Mohanlal's Christmas release in pix

After starring in Rosshan Andrrews' directorial debut film Udayananu Tharam, Mohanlal once again teams up with the director in the upcoming Malayalam film, Ividam Swargamanu, which will hit theatres this Christmas season.

The script is by James Albert, who proved his talent with Classmates and Cycle.

"The film is without any exaggerations set against a realistic backdrop," says Rosshan Andrrews.

"It deals with several emotions, like the relationship between Mathews (Mohanlal) and his father Jeremias (Thilakan)," says the young director.

He continues, "Mathews has become a farmer by choice and plans to set up a farm in a village called Kodanand, on the banks of the river Periyar. It was his father's dream to own a big farm, with plenty of vegetables and cattle, but Mathews faced several hurdles in doing so, especially from a rich man named Aluva Chandy (Lalu Alex). Chandy will be one character worth watching out for just like Jagathy Sreekumar's character, Pachalam Bhasi, in Udayananu Tharam."

Ividam Swargamanu is being produced by Ashirvad Cinema's and will be Mohanlal's answer to Mammootty's Chattambinadu (directed by Shafi).

Dibakar wields the camera while Mohan Sithara is the man behind the music. The film was shot mainly in Kochi.

Mohanlal is sharing the screen with eminent actor Thilakan after a while. The two have come together in several noted films earlier, but the veteran actor had complained that he was being sidelined nowadays.

Ividam Swargamanu puts such thoughts to rest, though.

James Albert, who took more than a year to write the script of Ividam Swargamanu, says that Mathews is one character who will look more like the actor's memorable roles in films like Sanmanassullavarkku Samadhanam, Varavelpu, Vellanakalude Naadu and so on.

"There are certain relevant issues that are being handled here, like our system and the legal battles involved in issues pertaining to land and so on," says the scenarist.

Sreenivasan, Jagathy Sreekumar, Innocent, Shankar and Kaviyoor Ponnamma include the rest of the cast. Shankar, who recently directed Keralotsavam 2009, plays Mohanlal's friend in the story.

There are three heroines in the film. Priyanka Nair, who shot into fame with films like Veyil and Vilapangalkkappuram, plays Betsy, a television channel reporter. Lakshmi Rai will be seen in a rather serious avatar as a lawyer, Sunitha. Lakshmi Gopalaswamy is playing Maria, the manager of a financial enterprise.

Of the three, who will finally get the hero? "Well that is part of the suspense, reserved for the screen," says Rosshan Andrrews.