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By Shevlin Sebastian
On a recent Sunday morning, an elderly couple were waiting outside a hall at the Cinepolis in Centre Square Mall, Kochi at 9.25 a.m. The reason for them to go see a film so early. All the other shows were house full. Asked why they had come for a teenage romantic comedy, the man said, “We heard it was a good film.”
The movie ‘Premalu’ stars Naslen K. Gafoor and Mamitha Baiju in the lead roles. They play youngsters who land up in Hyderabad for different reasons and end up falling in love.
‘Premalu’ was released on February 9. Within three weeks, it has earned Rs 75 crore at the box office and is heading towards the Rs 100 crore mark. Disney Hotstar has picked up the OTT rights for an undisclosed amount.
Bhavana Studios, which produced the film, is owned by actor/director Dileesh Pothan, actor Fahadh Faasil and scriptwriter Shyam Pushkaran.
“One reason the film became a blockbuster hit was the humour in it,” says Dileesh. “This was accessible to people of all ages. Elderly people told me they felt as if they had become 25 years of age. It reminded them of their college days and the early struggles to settle into a career. So, it seems the entire audience had become the same age while watching the film. There was no generation gap. That was the magic of this film.”
At his home in Aluva, director Girish AD has a smile on his face. He is surprised by the widespread acceptance of ‘Premalu’ across all sections of society.
“Even though it is a rom-com, there is an innocence in the film, which seems to have appealed to all,” he says. “My films are simple and have a soul. I don’t pretend to be something I am not.”
This is his third hit. His 2019 film, ‘Thaneermathan Dinangal’, a romantic comedy, also did very well at the box office, earning Rs 52 crore worldwide at the box office. ‘Super Sharanya’ (2022), a coming-of-age comedy, earned Rs 23 crore.
Asked about the elements required for a film to be successful, Girish says, “More than 50 percent is the quality of the screenplay. It should be a good story. For a commercial film, the story should move forward all the time. The viewers cannot get bored at any moment. The other factors include excellent actors, direction and songs.”
Dileesh has high regard for Girish as a director. “He is updated about the vibes of the new generation,” says Dileesh. “Girish has the talent to spot the humour in every situation. And he knows how to execute the humorous scenes perfectly. Girish also handles people in a calm manner. They feel comfortable on the sets. As a result, they are able to give top-quality performances. And hits are the result.”
The hit-maker got interested in filming when, as a Class Nine student at the St Sebastian school at Chalakudy (58 kms from Kochi), he saw the Malayalam film, ‘Devadoothan’ (2000). This was a mystery/horror film that starred Mohanlal. “I began to pay attention to the work of directors,” says Girish. “I felt a desire within me to become one.”
After graduating in technology from the Mala Education Trust’s School of Engineering, he made three short films, ‘Yashpal’, ‘Vishuddha Ambrose’ and ‘Mookutthi’.
Girish won the Best Director Award in the Adoor short film festival 2017 for ‘Vishuddha Ambrose’. He also won the first prize for ‘Mookutthi’ in a competition held at the Kozhikode Medical College. The judge was cinematographer Jomon T John.
Jomon asked Girish whether he had any story that could become a script. Girish told him about ‘Thaneermathan Dinangal’. Thereafter, producer Shameer Mohammed got in touch with Girish and signed him on. And the rest is history.
At the moment Girish is taking a much-needed rest with his wife, Chippy Viswan, a preschool teacher, whom he married on June 23, 2019.
He had been working non-stop from ‘Super Sharanaya’, ‘Poovan’, ‘I am Kathalan’ and ‘Premalu.’ “I will take a rest, but I am sure the itch to return to filming will come up soon,” he says.
(A shorter edited version was published in the Sunday Magazine, The New Indian Express, South India and Delhi)
