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OM director Rajkumar Periasamy says Mammootty heard final script for more than 2 days before shoot began, arrived on set completely prepared

Rajkumar Periasamy’s OM – Chapter 1: Udhiram – The Blood Wood will release in theatres on November 20.

Published on: Nov 13, 2026, 06:12:55 IST
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Rajkumar Periasamy’s OM – Chapter 1: Udhiram – The Blood Wood is one of the most anticipated films of the year. The Tamil film will see Mammootty, Dhanush and Sai Pallavi in lead roles. Ahead of the release, Rajkumar spoke in detail about the casting of OM in an interaction with Galatta Plus, and shared how Mammootty joined the cast of the film and made sure he knew the script by heart even before the shoot began.

Mammootty's approach to a character

Mammootty plays Burma Karthikeyan in OM.
Mammootty plays Burma Karthikeyan in OM.

Mammootty is often considered one of the best and most prolific actors working in the Malayalam film industry. He recently won his fourth National Award for Best Actor for the horror film Bramayugam.

During the interaction, Rajkumar shared how 10 days before shoot, Mammootty called him to Kochi at his residence to have a script reading. The director said, “He called me to Kochi and spent two and a half days, except for the night hours, where he wanted me to read the script and he would just listen to it. The full first half and then the second half, and the half day for his scenes, so that was his process.”

OM will see Mammootty in the role of an international smuggler and a powerful, high-stakes central figure who drives the narrative. The teaser and promotional updates have so far revealed that Dhanush's character works under Mammootty's character and interacts closely with his dealings. The film also stars veteran actor Naseeruddin Shah in a prominent role.

OM marks Mammootty's return to Tamil cinema after a gap of seven years. Sai Abhyankkar composes the music, Ezhil Arasu K. handles the cinematography, and R Kalaivanan is the editor. The film also features A. Pannerselvam as Art Director, with Yannick Ben and Kecha Khamphakdee handling action choreography.

The film is produced by Shraddha Agrawal, Dhanush and Azmat Jagmag.

 
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Santanu Das

Santanu Das is a Senior Content Producer at Hindustan Times with over 5 years of experience, writing on films, pop culture and film festivals. He has a keen interest in writing about South Asian independent films and has covered several film festivals, including Sundance and CPH: Docx. He also brings a sharp perspective to the monthly column called The Fault in Our Stars, where he writes about a recent film/series and what stops the ‘good’ from becoming ‘great’. A gold medalist from Banaras Hindu University, Santanu completed his postgraduate studies in English from Jadavpur University. He is also a Rotten Tomatoes-certified film critic. When not watching films or speaking to celebrities, Santanu can be found reading a book. Some of his favourite films are Aparajito, Ponyo and The Double Life of Veronique. His favourite books include The Corrections, The God of Small Things and A Room of One's Own. Santanu continues to write passionately about films and celebrity culture. He brings a relatable, as well as critically informed, lens to entertainment and culture for a wide audience. Find him on LinkedIn: santanudasfilm Instagram: @santupecha

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