India, Nov. 11 -- When debutant filmmaker Jayan Nambiar set out to make Vilayath Buddha, it wasn't just about adapting GR Indugopan's acclaimed novel; it was more about carrying forward the dream of his late mentor and filmmaker Sachy, whose untimely passing in 2020 left a void in Malayalam cinema. The upcoming Prithviraj Sukumaran-starrer, which Sachy was set to direct after Ayyappanum Koshiyum, became a deeply personal mission for everyone involved. But it's not been an easy one. The team has had to weather one obstacle after another in this "long, five-year battle," as Jayan puts it.

Now, as the film gears up for release on November 21, the filmmaker, who had previously worked as an associate director to Sachy and Prithviraj in films ...