Balaji Mohan to direct high-concept thriller Click Shankar

Balaji Mohan will direct the Hindi film Click Shankar, produced by Junglee Pictures. The high-concept thriller will feature a police officer, ‘Shankar’ Rebeiro, with a photographic memory.

The director, who is known for the Tamil films Kadhalil Sodhappuvadhu Yeppadi (2012), Maari (2015) and Maari 2 (2018), is making his Hindi debut with this production. The story and screenplay have been written by Binky Mendez along with Balaji Mohan while the dialogues have been penned by Stree (2018) and The Family Man (Season 1) writer Sumit Arora and Suraj Gianani.

According to the makers, Click Shankar’s lead character is “a witty yet troubled inspector who remembers everything, that is both a boon and curse for him”. The press release goes on to say that Rebeiro has a rare condition called hyperthymesia, which enables him to remember every event of his life, ensuring that the past is never quite behind him. The cast, which includes a strong female lead, has not yet been announced.

According to Balaji, the film needed a unique vision for its treatment with the protagonist being an original, one-of-a-kind character. "An amalgamation of something deep, dark and edgy being wrapped with humour to keep the audience guessing and at the edge of their seats till the end. These synergies wouldn't have matched better with anyone other than the Junglee Pictures team and developing this project with them has been a superb experience. I found this to be the perfect film to make my debut in Hindi cinema with, and we cannot wait to present all that is in the making,” he said.

Junglee Pictures CEO, Amrita Pandey said, “The concept of Click Shankar originated from within the Junglee Pictures’ creative team as a character-driven franchise. Binky’s distinctive writing expertise on the story and screenplay along with Balaji’s mastery of commercial sensibilities and well-defined mass appeal has enhanced the narrative of this film. Sumit and Suraj have taken it to the next level with the sharp and entertaining dialogues. More importantly, there is heart to this thriller genre, making it an exciting opportunity to create something unique.”

Junglee Pictures’ upcoming features include Doctor G (2022) and Woh Ladki Hai Kahaan? (2022) as well as productions such as Dosa King and Ulajh.