Breaking Down Premalu with co-writer Kiran Josey

February is generally considered an off season for theatre business in India. But down South in Kerala, the market is flourishing like never before with three massive money-spinners releasing on the trot. As per trade analysts and industry insiders, Feb 2024 will go down the annals of Malayalam cinema history as one of its most profitable seasons. The celebrations were ignited by team Premalu before the baton was taken over by the veteran Mammootty and the boys from Manjummel.

Premalu, a charming rom-com, is the kind of entertainer that the industry has been missing for a while, which is evident from the storm it has whipped up at the box office. Among the key brains behind this sensational success is Kiran Josey, an unassuming debutant, who collaborated with director Girish AD in co-writing the film. Kiran has been part of Girish's team for a while now. After helming a couple of short films, Kiran joined as an assistant in the director's second film, Super Sharanya and later in Poovan, which Girish co-produced. The latter also produced Kiran's viral short film, Anurag Engineering Works, which has so far clocked over six million views on YouTube.

In this conversation with CE, the chemical engineer-turned-writer shares about his rapport with Girish and breaks down the writing of Premalu.

Excerpts

How did the idea for Premalu originate?

It was during the pre-production of Anurag Engineering Works that Girish ettan casually told me about a basic one-liner of a Hyderabad-based subject. It was a rough idea about the girls from Super Sharanya moving to Hyderabad for work. At that time, I had another story of a few introverted boys from Kerala and their engineering life in Tamil Nadu. We randomly discussed the prospect of bringing these two gangs together, which led to some interesting scenes. Somewhere during these discussions, we decided to write together and that's how Premalu was born.

The Hyderabad backdrop lends a lot of freshness to the film, and going by the response in Telugu states, it has proven to be a masterstroke.

Yes, unlike Chennai or Bangalore, Hyderabad is a city that hasn't been explored much in Malayalam cinema. Girish ettan is a big fan of Telugu films and it was his call to place the story there. I was also interested because I had worked there for a year and knew the place well. It also helped me with scripting as I had a good idea of the PG life there, the popular restaurants, landmarks and even the geography of the lanes. During the scripting, we also visited the city for 3-4 days.

Could you share more about the writing process?

It took us around 4-5 months of discussions to come up with a rough script. It needed another couple of months to finish the first draft. But after that, we were forced to take a break for a few months. When we revisited the script, a lot of portions looked uninteresting and we had to rewrite most of them. Girish ettan had a trusted set of people with whom we discussed the script at regular intervals. After completing the first half and second half, we had reading sessions and sought all their opinions. It's a process that Girish ettan follows for all his films.

Did you start scripting with a pre-fixed cast? Does that help?

Girish ettan was confident of getting Naslen and Mamitha for the roles of Sachin and Reenu. They were perfect for such a youthful film and we knew the audience would lap them up easily. It also helps to have an idea of the cast because we know their strengths and can sketch the characters accordingly.

Aadhi's role had some similarities to Thanneer Mathan Dinangal's Ravi Padmanabhan and Super Sharanya's Ajith Menon, in a sense that all three characters have dual shades. They are not the person they're desperate to project.

When we started writing Aadhi's character, the idea was to create a perfect colleague for Reenu. An attractive, charming person, who people would instantly think of as her potential partner. But we also wanted a rivalry where both Aadhi and Sachin would get insecure in each other's presence. That's how some grey shades were added for Aadhi. He might look caring and well-behaved, but he's actually controlling and has a toxic side. Initially, we didn't intend to create a character like that, but the arc came through perfectly as writing progressed.

The bond between Amal Davis and Sachin was very real, unlike how it's usually shown in films. How did you ensure not to go overboard?

Both Girish ettan and I aren't big fans of glorified portrayals of friendships. In real life, if you're feeling down, your friends will be around to support and lift your spirits. But unlike in cinema, there won't be grand gestures of hugging or emotional breakdowns. You can notice this realistic portrayal of friendships in Girish ettan's previous films also. You can see different kinds of bonds between people of various genders and age groups, but nothing romanticised. That's what we have retained in Premalu also. Here, we were also conscious to not present Amal Davis as a laughing stock. We didn't want to reiterate that 'mandan kootukaran' stereotype. Amal Davis is, in fact, more mature and is genuinely concerned about his friend.

The film has plenty of internet jokes and social media references that are getting thunderous responses from the young audience. How did you get that new gen appeal accurate?

Since Premalu is primarily a youth-centric entertainer, it had to have a mix of these elements. Both of us are also active on social media and frequently share trolls and memes among us. We were aware of all the viral trends and tried incorporating some of them in the script. There were also a few on-set improvisations like 'Innaikku Oru Pudi', which people seem to have loved.

Were there a lot of changes in the final output from the script?

I wasn't part of the shoot, but when I saw the film, I could sense a lot of input from the actors. Girish ettan has a knack of extracting the best out of his actors by not being restrictive and just letting them react to the situations. It makes their performances more lively and real. Take for instance, the conversation at the roadside eatery between Amal, Sachin and their professor or how the duo react to Reenu and group's dance at the wedding. All these scenes were elevated purely by the actors. My most favourite scene is when Sachin comes home after the rejection and starts mumbling about jogging and home workouts. Both Naslen and Sangeeth carried the emotions in that scene wonderfully.

The Hridayam spoof and CBSE mocking hasn't gone down well with a section of the audience...

The Hridayam spoof wasn't a pre-planned thing. I studied engineering in Tamil Nadu and it wasn't a very pleasant experience. My college is right next to the one shown in Hridayam, and yet, I couldn't relate to any of it. When I went back to college after two years to collect my certificate, I had the extreme opposite experience of what's shown in Hridayam. There was no warm welcome, only neglect. I was asked to leave because I hadn't shaved my beard and wasn't wearing formals. The spoof was just a means of showing the other side. It was not intended to hurt anyone. Similarly, the CBSE joke is also a reflection of what we see around us. I studied in CBSE till 12th grade and I've seen many in my circles having a disregard for State syllabus students. They were dismissed as troublemakers who could still score easy marks because of the government's backing. Likewise, in State students' circles, there has always been a tendency to mock CBSE guys. We didn't feel anything wrong with it.

There's a hilarious scene in the pub where Sachin retorts mistaking 'stocking' for 'stalking'. At a time when films are heavily scrutinised, were you concerned about including such a joke?

No, not at all. It was Girish ettan who came up with that dialogue. We were convinced that someone as naive and innocent like Sachin would react like that. Even in the end, when Reenu says, "I think I'm falling for you," he doesn't understand it. Sachin also doesn't stalk her at any point. He's just staying near her place without creating any trouble.

Many found Reenu's love for Sachin unreasonable and a result of his gaslighting. Would you like to address it?

I saw a couple of these reviews, but I can vouch that their relationship wasn't conceived that way. Early in the film, there's a scene where Reenu mentions about her ex-boyfriend breaking up because of her caring nature. Similarly, she likes taking care of Sachin and spending time with him. This is despite Sachin not matching any of her concepts of an ideal partner. But she starts realising her feelings for him only after he leaves the town. The feeling of being alone is also compounded with her friend Karthika's shifting and the issues with Aadhi at office.

An 'airport climax' is one of the biggest cliches in cinema. How did you still decide to proceed with it?

Yes, we were aware that it's a cliche, but we still believed if the audience connects to the characters and their emotions, they won't be really bothered about it. There's an unexpected chase and chaos happening before they arrive at the airport, and we felt they wouldn't mind a familiar ending after that. Had the airport scene come right after the previous night's party sequence, I think it would've backfired.

Tell us about that unexpected cameo by Syam Pushkaran...

The character Pampavasan was there in the script, but we didn't have any particular actor in mind. It was during the pre-production that Syam ettan agreed. Initially, I think not many recognised him, but for those who knew him, it would've been a surprise seeing him in such a caricaturish role. The final dialogue where he says, "we don't know how to drive" was also a last-minute improvisation.

What are some things that bother you while writing?

I'm still new to scripting, but I always try to avoid scenes that we have seen before. I usually land on a couple of scenes first and then develop it from there. If I feel the scenes are too flat and uninteresting, I try to add some quirky elements. I'm also constantly thinking if it will be worth it for the audience to pay and watch in a theatre.