For Jeethu Joseph, there is no escaping the fact that, however much he might wish otherwise, the Drishyam franchise remains his calling card. His filmmaking is associated with thrillers, despite his forays into other genres. With his latest film Mirage, he adds another title to his list of mystery-driven stories.
“It is a thriller, with elements of action and mystery too,” says Jeethu, as he sits down for the conversation. Mirage follows a woman in search of answers, joined by two others as they embark on a journey together. That is all Jeethu is willing to reveal ahead of the film’s release on September 19. Originally intended as a Hindi film, the project shifted to Malayalam after nearly four years, as Jeethu felt the Hindi industry’s approach to storytelling did not align with his own.
The script was co-written by Jeethu and Srinivasan Abrol, from a story by Aparna Tarakkad.
Aparna Balamurali plays the lead alongside Asif Ali. “Aparna’s character is trying to solve a puzzle, and Asif joins her on that journey,” Jeethu explains. Casting the two was straightforward, given their established on-screen chemistry in films such as Kishkindha Kaandam and Sunday Holiday.
Aparna Balamurali and Asif Ali in ‘Mirage’
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“Aparna is a skilled actor; this role requires her to navigate several emotional stages. It needed experience, and she was the right choice. Aparna and Asif also work well as a pair. I approached Asif because his character here is very different, which he found appealing. He is open to any role as long as it gives him scope to perform. That said, the central character is Aparna’s,” says Jeethu.
He adds that placing a woman at the centre of the story was neither a deliberate decision nor a statement. “I don’t believe in making a film because it feels like the right time. If the character is strong and the film engages the audience, it does not matter whether the lead is male or female. It is the content that matters. If a film’s success depended on the gender of its lead, why do films led by major male actors sometimes fail? It comes down to performance and writing.”
The Drishyam films have defined Jeethu’s reputation; he is often seen as the director of “that thriller” which broke box office records across languages. Several of his other films, from his debut Detective to Memories, Oozham, 12th Man, Neru and Kooman, also fall within the thriller mould. Yet Jeethu insists he never set out to specialise in the genre.
With Meena on the sets of ‘Drishyam 2’
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“I didn’t begin my career by choosing a genre, least of all mysteries or thrillers. I used to read investigative novels by writers like Agatha Christie, Arthur Conan Doyle and Alistair MacLean, so in that sense I was drawn to similar content. My first film, Detective, began with an idea that developed into an investigative thriller. My second, Mummy and Me, was completely different — I wanted to prove that I could make other kinds of films as well.”
Next came My Boss, a light-hearted film. That, he says, was a deliberate choice to avoid being branded solely a thriller-maker. But once Memories and Drishyam released back-to-back, there was no escaping the association. “While I was working on Memories and My Boss, the script of Drishyam was ready. Although I had written it, I wasn’t supposed to direct it. I hadn’t really thought about casting. By the time I was asked to direct, Mohanlal’s dates were confirmed, and Drishyam happened.”
A scene from ‘Drishyam 2’
He followed it up with Life of Josutty, which did not work at the box office. “That was a deliberate move, because I wanted a change. Making thrillers continuously can become monotonous, even in terms of shots and camera work. So, I explored other genres — lighter films like Mr & Mrs Rowdy and Nunakuzhy, and Neru, a courtroom drama. I want to try different kinds of films. There’s no point in chasing a formula for success.”
Jeethu is equally unwilling to be restricted by language. After Drishyam he was often called ‘pan-Indian’, a label he questions. “Is there really such a thing? I wonder when I hear people say that. I don’t think about it, and I don’t dwell on it. I just want to tell stories. I’ve had offers from other industries; I’ll be working on a Hindi film and I’m considering a couple of Telugu projects.” Beyond language, he adds, he is interested in experiencing the varied filmmaking styles of different industries.
One of Jeethu’s wishes is to make what he calls a “mass film”. “People expect logic in my films, but I want to make one that is simply fun. Years ago, I told actor-director Johny Antony that I’d like to make a film like his CID Moosa — just an out-and-out entertainer.”
He adds, “After Drishyam I was labelled a ‘pan-Indian’ director. For me, it is only about telling stories. The scale of a film does not matter. When I made Nunakuzhy, people asked why I was making a ‘small film’. To me, there are no big or small films, only stories worth telling, and ways to tell them. Some filmmakers aim to mount each project on a larger scale than the last; I don’t see it that way. I’d even like to make a children’s film.”
Jeethu Joseph (left) in a location still from ‘Papanasam’
As a scenarist, Jeethu’s writing often comes up for discussion, sometimes attracting as much praise as his direction. Stories, he says, do not emerge out of thin air. “It could be a visual, a character, or an incident, something one experiences, reads about, or sees in a film or the news. You then weave a story around that. Cinema is, of course, a commercial medium, but I try to work in the space between so-called parallel cinema and commercial films. It should be engaging for a wide audience, because only then does cinema serve its purpose. I look for strong subjects with solid characters and aim to make the film an experience. I keep that in mind even when I’m scripting.”
With a third part of Drishyam in the works, the inevitable question is whether there might one day be a fourth. Jeethu laughs, slightly taken aback. “I didn’t even expect a second part. But when people suggested it, I explored the possibility. Drishyam 2 was not made with a third part in mind. The final shot of the second film simply opened the door for it.”
For now, his attention is on other projects — Ram (Part I), an action thriller starring Mohanlal, and Valathu Vashathe Kallan, featuring Biju Menon and Joju George.
Published – September 18, 2025 09:40 pm IST
