Girish AD: I prefer making rom-coms because they don't need much homework 

In July 2019, Malayalam cinema witnessed the arrival of a fresh bunch of talents with Thanneer Mathan Dinangal, a charming high-school love story, which also took the Kerala box office by storm. At its helm was Girish AD, a debutant director without any formal filmmaking experience. Girish inspired and backed a new set of actors, writers, and technicians, who later collaborated to tell simple, relatable tales from our neighbourhoods. While refusing to call it his comfort zone, Girish still admits his love for such breezy entertainers. "To be honest, nothing is comfortable for me; I find everything hard (laughs). There are challenges associated with every genre, but I prefer making rom-coms and coming-of-age films because they don't demand a lot of homework. Most of these stories are from our daily lives, so writing becomes easier and I can quickly turn them into projects. I would love to attempt other genres as well, but for that, I'll have to set aside a lot of time and put in extra effort."

Continuing his tryst with love stories, Girish is next helming Premalu, a coming-of-age, rom-com starring Naslen and Mamitha Baiju. Girish has written the film with Kiran Josey, who directed the viral short film, Anurag Engineering Works. Though the genre is familiar, the setting is fresh this time, says Girish. "The story happens in Hyderabad, which is a new backdrop for me. I've never had an urban setting for my works before," adds the director while revealing how the idea sprouted. "There was a plan to remake Super Sharanya in Telugu and I was adapting its screenplay with Hyderabad as the backdrop. I really liked how it shaped up. Though the project got dropped due to some production issues, I was smitten by the city and its allure. That's how I got Kiran along to work on a fresh rom-com."

Premalu marks Girish's fourth collaboration with Naslen, whom he introduced in Thanneer Mathan Dinangal. Sharing more about the rapport between them, the director says, "There's a great level of comfort between us, but beyond that, I believe he's an excellent actor. I haven't worked with many actors, but I still think Naslen has a rare grasping power. He's very sharp in understanding the character and adjusts his performance accordingly. Since most of my stories suit his age, he's almost always my instant choice." Apart from Naslen, Girish has also worked with Mamitha before. "She has evolved a lot from what I saw in Super Sharanya. You'll be able to see a very mature performance from her in this film." The cast also includes Shyam Mohan, Akhila Bhargavan, Meenakshi Raveendran, Sangeeth Prathap, KS Prasad, and some newcomers, from Tamil and Telugu.

Premalu is produced by Bhavana Studios, headed by Fahadh Faasil, Dileesh Pothan and Syam Pushkaran. It is the banner's fifth production after Kumbalangi Nights, Joji, Palthu Janwar, and Thankam. According to Girish, Premalu will be a colorful entertainer unlike their previous films, which were set in a more realistic space. "Dileesh ettan expressed his interest in collaborating after watching TMD. But it didn't happen at that time. He again reminded me of the offer after Super Sharanya's release. When I told him this idea, he was immediately on board. I guess they were also looking for something different." Unlike other producers, Dileesh and Syam are known for their hands-on approach as they actively involve themselves in the filmmaking process completely. However, Girish has a different experience to share. "There was only very minimal involvement from them. It's probably because they wanted me to direct it in my own style. They hardly interfered creatively apart from some suggestions during the script reading sessions. But I still value whatever little inputs they give. It was incredible learning from two of the best in the business."

Besides Premalu, Girish also has a film titled I Am Kathalan in the pipeline. Also starring Naslen, it has Girish attempting a thriller for the first time. Actor Sajin Cherukayil has scripted the film, which was wrapped up a few months back. However. its post-production has been delayed because of Premalu. "It's an interesting film about cyber crimes. We had to put it on hold for this film because the Hyderabad schedule was important. It would've been difficult had we not shot it then. We'll be resuming the remaining works once Premalu is done."

Premalu, which has Ajmal Sabu as the cinematographer, Akash Joseph Varghese as the editor, and Vishnu Vijay as the composer, is eyeing a February 2024 release. Hopefully, a perfect Valentine's Day watch is in the offing.