The Minnal Murali directorial is playing the lead role in Malayalam film Palthu Janwar, to release on 2 September.
Minnal Murali director plays lead role in malayalam film Palthu January Releasing on 2nd September
Basil Joseph’s attempt to caress a cat to give the perfect expression for the shoot of a music video has gone viral. Featuring a group of animals and bubbly kids on the ramp, the making video of the song has become as popular as the songs and the trailer of the film. Palthu Jwar, In which Tulsi played the role of protagonist Prasoon.
Later Jan.E.Manu, a thriller comedy, this is Tulsi’s second film in the lead role. Releasing on 2nd September for the Onam festival season, Palthu January The debut music is directed by P Rajan.
The techie-turned-filmmaker and actor says the team behind the film gave him the confidence to take it up. “Produced by Dilesh Pothan, Fahadh Faasil and Shyam Pushkaran under the banner of Bhavana Studio, the story, written by Vinoy Thomas and Anish Anjali, is rooted in contemporary Kerala but has a nostalgic feel about it. “It was the brand behind the film that inspired me to do it,” he says.
Prasoon is a livestock inspector posted in a village in Kannur, where most of the residents are families from central Kerala who moved decades ago and settled in northern Kerala as farmers and plantation owners.
Basil Joseph in a still Palthu January
, Photo credit: Shijin P Raj
“It is a coming-of-age comedy-drama. Though city-dweller Prasoon is not happy with his posting in the rural area, he has to interact with the people there and the animals he keeps. His struggles with the residents and How he takes the time to get to know the people and their lifestyle is the crux of the film,” explains Basil.
He feels that the film’s background and location will be a new experience for the residents of the city. The rural ambience, greenery and characters are bound to strike a chord with audiences of all ages, he says. “Most of us are used to buying our own food. Palthu January Takes us to villages to show us where the food comes from, be it milk, eggs, meat or vegetables. A dairy farmer, a panchayat member, a vet and a priest are some of the interesting characters in the film,” says Tulsi.
Shot at Irriti in Kannur, Basil tells that the families of the settlers of Central Travancore have a distinct dialect and lifestyle which is not much showcased in Malayalam cinema. After shooting the film, Dilesh requested Tulsi to shoot a song, which can also be used as a promotional video.
Dilish wanted a video sharing screen space with animals and kids as the song had children’s voices. After some brainstorming, Tulsi came up with a music video which is trending now. He was keen to shoot a video with animals but he knew it would be difficult to get a menagerie in one frame. “That’s when I got the idea for a fashion show for animals and ended up directing some interesting creatures. I thought the cat would be the easiest. But, as it turned out, it was the hardest to shoot, “He remembers.
When the animals walked the ramp
Art director Ajayan Chalissery built the jungle, garage and ramp for the shooting of the music video. DOP was Sameer Tahir, who filmed Minnal Murali, Mashar Hamsa, costume designer for the Tovino Thomas-starrer thallumala, prepared costumes of children and animals depicted in the song. Written by Suhail Koya, the music is composed by Justin Varghese.
The team had to wait for the cat’s nap to end and she was in the right mood to get to work. “Then he decided to have lunch and it took time to get in the right mood again! Meanwhile, working with other animals (dogs, pigs, cows, ducks, buffaloes and goats) was comparatively easy,” says Basil. Still, the shoot took two days to complete and it was a challenge for all departments. Only one animal can be in the frame at a time. “They don’t behave the way we want them to. So we had to wait until they gave us the look we wanted!” He remembers.
Basil has tasted success as an actor, but insists that he is happy with his identity as a director and that this will remain his priority. “However, as an actor, now I am getting well defined, layered characters with depth. Those roles have helped me get comfortable as an actor. since Palthu January revolves around my character, I have to make sure that the film runs smoothly. Becoming Prasoon has helped me grow as an actor,” he believes.
Basil Joseph in a still Palthu January
, Photo credit: Shijin P Raj
Until recently, most of his characters were comics who were ridiculed for their body language or dialogue delivery. “The roles were supporting characters and one-dimensional. If my characters didn’t get the expected response, I would get stressed. The characters didn’t really impress me as an actor,” he admits. However, his character jojik And Nana Than Case Code won his praise
Meanwhile, the casting call has been announced for the next film in which Tulsi will be in the lead role. His next film as a director will be released in 2023. “The story is complete and discussions are on. I will announce the title after I complete the pre-production.”