‘Double Mohanan Not Like Pushpa’: Prithviraj Shuts Down Comparisons

Prithviraj Sukumaran has rejected claims that his upcoming film Vilaayath Budha is influenced by Allu Arjun’s Pushpa franchise, saying the two projects are unrelated despite both featuring sandalwood smugglers.

Speaking at the trailer launch in Kochi, the actor said the film remains true to its original source — G.R. Indugopan’s novel. Prithviraj explained that the screenplay was developed by Indugopan and Rajesh Pinnadan, and the project was initially conceived by director Sachy before his death in 2020. Afterward, his associate Jayan Nambiar took over the direction.

The actor noted that Vilaayath Budha took shape long before Pushpa was released. “When Sachy brought this idea to me, Pushpa wasn’t even out. We didn’t know another film on sandalwood smuggling was being made or that it would later become a global hit. When both Pushpa films released as ours neared completion, we acknowledged that in the teaser,” he said.

He added that similarities perceived by viewers unfamiliar with the book are limited to the theme, and clarified that the Pushpa-referencing line in the teaser may not appear in the final cut. “The character of Double Mohanan bears no resemblance to Pushpa,” he said.

Vilaayath Budha marks Jayan Nambiar’s directorial debut and is produced by Sandip Senan in association with Anish M. Thomas. The film stars Prithviraj Sukumaran and Shammi Thilakan, alongside Priyamvada Krishnan, Anu Mohan, Rajashree and Teejay Arunasalam. The story follows Bhaskaran Master and his disciple Double Mohanan, who become adversaries over a sandalwood tree planted by the former.

The film, which was announced in February 2021, was shot largely in Marayur between October 2022 and March 2025. Jakes Bejoy composed the music, with Arvind S. Kashyap handling cinematography and Sreejith Sarang serving as editor.

Vilaayath Budha releases on November 21, 2025.