- Saturday, February 15, 2025
Known for directing movies such as “Kunjiramayanam”, “Godha”, and “Minnal Murali”, Joseph has built a substantial acting portfolio with nearly 50 roles
By: India Weekly
MALAYALAM filmmaker Basil Joseph credits his acting career for providing him the financial stability to pursue his passion for directing films.
Known for directing movies such as “Kunjiramayanam” (2015), “Godha” (2017), and “Minnal Murali” (2021), Joseph has built a substantial acting portfolio with nearly 50 roles since his debut in 2013 with “Up & Down: Mukalil Oralundu”. He went on to act in successful films such as “Joji”, “Jan.E.Man”, “Falimy”, and “Sookshmadarshini”.
“I started out as a part-time actor. I was called to act in one of my friend’s films and that character got noticed. Then I got another role. I started acting as a financial relief for me to become a director. You have to wait for a long time for an actor’s dates as a director. You have to write and you have to wait and wait. Those spaces are filled by my acting career,” Joseph told PTI in an interview.
The filmmaker’s latest acting project is “Ponman”, directed by Jothish Shankar, which was released on January 30.
In the dark comedy, he plays PP Ajesh, a gold dealer caught in a criminal scheme at a village wedding. The story, based on the novel “Naalu Anju Cheruppakare” by GR Indugopan, examines themes like dowry from an unconventional angle.
“The character Ajesh is a fighter, he’s like an underdog character. He doesn’t lose hope and fights for survival… It’s a ‘David versus Goliath’ type story,” said Joseph.
Joseph acknowledged that the growing acclaim for his work has raised expectations.
“The expectation starts rising after you start gaining success as an actor. Directors also come up to you with a lot of expectations… it’s like an additional responsibility, you can’t see it as a part-time job anymore so I started putting more effort into being an actor… But I’ll always choose direction over acting,” he said.
Reflecting on Malayalam cinema’s global rise, Joseph expressed optimism for the industry’s future.
“Right now it’s Malayalam cinema’s time and I’m glad that I’m part of the industry at its peak. This is going to get better with the coming years with the kind of filmmakers and the sensibilities they are bringing to the table.”
Produced by Vinayaka Ajith, “Ponman” features a cast that includes Sajin Gopu, Lijomol Jose, Deepak Parambol, Anand Manmadhan, and Sandhya Rajendran.
