Did you know Mammootty was supposed to play ‘Kadamattathu Kathanar’? Here’s why the film didn’t happen

As anticipation builds for Jayasurya and Rojin Thomas’ upcoming film ‘Kathanar: The Wild Sorcerer,’ an intriguing piece of trivia has emerged about a previously planned film on the same subject featuring none other than Mammootty in the lead role.

During the promotions of his recent release ‘DNA,’ director TS Suresh Babu revealed that he once envisioned a grand project titled ‘Kadamattathu Kathanar’ with Mammootty portraying the titular character.

TS Suresh Babu shared that he initially presented the idea to a producer, expressing his intention to create a film about the legendary sorcerer-priest. He planned to finalize the pre-production details before moving forward. In pursuit of making a visually spectacular film, TS Suresh Babu met with the team behind the Hollywood blockbuster ‘Avatar’ to discuss the project's potential. Following these discussions, the estimated budget for the film soared to over Rs 100 crore.
Despite the ambitious plans and the involvement of a star like Mammootty, TS Suresh Babu faced a significant challenge. He noted, “The story potential for ‘Kathanar’ is vast, and minimizing it to a 2-hour movie is difficult. At least 10 hours of duration are required to showcase the complete storyline of ‘Kathanar’ in an effective way. We cannot divide it into different installments either.”
The director further mentioned that he still possesses a script for the ‘Kathanar’ movie, complete with a shocking twist at the end. However, he decided to shelve the project due to concerns about its financial viability. TS Suresh Babu realized that investing over Rs 100 crore in a film without a guaranteed pan-India appeal would be a risky endeavor with potentially low returns.