Faahad Faasil in 'Trance' Image Credit: Supplied
Indian National Award-winning director Anwar Rasheed returns after seven years with a story about the business of religion.
The film is led by Fahadh Faasil and an ensemble cast of accomplished actors, including Gautham Menon, Soubin Shahir and Nazriya Nazim. Faasil in particular has earned rave reviews for his role. With his chameleon ability, Faasil has carried many films on his capable shoulders. His body of work includes diverse roles and he has an ease with which he brings alive his characters, from the arrogant businessman Arjun of Chappa Kurushu, the playboy Dr Arun of Diamond Necklace, Cyril of 22 Female Kottayam to the OCD software geek Harikrishna of North 24 Kaatham. Faasil won the Indian National Award for his role as a petty thief in Thondimuthalum Driksakshiyum.
Trance has been receiving appreciation for its bold content, stylish filmmaking and stellar performances.
Heres everything you need to know about the film.
Vincent Vadakkan is clearly on a high. The ad-filmmaker from Bengaluru marks his debut in Malayalam cinema as a writer with Trance and spoke to Gulf News tabloid about his new journey.
What is Trance about?
This story follows the journey of Viju Prasad, a motivational trainer who is transformed to become Pastor Joshua Carlton by an independent group of people in a Corporate set-up and spirituality is their business. However, Trance is also about sibling relationships and psychological elements, and not just the business of religion. It dwells also on the psychological turmoil the protagonist endures the journey inside his mind.
What sparked this story?
I had seen some of my family members being part of religious groups. Not to forget troll videos of such groups. The format is the same. They claim this is Christianity, but Christianity is beyond all this noise. Post release of Trance I have been asked if I am a non-believer. I am a believer of Christ.
Trance has been in the making for a long time, tell us how it developed.
I quit my career with Oglivy in 2014 to write my story. My first draft was ready by the end of 2015. I narrated it first to Fahad, who liked it and spoke to Anwar about the story. Anwar liked the story and the project was on. Its a human intense subject and after several discussions and revised drafts, Trance was ready. Anwar has the ability to bring out the best in you. When I felt this was the best I could do, he pushed me to stretch myself further. Filming took two years.
Sketching many characters must have been quite a challenge. Were there moments when you got stuck?
Trance constitutes many characters that have been played by a team of accomplished actors. There was so much content in the film; the film could run for three to four hours. We had to edit to two hours plus. While sketching, every character had to be given a clear importance keeping in mind the huge star cast.
There were many instances when I got stuck with writers block but you do come out of it. In fact when stuck with Trance, I went on to write another story.
Is Trance inspired from people around?
Not really. One back story of a character was inspired from a real life incident. It is the character Vinayakan plays; he is one of the Pastors followers. I read the story in a news report about how things are done in the name of faith.
How did Gautham Menon come on board?
We wanted somebody suave and stylish, a Malayali bred outside Kerala to play Solomon Davis, the brain behind the business venture. Anwar had watched Gautham Menons interview and he liked the way he conducted himself. He felt that Gautham was perfect to play the role.
For me, it went beyond my dreams. I never thought Gautham Menon will play the villain in my first script. It was good spending time with him. You can sit the whole day listening to him. We spoke about films and writing. He is too good and has a style.
How did Fahad prepare for his character?
We gave Fahad references to his character. He did not imitate them but came up with his own version of Joshu. It was an intense role for him- there was a lot of screaming loud in scenes, besides pausing on some words and stressing on other words. Fahad got it bang on.
What were the shooting challenges?
Since Anwar Rasheed is the director and producer, we did not have a producer breathing down our necks. The biggest challenge came while filming with a crowd. They had to perform and not merely stand around. And, the performance had to be synchronised. We briefed them on it. For one scene, Anwar told them to think about the problems in their lives and perform. After he said cut they continued in that state, so immersed they were in their problems. Assistant directors rushed to wake them up from their stupor. They had got carried away, some were in tears.
For me every shot was amazing to see my story unfold on-screen. Each frame is a masterpiece. Towards the tail end, we shot with a crowd with smoke around and Fahad in his climax attire. It was almost a heavenly feeling. I got goosebumps.
What was your Trance moment?
A: Sitting inside the theatre with the audience at the first days show, I was eager to know how people will react to some dialogues. Listening to their clapping and watching the reactions was encouraging. I was overwhelmed.
TAMIL DIRECTOR GAUTHAM MENON ON HIS ACTING GIG
Role call
I was surprised to receive a call from Fahadh Faasil who mentioned that director Anwar Rasheed wanted to meet me for a project. Anwar came down to Chennai and offered me the role of Solomon Davis. For me, it was about the director, actor and I had heard so much about Amal Neerads crew. I believe everyday is a learning. I wanted to be in the midst of this brilliant team.
The role
Solomon Davis believes in business and money a no-holds-barred man. He is very quiet and scheming, even if he is saying a few things, there is a layer that he does not reveal. He is also someone who gets down to getting things done. With grey shades to him there is a mysterious air about him. Anwar described the character well. I made sure I got the lines right. I enjoyed playing Solomon, except for the last scene-you will understand when you watch the film.
Being directed
There were only four to five shots a day. In between shots I had three to four hours to myself. Working in the Malayalam industry was a nice and learning experience. The crew spend so much time setting up a shot and you understand why they get it perfect. I loved being directed by Anwar. In Trance small roles were taken on big actors. They worked like a family. When shooting we were hanging around and chatting. I enjoyed their company. I am looking forward to being a big part of the Malayalam industry and in talks with actors including Fahad Faasil. I like the way the audience accepts new films.
On Fahad Faasil
He is the best actor in India. Trance is completely Fahads story and journey and he has portrayed it brilliantly.
OSCAR-WINNER RESUL POOKUTTY ON DESIGNING THE SOUND
The filming involved huge crowds, as many as two to five thousand people. Fahad had apprehensions and called me up to say When I am doing my voice right, I am not getting the body language right and when my body language is right, I am not getting the voice correct. I told him you just go ahead with it. For me every flaw is seen as an advantage. While shooting in sync, its not about doing everything right but about being live with it. There are a lot of accidents that happen and these go to make a scene memorable and super-human like-the result is a brilliant performance.
The director was very pro-sync. No one complained when we asked for retakes or asked for more time, Anwar even pushed the release by a week for me to finish the mix comfortably. We did this film with so much love.
The protagonist goes through some situations in life that required a series of psychological analysis through sound. Trance is a state of mind. What takes him into that state of mind? We arrived at a soundscape through careful use of sounds to emulate a feeling of trance. Prior to Trance, I worked on a film, Thaakkol, based on the Christian tradition. For Thaakkol, I was analysing sounds of Christianity and went into the deep aspect of this community through sound. The very sound palette used as identification in Thakkol was used as subversion in Trance.
In the second half, the story moves to another plane where sound is used stylishly and in a very unorthodox way. We had to strike a balance with quiet moments, slow paced moments and not make it a harsh experience. Sound has the ability to sub-consciously affect you and there is a conscious use of the same in Trance.
Dont miss it!
Trance releases in the UAE on February 27.
Excerpt from:
Fahad Faasil's 'Trance' takes on the business of religion - Gulf News
- Spill The Trance x Club Drive: 'Unmasking The #Controversy' at Recyclart, Brussels - Resident Advisor - April 20th, 2024 [April 20th, 2024]
- First Ride: The 2024 Giant Trance X Advanced - Pinkbike.com - April 12th, 2024 [April 12th, 2024]
- FIRST RIDE IMPRESSIONS: GIANT'S NEW TRANCE X ADVANCED - Mountain Bike Action - April 12th, 2024 [April 12th, 2024]
- "It Felt Like I Was In a Trance": Lady Narrates Her Bedroom Experience With Side Boo in Leaked Chats - Legit.ng - April 12th, 2024 [April 12th, 2024]
- In pictures: Snow Strippers take over Londons Trance Party - Dazed - March 12th, 2024 [March 12th, 2024]
- Juno Reactor's Ben Watkins on the 1997 Goa trance classic Bible of Dreams: "What really gave the album its sound ... - MusicRadar - March 12th, 2024 [March 12th, 2024]
- W&W make their triumphant return under the NWYR project - We Rave You - March 12th, 2024 [March 12th, 2024]
- A Trance Database Arrived: Browse by Year with Ease - We Rave You - February 16th, 2024 [February 16th, 2024]
- Top 15 best Malayalam thriller movies on Netflix, Prime Video, and more; From Mammoottys Kannur Squad to Fahadh Faasils Trance - PINKVILLA - February 16th, 2024 [February 16th, 2024]
- Rock N Roll Circus: Second stage announced as Sheffields Gatecrasher returns with 30th anniversary show - Yahoo Eurosport UK - August 18th, 2023 [August 18th, 2023]
- Nicholas Gunn: "I learned many years ago to never set expectations" - Electronic Groove - August 18th, 2023 [August 18th, 2023]
- Guardians of the Galaxy 3 Redeemed Star-Lord's Infinity War Mistake - CBR - Comic Book Resources - August 18th, 2023 [August 18th, 2023]
- Gatecrasher at The Republic: 19 photos taking you back to days of famous Sheffield superclub in 90s and 2000s - Yahoo News UK - August 18th, 2023 [August 18th, 2023]
- Tisto unveils his own remix to Da Hool 90s anthem 'Meet Her At ... - We Rave You - August 18th, 2023 [August 18th, 2023]
- Morissette Eager To 'Feel, Think and Move' With Thousands in ... - VOCM - August 18th, 2023 [August 18th, 2023]
- Countdown to the Indian Spirit Festival 2023 | Grateful Web - Grateful Web - August 18th, 2023 [August 18th, 2023]
- Billy Gillies Uplifts Souls with His Summer Mix - EDM Identity - August 18th, 2023 [August 18th, 2023]
- Tritonal to Embark on 15 Years Of Enhanced Music Tour - EDM Identity - August 18th, 2023 [August 18th, 2023]
- Dining Review: Basil and Bunny in Bristol - Rhode Island Monthly - August 18th, 2023 [August 18th, 2023]
- Ally Ewing delivering good impression of Brian Harman with strong ... - Magnolia Banner News - August 18th, 2023 [August 18th, 2023]
- Review: Weathervanes, EdFringe - Everything Theatre - August 18th, 2023 [August 18th, 2023]
- Calvin Harris and Sam Smith share video for new collaborative ... - DJ Mag - August 18th, 2023 [August 18th, 2023]
- Exclusive Single Premiere: Wandering Blind "Only A Matter Of Time ... - the AU review - August 18th, 2023 [August 18th, 2023]
- Brunch Electronik Festival Celebrates Electrifying First 3-Day Edition ... - Rave Jungle - August 18th, 2023 [August 18th, 2023]
- West Coast Drive Safety Concerns Solved By Chucking Blinkers On ... - The Bell Tower Times - August 18th, 2023 [August 18th, 2023]
- What is Trance Music? (18 Different Types of Trance Music) - DITM - March 4th, 2023 [March 4th, 2023]
- Fahadh Faasil to team up with Anwar Rasheed again after Trance for a film helmed by Romancham director? | Exclusive - Ottplay - February 5th, 2023 [February 5th, 2023]
- ARTY announces Alpha 9 debut album 'New Horizons' coming in January - We Rave You - October 17th, 2022 [October 17th, 2022]
- Meet the creatives behind the scenes of BTS' 'Yet To Come in Busan' concert live band, choreographers, and more - Bandwagon - October 17th, 2022 [October 17th, 2022]
- Alesso and Sick Individuals' "We Go Out" Is a Weekend Rallying Cry - EDM.com - October 15th, 2022 [October 15th, 2022]
- Pecky the magpie reviews The Axeman's Carnival by Catherine Chidgey - The Spinoff - October 15th, 2022 [October 15th, 2022]
- This Week In Toledo History | The Press - Press Publications Inc. - October 15th, 2022 [October 15th, 2022]
- Review of Amazon Primes The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power Season One, Episode Eight Alloyed - Television - October 15th, 2022 [October 15th, 2022]
- Smile is innovatively terrifying, ultimately unmemorable - The Emory Wheel - October 13th, 2022 [October 13th, 2022]
- What to do in Las Vegas this week (October 13-19 edition) - Las Vegas Weekly - October 13th, 2022 [October 13th, 2022]
- Meet the Artists Shaping the Wave Music Scene - EDM.com - October 13th, 2022 [October 13th, 2022]
- How to fix an Apple Watch stuck on the Apple logo - Android Authority - October 13th, 2022 [October 13th, 2022]
- Houston Texans offense in a trance, plus other Week 4 takeaways - Toro Times - October 8th, 2022 [October 8th, 2022]
- Kubix Festival announces return to Sunderland with acts including Five, N-Trance, Ultrabeat, Flip & Fill, A1 and 911 - Sunderland Echo - October 8th, 2022 [October 8th, 2022]
- Hypnotherapist sexually assaulted woman he placed under a trance - The Telegraph - October 8th, 2022 [October 8th, 2022]
- The Up & Coming EDM Genres Likely To Strike It Big In The Coming Years - Critical Hit - October 8th, 2022 [October 8th, 2022]
- TRENCH Radio: 10 Of The Best Mixes This Week - TRENCH - October 8th, 2022 [October 8th, 2022]
- Tisto unites with the Black Eyed Peas for new single 'Pump It Louder' - We Rave You - October 8th, 2022 [October 8th, 2022]
- The Perks And Quirks Of 'Paw'renting - Entrepreneur - October 8th, 2022 [October 8th, 2022]
- Tranquil trance on dream island - The New Indian Express - September 29th, 2022 [September 29th, 2022]
- I was hypnotized by a Four Seasons 'resident healer' for $285 - Business Insider - September 29th, 2022 [September 29th, 2022]
- Gareth Emery Shares Exclusive Playlist Ahead of Groove Cruise The Ascension 2022 - Your EDM - September 29th, 2022 [September 29th, 2022]
- Acid trance - Wikipedia - September 11th, 2022 [September 11th, 2022]
- Spain in trance after beating Lithuania: 'It's like a fairytale we don't want to end' - BasketNews.com - September 11th, 2022 [September 11th, 2022]
- Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001) Story Recap - TheReviewGeek - September 11th, 2022 [September 11th, 2022]
- Richie McNeill: 10 Events That Define the History of Hardware - Music Feeds - September 11th, 2022 [September 11th, 2022]
- Matthew McConaugheys favourite songs of the 1990s - Far Out Magazine - September 11th, 2022 [September 11th, 2022]
- Kerry Katona breaks down in tears and left shaking as she opens up on mental health battle after... - The Sun - September 11th, 2022 [September 11th, 2022]
- Herald: THEY ARRIVE AT RAVE PARTIES - Herald Goa - September 11th, 2022 [September 11th, 2022]
- Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003) Story Recap - TheReviewGeek - September 11th, 2022 [September 11th, 2022]
- Mind Is Completely Blown People React As Trailer Of Hrithik-Saifs Vikram Vedha Is Out - MensXP.com - September 11th, 2022 [September 11th, 2022]
- Free Trance Samples: Thousands Of Percussions, Loops, and FX Sounds For Your Uplifting Productions - Magnetic Magazine - September 9th, 2022 [September 9th, 2022]
- The Growing Tide Of Trance Blues - An Emerging Genre - Music Essentials - September 9th, 2022 [September 9th, 2022]
- Aarppo to Urumboottu - indulgexpress - September 9th, 2022 [September 9th, 2022]
- The healing dance of SAs choreographic shaman - Mail and Guardian - September 9th, 2022 [September 9th, 2022]
- Fall preview of jazz festivals in the area and beyond - wbgo.org - September 9th, 2022 [September 9th, 2022]
- SWTOR 7.1.1 Healer Balance Changes Overview and Analysis - VULKK.com - September 9th, 2022 [September 9th, 2022]
- Soft Cell | YouTube Theater | 8/24/22 - Grateful Web - September 9th, 2022 [September 9th, 2022]
- Lee Yu Mi and Coleman Domingo win the 2022 Emmy for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series - The Hollywood Reporter - BEAM Media - September 9th, 2022 [September 9th, 2022]
- Bulleh Shah's 265th Urs celebrations: A melange of trance and ecstatic exuberance - DAWN.com - August 29th, 2022 [August 29th, 2022]
- Chatting with Emma Hewitt: The Queen of Trance Music - Digital Journal - August 29th, 2022 [August 29th, 2022]
- Just Dance: These Asian DJs Are Revolutionising The EDM Scene - Augustman Malaysia - August 29th, 2022 [August 29th, 2022]
- Shaukat Tarin instigates Punjab to withdraw from IMF deal - Geo News - August 29th, 2022 [August 29th, 2022]
- Chlo Is a Goddess in a Silver Gown with the Highest Thigh-High Leg Slit at the 2022 VMAs - Harper's BAZAAR - August 29th, 2022 [August 29th, 2022]
- Ferry Corsten Brings "What the F" to Los Angeles [Event Review & Interview] - Your EDM - August 27th, 2022 [August 27th, 2022]
- Jason Ross On How His Sophomore Album Reflects an Elevated Version of Himself - EDM.com - August 27th, 2022 [August 27th, 2022]
- Paul McCartney Compared Writing 1 of The Beatles' Songs to Writing a James Bond Theme - Showbiz Cheat Sheet - August 27th, 2022 [August 27th, 2022]
- John Digweed celebrates the 200th digital release of Bedrock Records [Magazine Exclusive] - We Rave You - August 27th, 2022 [August 27th, 2022]
- Hypnotherapy for Health and Happiness - Next Avenue - August 27th, 2022 [August 27th, 2022]
- Matroda returns to Insomniac with house single 'Hazy' - The Groove Cartel - August 27th, 2022 [August 27th, 2022]
- Cocaine-Related Deaths Reach Record High in the UK - Men's Health - August 10th, 2022 [August 10th, 2022]
- Britain will pay a heavy price for falling into a net zero trance - The Telegraph - August 10th, 2022 [August 10th, 2022]
- The Outside - 8/7/22 - WYSO - August 10th, 2022 [August 10th, 2022]
- Chicane: "There were times when I came very close to smashing the sh*t out of the studio in frustration" - MusicRadar - August 10th, 2022 [August 10th, 2022]
- Priests and politics: The separation of church and state - SC Times - August 10th, 2022 [August 10th, 2022]