'Eko' art director Sajeesh reveals a MISTAKE in the film; says 'It was first noticed by a YouTube channel'

Eko, written by Bahul Ramesh and directed by Dinjith Ayathan, became a big hit in theatres. Later, it also found strong love on OTT platforms. Many people praised the story, the mood, and the mystery.

The film stars Sandeep Pradeep, Vineeth, Saurabh Sachdeva, Ashokan, Binu Pappu, Narain, and Biyana Momin from Meghalaya. Even after so much success, a small mistake in the film stayed hidden. Now, the film’s art director Sajeesh Thamarassery has spoken about it openly.

The scene where the error happened

Sajeesh shared this detail while speaking with RJ Sandeep on Club FM’s The Crew Club. He explained that the mistake appears in a scene where Sandeep Pradeep’s character, Pius, is writing a story.

In the scene, Pius writes on a paper placed on a mat. Then he lifts the mat, puts the paper inside a book, folds it, and goes to sleep. Sajeesh said the mistake was first noticed by a YouTube channel. He said, “I had mentioned a YouTube channel before, right? These days, if we miss even small things, it can turn into a big issue. There is a scene where Pius writes a story on a mat. Then he lifts the mat, places the paper inside a book, folds it, and goes to sleep.

That YouTube creator asked people to pause the scene and zoom in when he lifts the mat and keeps the paper in the book. He pointed out that it was actually a magazine print from February 2025 and said we should have been more careful.

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Why such mistakes happen

Sajeesh agreed that the point was valid. But he also explained how hard it is to catch every small thing during filming. He said, “What he said is correct. But noticing such small details needs more time than we usually get.

Even for Mlaathi Chettathi’s house, I start working on the set 19 days before the shooting begins, in my role as the art director.” This shows how much effort already goes into the work, even when time is limited.

Hidden details and creative choices

Sajeesh also spoke about many behind-the-scenes details from Eko. The dogs shown as dead after being shot are not real. The house that looks like granite is actually made using fibre. The big tree that Pius climbs was created by joining branches from different trees.

To show the correct time period, the team used old powder tins, kashayam bottles, and calendars. Small touches like melted wax on top of a Tiger Balm container were also added carefully.In another exclusive chat with ETimes, director Dinjith Ayyathan and writer Bahul Ramesh spoke about the idea behind Eko. Bahul said, “The idea for Eko struck me unexpectedly. There’s a dialogue in the film — ‘Sometimes protection and restriction, they both look the same.’

It hit me out of the blue, and I couldn’t shake off the layers of meaning it carried. I imagined guarding dogs and wondered — what if this ‘protection’ was actually something more sinister? What if something that appears as A is actually B? That was the spark.

I had no characters, no plot, no backdrop just that line. I write intuitively, starting with one scene and letting the next unfold naturally from it.”Dinjith added, “There isn’t a specific formula behind this — I choose animals only when the story truly demands it. Even in my previous film Krishnam, the monkey belonged to the narrative naturally. Similarly, in Eko, the presence of an animal species is essential to the plot and the emotional journey of the story.”