Mohar Basu (MID-DAY; July 13, 2018)

Malayalam star Prithviraj Sukumaran’s directorial venture is special for Vivek Oberoi for reasons that are more than one. Lucifer not only marks his full-fledged Malayalam film debut, but also sees him get together with South star Mohanlal 16 years after they featured in Oberoi’s Bollywood debut outing, Company.

A sense of nostalgia makes itself evident when Oberoi tells mid day, “It’s been 16 years since Company [released] and I’m so excited to reunite with Mohanlal. He is among the finest actors in the country, apart from being a great human being. We had the best time shooting for Company, and despite his stardom in the South, he was gracious and warm.”

Lucifer — set to kickoff in Trivandrum on July 18, and then in Mumbai and Kuttikkanam — sees Oberoi slip into the role of the antagonist. Given that also features Manju Warrier, Tovino Thomas and Saniya Iyappan, Oberoi says he was persuaded to give his nod to it. “The subject, script and opportunity to work with such a talented cast and crew is what drew me to the movie. Prithviraj, who makes his debut as director, gave me an incredible narration of this challenging and complex script. I was sold,” he says.

The actor begins a month-long prep next month. In order to learn Malayalam, he plans to appoint a diction coach soon to ensure that his pronunciation is on point.