Bangalore Days first cut was 4 hours and 19 minutes long: Anjali Menon reveals unknown facts on 10th anniversary
Anjali Menon noted that Bangalore Days was her ticket to join mainstream Malayalam cinema, as until then she had been working on the fringes of the industry making independent films.
Anjali Menon, Dulquer Salmaan and Parvathy Thiruvothu on the sets of Bangalore Days.
On the 10th anniversary of Bangalore Days, filmmaker Anjali Menon wrote a lengthy blog post expressing her gratitude and revealing some behind-the-scenes actions that went into making this classic feel-good movie for all ages.
Anjali Menon noted that Bangalore Days was her ticket to join mainstream Malayalam cinema, as until then she had been working on the fringes of the industry making independent films. She revealed that she had a tough time writing a film with commercial elements as it didn't come naturally to her. Thanks to producer Anwar Rasheed's support and faith in her, she persevered to master the style of writing that appealed to a wider audience.
Just days before going to shoot, Anjali scrapped the entire second half as she felt it didn't match the energy and pace of the first half. She wrote the second half of the film from scratch and finished just four days before the shoot.
"Was it easy? – hell no! Did we get on each other's nerves? – oh yes! Anyone who watches edited behind-the-scenes footage and feels it was a joyride can think again. There was much sweat, plenty of heartache, and way too many challenges, but we got through it all to reach the edit room – where our first cut was 4 hours and 19 minutes long!" she noted.
Anjali revealed that she had to endure unfavourable judgment on her working style as she took more than two months to shoot the entire film. Until then, 75-day shoots were not common in Kerala and were frowned upon as a waste of time and resources. "Yes, I heard plenty of whispers of 'she doesn’t know what she’s doing!' but we shot 75 days from Dec 8th to March 9th, and that resulted in plenty of work in the edit room," she recalled.
Bangalore Days revolves around the close bond between three cousins, played by Nivin Pauly, Dulquer Salmaan, and Nazriya Nazim, and their individual experiences as they move to Bangalore, away from the nosy and prying eyes of their family.
The movie was an instant hit with the audience. It even resonated with non-Malayali audiences, making it a big hit at the box office.
"The crew on our team worked so incredibly hard, the actors brought so much joy and feeling, there were many collaborators and artists who generously enriched our film, there were cynics who mocked the process, and then there were those who stood steadfastly loyal to the film – to all of them, a heartfelt thank you. You know who you are. Without you, this film would never have had the journey it has had and 10 years on this side, I am deeply grateful for the love and the learnings," she remarked.
Updated: May 31, 2024 01:44 PM IST
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