Actor Prithviraj Sukumaran and his wife Supriya Menon, a former journalist, started their production venture “Prithviraj Productions” in 2019 with the film 9. Since then, they have backed multiple films like Kaduva (2022), Kuruthi (2021) and Driving Licence (2019). Their next outing is Guruvayoor Ambala Nadayil, slated to hit the screens on May 16.
Supriya Menon started her career as a journalist and worked as a correspondent for prominent news portals such as BBC and NDTV before venturing into the film space with her husband. During her stint as a journalist, Menon also doubled up as a TV producer on her shows and had some experience finding stories and bringing them to fruition. “Back then, I had more control because the discussion was just among my producer, editor and me. On the other hand, films are a team spirit. It is not about one person but everybody. So, the control is far less as a producer.”
While she proudly claims that all the projects bankrolled by their venture have been made under the budget, she also acknowledges the stress of the job. “Today, with the type of cinema being made, you could lose something so big because you did not understand what was being made,” she says, “I am a newbie and a complete rookie. When I hear scripts, sometimes I don’t understand them as well as Prithviraj does. But I feel I have got a flair for understanding if something is working or not.”
Menon is one of the few female producers in the Malayalam industry who are spearheading projects. She says she wants to be known as an independent producer who is among the top three in the industry. “I’m a very privileged producer because I have someone to shield me,” she says, “A lot of people listen to me because I am Prithviraj’s wife. I am under no illusions that someone is talking to me because I am Supriya Menon. Not everyone wants to listen to a woman. The numbers speak for themselves. How many of us have a say even if we are part of established organisations? These are the questions that we need to ask. As an independent woman producer, I am not sure if I am the first choice for a creator but I want to be.”
As she acknowledges her relatively secure position as a producer, Supriya Menon points out how she usually does not get into the creative aspects of things because she deals more with the business side. As a result, even though she wants to keep things on a budget, sometimes directors and actors tend to look at the creative side which she does not always see. “I do not come from a purely creative background because I have the onus of running the company as well,” she says, “Prithviraj is purely creative in a lot of ways. When he’s filming on our project, he always sides with the director. My Executive Producer and I are always fighting with him about things. He is a creative person himself so he tends to side with them.”