Love stories come naturally to me, but this film demanded deeper research: Suni

After earning a reputation for romantic dramas, director Sunil Kumar aka Simple Suni is exploring unfamiliar territory with Moda Kavida Vaathavarana, a psychological thriller that hit the screens over the weekend.

Produced by RAM Movies, the film marks a departure from the filmmaker’s comfort zone.

Speaking to us, he says the story first took shape during the COV ID-19 lockdown but evolved significantly over time. “Initial ly, it was about two troubled couples who ar rive at a resort hoping to re pair their relationships, only for their lives to unexpectedly intersect. But after the lockdown, the story gradually transformed into a psycho logical thriller,” he says. Known for films centred on ro mance, Sunil admits the genre shift demanded extensive preparation. “Love stories come naturally to me, but this required much deeper re search. I was very conscious that audiences shouldn’t feel the film was inspired by popular thrillers like Apthamitra or Anniyan. I wanted it to have its own identity.” The director also speaks highly of his cast, particularly debut lead Sheelam M Swamy, who has worked with him for a decade as an assistant director. He adds, “Moksha Kushal is an extremely serious actor who prepares extensively before every scene, while Saathvika has the ability to slip into character spontaneously. Bringing together three actors with such different approaches resulted in some wonderful performances."