Claustrophobia, ancient Egyptian punishment, psychology combine to form Niddhish Puuzhakkal’s thriller, 'Ego'

Juhi Chawla, Niddhish Puuzhakkal, and Arshad Warsi

It's rarely easy making your first feature film. But your drive and ambition to see it through and make your vision translate on celluloid can do wonders. Director Niddhish Puuzhakkal, who has gained knowledge from the best film schools and has helmed several noted ad films, is nearing the completion of the shoot of his debut feature film, titled 'Ego'.

Niddhish's debut is a psychological thriller that reunites actor Arshad Warsi and Juhi Chawla after 14 years. They were last seen together in the film 'Krazzy 4'. Getting actors of their caliber to believe in his vision and the script was just the tip of the iceberg of the challenges he faced in the process of making this film. "When people watch the film, I don't know if they see all that effort, hard work, and sacrifices one goes through for a project to happen. People look at it and they say, okay, they like it or they don't like it. With the trolling culture that we have on social media, people don't think about the amount of hard work that goes behind every movie," he mulls, adding that he has been 'through hell and back' to make this film happen.

Niddhish is also of the opinion that a film needs to be narrated entertainingly. "I always say, it is not the size of the film. It does not require 1000 people dancing in the background. You need to have a very compelling story. If you make a viewer feel connected with the characters, engage them with the plot, and get them entertained, then we have a good film in hand".

A childhood trauma and immurement:

The upcoming film ‘Ego' has been inspired by a traumatic experience from Niddhish's childhood when he was shut inside a broken hut by a bunch of older boys. He was trapped in the closed space for a good amount of time before he was let go by the same boys who locked him in. Even as he grew up, the feeling of being stuck in that hut never quite left him. "In between, this is when I came across a thing called immurement. Immurement is a practice which used to be done in Egypt for people who were shut inside very closed spaces without any exit for people who have committed their crimes and for them to repent." He has integrated his childhood experience, claustrophobia, and immurement into a well-fleshed-out thriller.

Niddhish and his team have put in years crafting the film that the audience will only cherish more and more with every viewing. "We have left a lot of breadcrumbs and Easter eggs that people can open and find something else altogether every time. My approach as a director is different. Even with cinematography, we have gone into much depth in terms of colours and all that. Every aspect of the film has a reason to exist".

Not just for the audience but this is a unique film for actors Arshad Warsi and Juhi Chawla as well as they will be seen in roles they have never done before, says the filmmaker who has actively stayed away from template style of filmmaking for his debut. "When I told them the story and my vision, they loved it and came on board. That also shows they do not want to do a film that is put in a certain box. This film is unusual for them and they are doing characters they have not done before."

Psychology:

Terming himself an 'obsessive learner of the mind, Niddhish who also has a Masters in Psychology has integrated his knowledge into the film. "I like to create characters that are uniquely exciting for viewers. I have taken a very psychological approach (for the film). Even this movie has a lot of psychological details to it including colours and how humans relate to it. There is a lot of play of colours in this movie. There is a lot of use of shapes and how we respond to certain type of shapes."

Niddhish shares that the team has taken a unique approach to different elements of the film including cinematography, visuals, music and direction. "I don't want to give viewers a film which is already seen and done. I've tried to evoke a very different kind of feeling and hope it strikes. I am rooting for people to like it and appreciate the hard work that has gone into making the film," he concludes.