyle.”

During one of these wild parties, something goes wrong and the friends find themselves in a fix.

Asif Ali, Bhavana, Baburaj, Srinath Bhasi and Lal Sr are the cast of ‘Honey Bee’ .

Produced by Siby Thottupuram and Joby Mundamottom, the music for the film has been scored by Deepak Dev. Cinematography is by Alby.

So how was it directing your father? “That was the least of the hurdles,” said Lal Jr. who has done a course in direction from the New York Film Academy.

“Being Lal’s son raised many expectations and I had to be careful of every step I took.”

Lal Jr. is now working on another script, which will see the team of ‘Honey Bee’ back on the sets once again, but this time for a thriller.

Director Shebi’s ‘Tourist Home’ a novel experiment

Director Shebi’s ‘Tourist Home,’ released last week has been garnering praise for its experimental film telling.

The story, set in a dilapidated tourist home in the vicinity of a medical hospital, revolves around 10 smaller stories captured in one shot.

“This is the first time this such a thing has been attempted in the Malayalam industry,” said Shebi, a former ad film maker. “Maybe a first in the Indian industry,” he added.

The idea came to him while he was staying in a lodge in Trivandrum, Kerala where his mother was undergoing medical treatment.

“One day, while standing outside my room, I happened to observe the inmates in the neighbouring rooms,” he recalled.

“There were 10 rooms next to ours and each room had a story to tell.”

The director worked with 10 writers for each of his stories.

“The film was caught on camera in one uninterrupted shot. The camera rolled without any cuts taking viewers through each room.”

If in one room, a group of friends are enjoying a game of cards, another room is fraught with anxiety as a pregnant woman awaits the arrival of her baby, while in another room a mother is seen preparing her daughter ready for a reality show contest.”

“Each story is distinct, but they are eventually linked together,” said Shebi, who entered the industry with his debut film, ‘Plus 2.’

Produced by John Joseph, the cast of ‘Tourist Home’ includes veterans such as Nedumudi Venu, Kalabhavan Mani, Madhubala as well as Meera Nandan, Sreejith Vijay, Saiju Kurup and Rajith Menon. .

Wedding bells

Tamil director S.R. Prabharkaran tied the knot with M. Divya at Madurai on Sunday. This former associate of director Sasi Kumar made his directorial debut last year with ‘Sundarapandian,’ a family entertainer.