‘They thought he caught the killer’: Shahi Kabir breaks down real story, climax of Unmadham

‘Unmadham is about a writer losing his mind, not a murder mystery’

Arguably his most personal script thus far, Unmadham, currently streaming on SonyLIV, marks the directorial debut of renowned editor Kiran Das. Breaking down the film and the reactions it received, Shahi Kabir tells SCREEN in an exclusive interview, “Unmadham is basically about a police officer-turned-writer who loses his mind. But people saw it as an investigative thriller.”

Shahi continues, “From the start, it is revealed that Shelly (Kunchacko Boban) is influenced by various movies. Once he learns about the ‘cursed’ file at his new station, he believes, like anyone else, the soul of the ‘wronged’ hasn’t received justice; it’s a common cliché. But as he investigates, he realises the truth from Kottayam Nazeer’s character: there was no crime to begin with and that Keerthana (Raina Radhakrishnan) died falling from a train. The conspiracy aspect was a story fabricated by an astrologer.”

“Shelly’s plan was to solve the real murder and extract a script from that. But that goes out the window. Owing to pressure from home and work, he experiences a mental breakdown, which eventually turns into schizophrenia. Then he starts imagining things based on what he has seen and heard, and that’s how he crafts the story for Unmadham. However, viewers thought Shelly found the real culprit,” Shahi adds.

Opening up about his camaraderie with Kiran Das, Shahi Kabir says, “Kiran and I have had a long-standing friendship since the days of Thondimuthalum Driksakshiyum (2017).” While Kiran served as an editor on the Dileesh Pothan directorial, Shahi worked as an assistant director on the film. “He edited my Joseph and Ela Veezha Poonchira. We have often shared stories we both like. Kiran has a deep understanding of cinema from his experience. As a director, he’s someone you can trust with your story, and he’s done it beautifully.”

Among the things Unmadham received praise for was Kunchacko Boban’s performance. Once the heartthrob of Malayalam cinema because of his romantic-hero image, Kunchacko has reinvented himself over the past few years, taking on starkly different and challenging roles. During a 2023 interview with SCREEN, he observed that he had transitioned from a “chocolate hero” to a “dark chocolate” version.

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Shahi says they have been close since the time they joined forces in Nayattu. “It’s because we have the confidence that he can exceptionally pull off such unconventional roles — ones in which we have never seen him before — that we cast him. People appreciated his performance most in the movie. He’s evolved into a fine actor, thanks to the performance-oriented films he chooses.”

Although a director now, Shahi Kabir still often pens scripts for other helmers, with Unmadham being the most recent example. When asked how he decides which films to direct himself and which to serve solely as a screenwriter, he says, “I have the freedom for that, right? I mean, if I feel like directing a particular script, I can. If I feel someone else can do a better job than me, I choose them for the project.”

Shahi’s scripts aren’t just about the layers in the stories and the intricate worlds he builds; they also bring out the best in actors. “I consider characters more important than the story itself. I focus more on the characters’ identities and details than on the plot. I think that’s why the actors feel so connected to their roles.”

Arguably Shahi Kabir’s most personal script thus far, Unmadham marks the directorial debut of renowned editor Kiran Das. (Credit: Facebook/@PanoramaStudiosOfficial)

Although his movies have never been carbon copies of each other, they all share one common element: they feature cops (or an ex-police officer like in Joseph) at their centre. When asked what it is about policing and the lives of cops that makes him keep revisiting them, he says, laughing, “I don’t think about it that way. Ronth and Nayattu have a certain similar flavour: they focus on officers struggling within the system. Joseph was about a retired officer, his life, and the problems he faced. Even Officer on Duty was like that, concentrating on his life problems rather than the system as a whole.”

“It’s not that I specifically want to tell police stories, but rather that I blend them in a way that feels authentic. Since I’m familiar with police characters, it’s easier for me to write them. That’s probably why I keep gravitating towards those stories,” he adds.

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How unused script ideas birthed Ronth and Officer on Duty

As the conversation progresses, Shahi Kabir delves deeper into his repertoire and reveals that a slight alteration in the script of Nayattu paved the way for the birth of Ronth. Similarly, he mentions that Officer on Duty took shape when he decided to rebuild the second half of Unmadham’s script.

“When I first thought of Nayattu, it was a story of three policemen. Nimisha Sajayan’s character (Sunitha) wasn’t in it. The third character was the senior-most. When Martin chettan (director Martin Prakkat) suggested including a female police officer, the one I could replace was the senior character. He eventually evolved into Ronth’s Yohannan (Dileesh Pothan). Not exactly the same, but with some changes,” Shahi explains.

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He continues, “Similarly, I initially considered crafting Unmadham’s second half as a pure crime investigation. However, later I felt it wouldn’t suit the story and that we should stick to the original intent. That idea for the second half eventually became Officer on Duty. So, sometimes we change things along the way and save such elements, thinking they might work for a later movie.”

On how he decides what to make cinematic and what to keep procedural and as realistic as possible, Shahi Kabir observes, “Unmadham is realistic only in the early parts, showing his life. Later, we use elements such as Dalí’s (Spanish surrealist artist Salvador Dalí) art as a prop to show the movie’s descent into surreal territory. We showed hallucinations and fantasies. I think people might get it once they watch closely. Everywhere, we provided details about who Shelly is, what his problems are, and his state of mind.”

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“But if the audience didn’t think along those lines, the movie wasn’t effective. All my other films followed a straightforward narration. This felt like a game inside someone’s head. My intention was that until the very end, the audience shouldn’t feel that he was insane. That succeeded; nobody realised it. The only sad thing is, they didn’t realise it even after the movie ended (laughs). However, it’s a failure on our part; if we had spoon-fed more or presented it as a climax twist, they might have grasped it better,” he adds.

Shahi Kabir on his Mohanlal film in development

Recently, Shahi Kabir revealed that he shared a story idea with Mohanlal, and the acting legend liked it. Although Mohanlal is one of the finest actors in the country, there’s no denying that he is also the biggest name in Malayalam cinema. More often than not, creators subconsciously gravitate towards overly commercialising their films when working with such massive stars.

However, even as his Mohanlal project slowly moves ahead, Shahi is confident he will stick to his path, without trying for just another “fanboy sambavam.”

Shahi Kabir recently shared a story idea with Mohanlal, and the acting legend liked it. (Credit: Facebook/@ActorMohanlal)

Mentioning that he has nothing but respect for all stars, Shahi maintains that it is, however, the actors in them that he admires the most. “I respect everyone, but I am not a ‘fanboy’; I’m not a ‘fan’ in that sense. I love their skills and respect them all. I also like actors like Murali, Bharat Gopy, and Sreenivasan.”

He continues, “Even with stardom, I’ll be telling a story I want to tell. I don’t want to include artificial mass moments; only genuine ones. If those don’t work out, they didn’t. I believe my story will give him (Mohanlal) enough to deliver a brilliant performance. Even if it’s a commercial investigative film, I believe it will have sufficient moments for him to perform. However, I have only shared a story idea with him so far, not the whole story.”