Priyadarshan shrugs off comparisons between Marakkar: Arabikadalinte Simham and Thugs of Hindostan

Even as Thugs of Hindostan performed poorly at the box office, comparisons are bound to arise between Bollywood's _Pirates of the Caribbean_ and other films in Indian cinema that depict naval forces battling among the high seas. Priyadarshan’s trilingual, Marakkar: Arabikadalinte Simham, set to roll on 3 December at Hyderabad’s Ramoji Rao Studios is a historical drama revolving around Kunhali Marakkar, the famous naval chief of the Zamorin of Calicut, the monarch of the kingdom of Kozhikode. To be produced with a budget of nearly Rs. 100 crore, the film will have action sequences featuring sea warfare, similar to Thugs, in which a group of pirates rebels against the East India Company. [caption id=“attachment_5273131” align=“alignnone” width=“825”]  Still from Thugs of Hindostan trailer. YouTube screengrab[/caption] However, Priyadarshan has said that his film, starring Mohanlal, Suniel Shetty and Manju Warrier in pivotal roles, is a historical narrative unlike the Amir-Amitabh starrer which was a fantasy period drama. “Thugs is a fantasy film, but Marakkar is steeped in history,” he says. According to a Mid-Day report, the director had also asked his production designer Sabu Cyril to build four ships in a bid for authenticity. The report quoted him as saying, “During those times, Indians would use ships made in Egypt as part of their barter system. So we built four similar life-size ships, boasting 200x200 metre tank, in Ramoji Rao Film City. We also roped in action directors from Thailand to teach sword-fighting to the stars.” He also said that the critical part was getting the VFX sequences right as this is where many films tend to look tacky, the report added. Marakkar: Arabikadalinte Simham also marks the debut of Mohanlal’s son Pranav and Priyadarshan’s daughter Kalyani.