Jeethu Joseph: Lalettan is the classic example of a director's actor

It was exactly 10 years back, during a similarly quiet December that Drishyam got released—without the usual fanfare of a Mohanlal film. As it turned out, the four-film-old Jeethu Joseph, who had tricked the audience with a typical family drama-like trailer, pulled a rabbit out of the hat by delivering an extraordinary mystery thriller, which went on to become a nationwide rage. The film got multiple iterations in various languages, including Chinese and Sinhala, and Jeethu was soon among the most sought-after directors in the country. But despite having done over a dozen films, the majority of which were successful, the impact his Drishyam made remains unmatched. The director perhaps foresaw it when he wrote, "Oru drishyam manassil pathiyunna aazhathil mattonnum pathiyilla". 

10 years and a couple of other successful collaborations later, the Jeethu Joseph-Mohanlal combo is back with Neru, which is set to hit screens on December 21. Jeethu, known for underplaying the potential of his films, has been quite straightforward with his claims this time. To dispel any false expectations, the director has been repeatedly stating that Neru is not a thriller—a space he relishes—but an "emotional courtroom drama". Shedding more light on what to anticipate, the director says, "It's natural for people to expect thrillers from me, but the problem is when they pin unreal expectations. During Drishyam 2, I tried selling it as an emotional film sans any major twists, as I was anxious about the massive hype around it. And ever since then, people consider me untrustworthy (laughs). When I say Neru is not a template thriller with last-minute twists, they're not ready to believe me. But they have to because I don't want them to be disappointed."

Right from his debut film Detective, Jeethu has regularly attempted crime-related subjects, but Neru, he says, is the first film where the focus is on what happens after a crime. "It's about an offence we regularly hear around us, but this case is peculiar. When I did some basic research about it, I learnt that such incidents have happened in India and abroad, and there have been series and documentaries based on it. But I still went ahead, because I felt there was a catch in it, which could be worked around cinematically. We gathered all the information, based on which we started working towards making an authentic courtroom drama." The director stresses the word 'authenticity' as that was one of the key objectives of the film—an accurate depiction of courtroom proceedings. To achieve that, the director hired the services of advocate Santhi Mayadevi, who had earlier worked with him in Drishyam 2 as an actor. "There are certain subjects that I feel confident about writing alone. But with something like Neru, I knew right from the start that I wouldn't be able to do it alone. Santhi, as a co-writer, was of great help because she helped me understand the workings of a courtroom and the discipline followed there. There is standard etiquette for everything, right from how an advocate should wear the gown and how they bow at the judge or walk during the trial. They may not be followed as such in courts, but we wanted our portrayal to be as perfect as possible. Thanks to Santhi and her legal expertise, I didn't even have to visit a courtroom as part of the research. She got it all covered. Beyond the courtroom scenes, she made valuable contributions throughout the scripting."

When the trailer of Neru was released, it got a tremendous reception, especially among Mohanlal fans, who were delighted to see glimpses of the 'actor' whom they have been missing for a while. In the trailer, when Mohanlal is introduced as a broken, vulnerable man who admits to having "lost the touch", it is refreshing because he has lately resorted to films that failed to see him beyond a superstar. Over the last decade or so, Jeethu has perhaps been the only filmmaker who has been consistently tapping Mohanlal's supreme acting skills, but his humility doesn't allow him to take any credit for it. "Lalettan is the classic example of a director's actor. I've been working with him for a while now, so there's a good rapport. He just needs a basic briefing about the character and his mental state, and you can see him magically transform into that person. More often than not, he exceeds our expectations, which is what makes him the Mohanlal that he is today," says Jeethu, while adding more on how the character Vijayamohan was developed. "I initially approached Lalettan with a plot outline, and he responded positively. I just gave a general idea about his character and he instantly understood that it wouldn't be a larger-than-life role. It was while developing the full-fledged script that we added more emotional depth to the character. Once he read it, he figured out what was required and moulded himself accordingly."

While top-league filmmakers usually take a long gap between their films, Jeethu is a rare exception who has been working continuously for the last few years. In fact, Neru is his 11th film (including the unreleased Ram) in five years, which is a remarkable feat considering three of them came in languages alien to him. Neru was announced in July; and went on floors in August; Mohanlal joined the team in September; the shoot got wrapped in October and the film is getting a December release. In between, the director also finished shooting for another film, Nunakuzhi, a comedy with Basil Joseph. Showering praise on his team, Jeethu says it's their unwavering support that pushes him to proceed from one project to another in quick time. "Of course, experience helps, but without my team, I wouldn't have been able to execute any of it. I was shooting for Nunakuzhi when Neru post-production was happening. They all know the perfection I expect when I assign them work and communicate my needs. After this, I'm doing a Hindi film and my associate has already started working on it," reveals Jeethu, even as he quickly admits his desire to slow down. "I would love to take a break and relax, but I already have too many commitments lined up. Since I'm too lazy to write, I grab whatever exciting that comes my way." 

Jeethu, a proven writer who has dabbled in multiple genres, has lately been teaming up with like-minded writers. Nunakuzhi, for instance, marks his third outing with writer KR Krishna Kumar after 12th Man and Kooman. Apart from his laziness, Jeethu has some other valid reasons to prefer such collaborations. "If there is no ego between us, then I prefer working on someone else's script because you have two brains working together, which brings different perspectives. You also have the advantage of a shared workload. Yes, we will have our share of creative differences, but it only helps make the final output better. Any cinema is a product of teamwork and I'm all ears for inputs. For a film like Nunakuzhi, which leans on black humour, it demands a lot of improvisations from my actors."

Thriller, emotional drama, comedy... there is a deliberate attempt to break expectations and keep reinventing. "Wouldn't it be boring otherwise?" asks Jeethu. "As a viewer, I love to watch films of all genres except tearjerkers. So, as a filmmaker, I'm keen on exploring them all. It's not like I'm abandoning thrillers forever. I'd definitely come back to it." Now, is that a hint for Drishyam 3? "I do have an idea for it. But I'm not sure if it'll happen," signs off the director by answering the inevitable query.