We wanted an average-looking person as our leading man, says Preetam director Sijo Rocky

Ad filmmaker Sijo Rocky is making his feature film debut in the upcoming Marathi movie Preetam (2021). The film, starring Pranav Raorane and Nakshtra Medhekar, has been shot on location in Maharashtra's Konkan region.

"We did a proper recce for a year all over Maharashtra to find the perfect location for our story and then decided to shoot in the Konkan because there are a lot of similarities between the Konkan and Kerala. Most of the film has been shot in Chiplun, with few portions shot in Kankavali and Kudal," Sijo revealed in the recent media interaction.

"The film's story takes place over six months so we shot in all three seasons. From weather changes to various festivals, all things that take place in those six months have been included in the film," he added. 

The film stars Pranav Raorane and a newcomer Nakshtra Medhekar. Generally, filmmakers prefer to cast known actors especially if it's a love story. However, Sijo said that the story was the main hero of the film and that is why they didn't want to cast big names. "We didn't want to cast known faces like Ankush Chaudhari or Swapnil Joshi because then the story wouldn't have made sense. It's a love story with an average looking guy and if we had cast some handsome actor like Chaudhari it would have defeated the purpose. That is why for Preetam's character, we were looking for someone who is not good looking and skinny, and to make the contrast even more apparent we wanted to cast someone who is not only beautiful but also exuberant. And Pranav Raorane and Nakshtra Medhekar were perfect for the roles."

At a time when major films with big stars are being released directly on OTT platforms, Sijo was adamant about releasing Preetam in theatres. "This is a kind of film you must watch on the big screen to appreciate all the nuances. Also, this lockdown has been a blessing in disguise for us because not many films are being released in theatres so there is not much competition to grab more screens," he said.

Asked about his future projects, Sijo said that everything hinges on the success of Preetam. "We dedicated three years to this film only and didn't take up any other projects. If the film becomes successful, we will continue to make more films". 

Produced by Wizard Productions, Preetam is scheduled to be released in cinemas on 19 February 2021.