‘Just after first shot, the news came...and Lalettan left’: Crew member recalls Hallo set incident

Veteran production controller Sidhu Panakkal has shared an emotional memory from the first day of shooting of the Mohanlal-starrer Hallo, directed by the Rafi-Mecartin duo.

Posting a photograph from the film’s inaugural shoot at Varikkasseri Mana in Palakkad, Sidhu recalled how what began as a celebratory day soon turned into a moment of grief.

“This is one of the photos from the first day of shooting of the film Hallo. The location was Varikkasseri Mana,” he wrote.

He added that Mohanlal immediately stopped the shoot and left the location to be with his family.

“As soon as he got the information, Lalettan halted the shooting and returned home,” Sidhu recalled.

Tragically, Mohanlal’s father passed away later that same day.

Sidhu also shared a lighter memory connected to the film’s title. He said that whenever friends called to ask about his next project and he replied “Hallo,” they would assume he was greeting them and respond the same way, leading to repeated exchanges before they realised it was the name of the film.

Hallo, produced by Joy Thomas, Joy Thomas Sakthikulangara under the banner of Jithin Arts, was written and directed by Rafi and Mecartin. The film was shot across Ottapalam, Ooty and Thiruvananthapuram and went on to become a major commercial success in Malayalam cinema.