Rajesh Madhavan on how a Fahadh Faasil movie inspired him |

Actor Rajesh Madhavan’s debut directorial, ‘Pennum Porattum,’ hit theaters today, February 13. The film features a fresh cast, and the director has now revealed how a Fahadh Faasil starrer inspired him.In the 2017 Fahadh Faasil starrer ‘Thondimuthalum Driksakshiyum,’ director Dileesh Pothan featured real cops. Rajesh Madhavan, who worked as an assistant director on the film, revealed how it deeply influenced him to showcase newcomers in his own film.Speaking to The Cue Studio, Rajesh Madhavan said he was in awe of the film’s execution and its casting of real police officers.“I believe that to narrate the story in my style, new people were required. I started working with Pothan, and that is where I learned it. During Thondimuthalum Driksakshiyum, he came up one day and said that we would cast real cops. Today, it is not a big deal, but that was not the case back then. How would you cast real cops? But that was made possible. It is one of the biggest wonders I have seen—for real—from the casting to the execution of Thondimuthalum Driksakshiyum. If that were possible, this could be easily done,” Rajesh Madhavan said.Rajesh Madhavan added that he sought inspiration from ‘Thondimuthalum Driksakshiyum’ and went a step further with his debut directorial. In ‘Pennum Porattum,’ he has cast several junior artists as well. The film features more than 100 actors, mostly newcomers.‘Pennum Porattum’ is set in Pattada, a village defined by its association with death. The film revolves around the characters Gopalan Master, Charulatha, and Suttu, each facing the village’s harsh judgment and violence. The story explores the plight of the marginalized through their struggles.‘Pennum Porattum’ was screened at the 56th International Film Festival of India and was later at the 30th International Film Festival of Kerala in 2025, where it received a heartwarming response.