Actor Raj Tirandasu has stepped into the world of Malayalam cinema after his impressive performance in Allu Arjun’s ‘Pushpa: The Rise’. The actor plays the role of Maari in ‘Kattalan’, which is set against the backdrop of violent ivory smuggling operations and gang rivalries. Speaking about the project, Raj opened up with ETimes about one of the toughest aspects of the shoot. According to the actor, filming action sequences alongside real elephants became one of the most challenging experiences of his career.The scenes were reportedly shot in Bangkok using trained elephants that had previously appeared in film productions.
Raj Tirandasu says one small mistake could have gone wrong
Recalling the risky experience, Raj Tirandasu admitted that the situation often felt frightening because of the unpredictability involved while working with live animals. He told us, “It was honestly scary at times because we were working with actual elephants that had already been part of other film shoots. One small mistake and things could have gone completely wrong.” Despite the pressure and fear, the actor explained that the unpredictability brought a different energy to the action scenes. He felt the realism could not have been recreated artificially.“Somewhere, that unpredictability gave the action a completely different energy. You cannot fake those reactions or emotions on screen,” Raj added.The actor noted that the makers intentionally chose real environments to make the action feel natural and immersive for viewers.
‘Kattalan’ makers focused on realistic action sequences
Raj Tirandasu also shared that the team avoided exaggerated action choreography and instead focused on grounded storytelling throughout the film.“We wanted every fight sequence to feel raw, grounded, and believable instead of overly stylised. Working in real conditions helped us achieve that authenticity,” he told us.The actor further praised the efforts of the crew and action team for managing such large-scale sequences under difficult conditions. According to him, audiences will be able to sense the realism and intensity once they watch the film on the big screen.“The effort everyone put into these sequences was massive. When audiences watch the film, they will genuinely feel the intensity and realism of those moments,” he concluded.
Kattalan opens to decent audience reactions
Directed by debutant filmmaker Paul George, Kattalan finally arrived in theatres on May 28, 2026. The film generated strong buzz before release because of its reported narrative links to the world established in ‘Marco’.Soon after the first shows ended, social media platforms were flooded with good reactions regarding the screenplay, performances, narration style, and background score by Ravi Basrur.One user posted, “#Kattalan First Half Review Plot is Ivory smuggling and Gang rivalry Elaborate intro setup for main characters, Strong Villians BGM By Ravi Basrur is superb Average intro for Pepe. No high moments till now Interval block Need a strong 2nd half Just Decent 1st half.”Another audience reaction read, “#Kattalan getting great response after the first half! Nice action blocks filled with spine chills and storytelling getting interesting and intense towards the second half. All eyes on to the second half! Ravi basur is peaking at the right time.”
Unni Mukundan issues clarification
Amid speculation surrounding a larger cinematic universe linked to ‘Marco’, actor Unni Mukundan recently clarified that he is not associated with Kattalan or any connected franchise plans.A statement released through his production banner read, “We would like to kindly clarify that Unni Mukundan is not a part of this project or any universe. We humbly request our fans and the public to refrain from questioning us further regarding any association with the concerned project.” For the unversed, Unni Mukundan’s ‘Marco’ ended on a cliffhanger where a child raised by Marco is seen kidnapped by a group of thugs. In the promotional posters for ‘Kattalan’, it hinted at a possible connection to this scene.
‘Kattalan’ vs ‘Drishyam 3’
Apart from Antony Varghese and Raj Tirandasu, the film also stars Dushara Vijayan, Jagadish, Siddique, Sunil, Kabir Duhan Singh, Anson Paul, Parth Tiwari, and Harishankar Narayanan in important roles.Meanwhile, audiences are eagerly waiting for whether ‘Kattalan’ will be able to cross the collections of Mohanlal’s ‘Drishyam 3’ which is running in housefull shows in theatres.
