Recalling the shooting days, Archana, who prefers a hands-on approach, adds, “I don’t know how writers usually function, but I wanted to make the best use of my time on the sets and enjoy the process. I wanted to learn and gain experience to help me progress. We would discuss what I intended with a character, how Lijin envisioned it, take the actors’ feedback, and only then proceed. It was a great collaborative process.”
Archana then goes on to fondly recount the time spent with the late actor Prathap Pothen, who even offered her a scripting gig. “During the shoot, he asked me if I would be interested in developing one of his stories. Though I agreed, I couldn’t follow up. The next thing I heard was his passing away. It was so unfortunate.”
After the completion of the shoot in July 2022, it took over two years for the film to finally be released. The wait wasn’t easy, admits Archana. For a systematic person like her, the uncertainties of cinema were a tough pill to swallow. “It was an anxious period. I prefer planning everything, but it doesn’t work that way in cinema.
But on a positive note, I now get more time to be with family and do things that I like. I can balance life better,” says Archana, who has already finished another script. However, she is particular about proceeding with it only after Her’s release. “I want to know the audience feedback for Her first. I’m not in any rush,” she laughs.
In more than one way, Her has also been an eye-opener for Archana. It was during its scripting that Archana realised how drastically her Malayalam proficiency had decreased. “Coming from Thunchaththu Ezhuthachan’s native, I’m not supposed to say this, but that’s the reality. I used to read Malayalam voraciously, but after moving out of Kerala, my readings and interactions have largely been in English.
Though I wrote Her completely in Malayalam, it’s still within my safe zone. Lijin’s presence also helped, but as a writer, I should know more. I also need to spend more time in Kerala. Urvashi ma’am had advised me to relocate from Bengaluru, maybe because she sensed the language problem. I’ve put in a lot more effort for my next, but I know I’m not there yet.”