'Even unrecognizable to Mammootty', Bramayugam art director on creating 'Kodumon Mana'

It is hard to ignore the traditional Kerala house aka 'Mana' shown in the movie Bramayugam. The viewers were captivated by the immense effort put into making the house as terrifying as the storyline and its characters.

The porch where actor Mammootty sits in a chair is Olappamanna Mana, and the interiors, including the courtyard and the kitchen, belong to Varikasseri Mana. 

Nevertheless, doubts lingered regarding the choice of the Mana used by the filmmakers for the movie. Yet, it didn't take long for people to recognize that the makers chose the iconic 'Varikkasseri Mana' for the film. In this magnificent house, where characters like Mangalaserry Neelakandan (from Devaasuram), Poovalli Induchoodan (from Narasimham), and Arakkal Madhavanunni (from Valliettan) made their grand entrances, it now appeared mysteriously eerie and menacing in Bramayugam.

Siddharth Bharathan's character explains that Mana was built by the Mayannur Thachan but warns that its enigma can deceive people by appearing different to different individuals. Within a couple of minutes into the movie, the audience adapts to the story narrated in black and white and is lured into the world that circles around the Mana and its inhabitants. One of the reasons why Kodumon Potty’s murderous laugh hits the viewer so deeply is the earth he stands on. The set complements the performances of the characters. 

“Director Rahul Sadashivan first approached me for a film called Bhoothakaalam, but I couldn't work on it. Later, I heard the story of Bramayugam. Rahul took two hours and presented the story in great detail. Immediately after listening to it, I said that we were doing it. I realized this film has a lot of creative potential. We started working on Bramayugam at the beginning of last year and spent six months on preparation and two months shooting the film," said art director Jyotish Shankar. 

"Since Malayalam films have recreated the past many times, we had to figure out how to do things differently. Since Mana is the backbone of the movie, we had to find a way to portray Varikkasseri Mana and Olappamanna Mana uniquely and unrecognizable to the audience. First, we created a miniature after a lot of research and brainstorming. We even compiled a book to let everyone understand the requirements of every scene. The story takes place in the 17th century. The front yard of the house was transformed with imported grass nurtured in grow bags. Every spider web and termite was meticulously placed to match the script.  Inside the Mana, various disturbing objects lay in disarray. A leaky roof and a bunch of sprouting coconuts piled up in the courtyard are unforgettable sights. Kodumon Mana was created by a crew of more than 100 people in two weeks."

"Mammooka shared that even though he has visited the Mana numerous times, it looked unrecognizable after all the changes. To present objects in black and white is more difficult than setting up a set for a colour film. I had received precise instructions from the director," added Jyotish Shankar. 
 
Jyotish Shankar, who entered Malayalam cinema as an assistant art director with the film ‘Thanthonni’, emerged as an independent art director with ‘Adaminte Makan Abu’. He has won awards for ‘Kumbalangi Nights’, ‘Android Kunjappan' and ‘Nna Thaan Case Kodu'. G.R. Jyotish Shankar is currently directing his own film, with Basil Joseph as the lead in Indu Gopan's script.