He is known for writing and directing the Malayalam superhero film Minnal Murali and for his superb acting chops, especially in comedy dramas. Basil Joseph’s latest film as an actor is Ponman (man with the gold), which is a sharp departure from his work on screen so far. Critics and the audience alike have lauded his performance, and the actor-writer-director says he’s happy with the response. In a chat with Hindustan Times, he opens up about why he chose this serious drama directed by debutant director Jothish Shankar and his reported film with Suriya. (Also Read: Ponman review: Basil Joseph shines in this enthralling, technically superb film)
The challenge of playing PP Ajesh
“I first read the book Nalanchu Cheruppakar by GR Indugopan and was instantly hooked by the drama, the characters and the relevance of the issue of dowry, which is being spoken about in the book. I was intrigued by the character of PP Ajesh, also. When I got the script, I felt I should do this film irrespective of anything else,” explained the Ponman hero.
Was he concerned by how people would accept him in this serious film? “No, I just wanted to experiment as an actor also. It’s the most well-written character I’ve done in my career as an actor. Like when you write a comedy, it’s more about making people laugh with your mannerisms, interactions and dialogues, and verbal humour. But PP Ajesh has so many layers in the character. I thought it would be challenging for me as an actor to explore it and see how people accept it. I was really excited,” he said.
The triumph of the underdog
The Jaya Jaya Jaya Jay Hey actor felt that the drama and the emotions in Ponman would connect with the audience as Ajesh was a very relatable character in a native setting. “Ponman is the fight of a common man, the fight of an underdog. You can take the gold element out of it and replace it with any other object. The character shows the triumph of the underdog, as well as his confidence and attitude. He is in the fight for his life and he also seems to be saying life is also about enjoyment. When you get time, enjoy life but at the same time, life is also a fight,” elaborated Basil.
Ask him if he also thought of himself as an underdog when he entered the Malayalam film industry a decade back; the Sookshmadarshini actor replied, “Of course! I didn’t come from a privileged background. I come from a very orthodox, religious family in a village in the mountainous region. So, coming into this world of films is beyond a dream for someone in that setting. I was like an absolute underdog coming to films, and getting an opportunity in films itself is not a victory – you have to struggle and fight for survival every single day. In each and every film you have to make people come to the theatre, entertain them, keep up with the competitiveness of the market, hone your craft, and so on. So, you are always an underdog. I don’t think there’s ever a point you can say you’ve achieved it all. You have to always believe you are an underdog, even after doing 100 or 200 films. You have to approach every film as your first film.”
Debutant directors
Given that Jothish Shankar was making a directorial debut with Ponman and Basil was an experienced and successful director, how much was he involved with the film? “Jothish has been in the industry for a long time. He was an art director and has won awards also. He did the art production design for Kumbalangi Nights, Malayankunju and Bramayugam, to name a few. Ponman is a personal life story for him because it’s based on a real story, and he was one of the characters in that real story. There is a character representing him in the film also. He knows the characters and the setting well. We collaborated in the pre-production stage, but on set, I was an actor, and he called the shots. You cannot interfere in another person’s vision; you have to respect the director’s vision,” Basil said.
The actor has a busy year
Basil has had two film releases already in January, and his next film is a Tovino Thomas production titled Marana Mass, which is releasing in April. Directed by Sivaprasad, who was Basil’s assistant director, the film also features Rajesh Madhavan, Siju Sunny, and Suresh Krishna. “It is Sivaprasad’s debut film and is a comedy entertainer. It’s also a very personal film for me, and I believe it is going to entertain the people,” he smiled.
There has been a lot of chatter about Basil possibly directing a film with Tamil star Suriya. What is the update on this? Basil laughed and refused to comment. He signed off saying, “Anything can happen. An update is coming out soon, for sure, with me as a director. Just wait.”