The film was based on a novel written by Balakrishnan Mangad. However, scriptwriter John Paul said in an interview that most part of the film was based on his own college life. A popular online portal quoted his words: "The story of my first movie was based on the life that I had experienced in my campus. Though the script was inspired by the novel written by Balakrishnan Mangad, a large part of the movie was based on my college life."Radhika C. Pillai (12 April 2014). "Chamaram was based on John Paul's college days". The Times of India. Retrieved 31 July 2014. The film was shot in CMS College Kottayam.
