Director Arfaz Ayub: Level Cross is not the so-called experimental film

Arfaz Ayub, a soft-spoken Thiruvananthapuram native who worked as a chief associate to Jeethu Joseph, is set to make his directorial debut with Level Cross, releasing this Friday. As the filmmaker puts it, the story is essentially about two characters—Reghu (Asif Ali) and Chaithali (Amala Paul)—from opposite ends of the social spectrum meeting in a surreal space. "Despite their stark differences, they share emotional similarities, which is where the film finds its core," he explains. "The film is set in an imaginary world and is designed to stand out from the regular films we've been seeing," promises Arfaz, describing it as an intense drama. According to him, its "interesting, exciting, and layered" script had no prior reference point. "Everything I wrote came from my imagination, and I will be happy if my film becomes a reference point for someone else."

Arfaz says he writes his scripts with the minutest of details because, without that information, people will interpret the scenes with their own levels of subjectivity. "This approach allows me to present others with a picture closest to what I saw in my mind. For example, right from the first draft, the script had minute details regarding the peculiar appearance of Asif's character, which eventually got finalised after multiple rounds of discussions with makeup artist Ronex Xavier and costume designer Linda Jeethu."

Arfaz hesitates to describe Level Cross as an experimental film solely based on its trailer and other promotional materials, due to the common association of the term 'experimental' with arthouse films suited for OTT viewing. "Level Cross is envisioned as an entertaining commercial film worthy of a theatrical experience. One could still say it is experimental given that something like this has not been attempted in our cinema."

Initially, Arfaz planned to debut with another film. Planned as a stylish and all-out commercial Bollywood entertainer, this project required a significant budget and big stars. It was during the pandemic that Arfaz reconsidered and decided that his first film should be in Malayalam, appreciating the freedom it offers filmmakers in choosing their subjects. "Our audiences are informed, encouraging and receptive, as compared to the other industries," says the filmmaker.

The decision to shoot Level Cross in Tunisia emerged during a recce for Jeethu's upcoming Mohanlal-starrer Ram, in which Arfaz was the chief associate director. Explaining the importance of setting the film in a landscape that has not been explored before in Indian cinema, Arfaz says, "Initially, I thought of shooting it in Rajasthan but dropped that plan because that terrain has been seen in many Indian films. I wanted a more visually stunning expanse that hasn't been much explored on screen. Also, the desert acts as a character in the film," while adding, "Even though the project began with Rajasthan as the location, Ramesh (P Pillai) sir, the producer of the film, being a passionate filmmaker himself, understood the need to shoot in a place like Tunisia despite the financial burden it added."

The production went on to face numerous challenges. As they were scouting for an apt location, Arfaz and his line producer Alexander Naas had to drive eight hours from Tunis, the capital of Tunisia, to reach Tozeur and then walk another two hours to their shooting spot. "I loved the space instantly and told Alex, 'This is where we are going to shoot.' He reminded me, 'Don't forget we came walking; there is no way a car could reach here,'" recounts the filmmaker.

Speaking about the obstacles he and his crew had to endure, Arfaz elaborates, "Our first challenge was to set up a makeshift road from the highway to this spot before constructing the necessary props for the film. We then faced sandstorms that could alter the look of the place, preventing us from shooting for about two days. Also, it rained in the Sahara Desert for the first time in many years during our shoot." However, upon seeing the final product, he forgot all the hardships endured by his first film's team and felt reassured that it had all been worthwhile.

Talking about his casting choices, Arfaz was convinced that all three main characters were performance-oriented, requiring talented actors to bring them to life. He also added that he needed actors who could work closely with him without any ego. "Although I knew Asif was an extraordinary actor before, I realised he was also a gem of a person while working with him in Kooman (2022). Regarding Amala, I conceived the character Chaithali as a tall, beautiful, headstrong, and modern woman. When considering these traits, Amala was the first choice I thought of, and I wrote the script with her in mind. Sharaf U Dheen was the last person to join the film. Even though I initially mistook that the script did not work for him, he happily agreed to be a part after being convinced during my second narration," reveals the filmmaker.

"I was blessed that everyone I wanted to collaborate with could join my first film," added Arfaz, referring to the likes of editor Deepu Joseph, who worked on films like Nanpakal Nerathu Mayakkam (2022) and Jallikattu (2019), and composer Vishal Chandrashekhar, known for Sita Ramam (2022), among others. It also included Arfaz's father Adam Ayub, who wrote the dialogues for the film. "He is the first reader of all my scripts. While I write a script, it becomes a jumble of Malayalam, English, and Hindi. During his suggestions and corrections for Level Cross, I asked if he could write the dialogues since our wavelengths match, and he immediately agreed."

Elaborating on the importance of his father in his journey so far, Arfaz says, "Being a cinema instructor by profession, he is my guru in learning filmmaking academically. I began my filmmaking career by assisting him on a show called Minnaminungukal that aired on Doordarshan Malayalam. Before that, I also debuted as a child actor in his serial Kumilakal, which was Manoj K Jayan's foray into acting." Interestingly, Arfaz also made small appearances in films like Kooman (2022) and 12th Man (2022) directed by Jeethu, who also presents Level Cross. "I always see myself as an actor and love acting. I did theatre acting while in Mumbai, which is something I thoroughly enjoy and does not feel like work."

When asked about the influence of Jeethu's school of filmmaking, Arfaz compliments him, saying, "I love his working style and how he welcomes insights about his shooting script from every key member he regards as his film's family, and I also follow that." Adding his interest in continuing as Jeethu's trusted lieutenant, Arfaz says, "By the time Ram's shoot resumes, I would have become an independent filmmaker, but I would still continue to assist him. Even recently, I participated in a script session for Jeethu sir's new film," he signs off.