We recently reported that Trisha is joining Tovino Thomas in Identity, the second feature from directing duo Akhil Paul and Anas Khan (Forensic). The team aims to commence shoot in September. Speaking to Cinema Express, Akhil shares that he is immensely pleased that Trisha agreed to sign the film while she is in the middle of her peak phase (the Ponniyin Selvan films, Lokesh Kanagaraj’s Leo, and the upcoming Ajith project).
“What really surprised us is how she managed to slot our film between the last two biggies; she came on board when we were in a dilemma as to whom to cast in this role. We needed to fix everything immediately and needed someone who could accommodate around 45 days for us. She expressed much excitement after seeing the full script and treatment plans,” recalls Akhil.
Akhil also reveals that “the film will feature a significant degree of action, more than what we attempted in Forensic. Be it Trisha or Tovino, they are required to get involved in some heavy-duty action sequences. The stakes and scale are bigger than anything in Forensic—more action, a bigger budget, and better production quality. We are moving ahead in a way that pushes our limits.
The entire team wants to put out meticulous work. When we made Forensic, we only had 50 days for pre-production due to a last-minute change. For Identity, however, we had been engaged in pre-production for eight months, and we hope it reflects well on the film’s overall quality. And the fact that Trisha and Tovino gravitated towards this project in the middle of all their other busy commitments gives us immense confidence.”
The Identity team has finalised Bengaluru, Kochi, Hyderabad, and Mumbai as shooting locations. Major set works are currently in progress in Mumbai. Aside from Tovino and Trisha, Identity will feature other non-Malayali actors, most likely from Tamil and Hindi cinema. The names of these actors will be revealed in the coming months, one by one, along with the technicians’ list. The team also expects to release the first look in November once they complete the shoot. Ragam Movies and Raju Malliath are bankrolling Identity jointly with Century Kochumon.
Meanwhile, Tovino, who recently completed Ajayante Randam Moshanam and Anveshippin Kandethum, will start shooting for Nadikar Thilakam on July 11. The Lal Jr directorial also co-stars Soubin Shahir.
