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Filmmaker R. Parthiban Succeeds in Creating the World’s First Non-Linear Single Shot Film “Iravin Nizhal”

Iravin Nizhal
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Indian filmmaker Radhakrishnan Parthiban has been revolutionizing the film industry in his home country with his distinct style and creativity over the past years. His most recent project, Iravin Nizhal, is the world’s first non-linear single-shot film that has defied many production boundaries and achieved a groundbreaking feat all on its own. Written and conceptualized by Parthiban himself, the unstoppable filmmaker also plays the protagonist in the project that saw 59 settings, more than 300 actors, 150 technicians, numerous costume and makeup changes, and a 50-year time span, all perfectly choreographed into one single shot and achieved after a grueling 90-day rehearsal period.

Parthiban is a three-time winner of the prestigious Indian National Film Awards for his exceptional performances in the industry. He has acted in more than 72 films, directed 15, and produced 12. Mostly, his films highlight his rich cultural background and showcase the Tamil language. 

As can be expected, shooting Iravin Nizhal was a massive logistical and production challenge. Aside from the adult crew, the production team also had to take charge of animals and children who were part of the supporting cast. All of them were carefully trained to follow the timing of the continuous scenes. Apart from ensuring that everyone was in sync, the production team also had to incorporate multiple weather, technological, social, and historical aspects in order to come up with a genuine experience for viewers. 

Naturally, several surprises and challenges took place during the actual recording despite the series of rehearsals that were undertaken. Parthiban and his team made room for a lot of improvisation and creativity to come into play, and the result was exquisite. Scenes were shot with several takes to guarantee the accuracy of the narrative and the perfect arrangement of scenery and stage elements. 

The film was created with the help of some big names in the industry. AR Rahman, an Academy Award Winner for his work in Slumdog Millionaire, did the music and background score of Iravin Nizhal. He was a recipient of the Padma Bhushan, India’s third-highest civilian award, in 2010. Additionally, Craig Mann served as the Supervising Sound Designer. He won an Academy Award in the category of Best Sound Mixing for the film Whiplash. Finally, Cottalango Leon was the VFX Supervisor. He is an Indian-American computer graphics technician who was awarded a joint Academy Award for scientific and technical achievement in 2016.

Iravin Nizhal is Parthiban’s official entry to the 2022 Academy Awards. The filmmaker wants to highlight Indian ingenuity and creativity in the area of filmmaking. He worked tirelessly for the past ten years to perfect the script, hoping to bring honor and due recognition to the Tamil film industry. Considered his best work yet, the film will not only highlight the Tamil film industry but also Indian Cinema in general. 

Before Iravin Nizhal, Parthiban wrote, directed, and produced the 2019 thriller Single Slipper Size 7, the world’s first single-actor film. Parthiban also played the lead in the movie, which entered the Asian Book of Records and India Book of Records for having a single person write, produce, direct, and act in the project. 

Iravin Nizhal is now available on Prime Video. 

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