Sookshmadarshini director MC Jithin Interview: ‘The idea was to create a Hitchcockian thriller set in a Sathyan Anthikad world’ | EXCLUSIVE

Director MC Jithin is joining hands with Nazriya Nazim Fahadh and Basil Joseph for Sookshmadarshini. In an exclusive interview with OTT Play, the filmmaker opened up about the project.

MC Jithin, the young filmmaker, is set to make a comeback to the silver screen with Sookshmadarshini, a mystery thriller film starring Nazriya Nazim Fahadh and Basil Joseph in the lead roles. The movie, which hit the theatres on November 22, 2024, has been receiving excellent reviews from both audiences and critics. Sookshmadarshini marks MC Jithin’s second outing as a filmmaker after the 2018-released film Nonsense.

Sookshmadarshini director MC Jithin interview

In an exclusive interview with OTT Play, MC Jithin extensively spoke about Sookshmadarshini, working with Nazriya Nazim Fahadh and Basil Joseph, and much more.

Read the excerpts from the chat here...

Creating the world of Sookshmadarshini

In his chat with OTT Play, MC Jithin revealed that he developed the core idea of the Nazriya Nazim Fahadh and Basil Joseph starrer while working on the post-production of his debut directorial venture, Nonsense. “I conceive my films both mentally and physically. Nonsense was an idea that grew with me right from my college days. After I was completely detached from the project during its post-production, the idea of Sookshmadarshini came to me,” recalled the filmmaker.

Also read: Sookshma Darshini star Basil Joseph: The success of my films has let filmmakers create varied roles for me

MC Jithin’s debut film played a big role in the birth of his second directorial venture. “Nonsense was the reason why I developed the idea of Sookshmadarshini. My debut film was a one-day story, which was shot in the daytime. We used to pack up the shoot at 4 to 5 PM every day because there were no night scenes in the film. Also, the film was majorly shot outdoors, since it is a road movie. So, I began to think more like a project designer, about making use of the call sheet to the fullest by shooting till 9 PM, for my next film,” he revealed.

“The idea was to shoot on a housing colony like the one we saw in films like Gandhinagar 2nd Street and Thalayana Manthram – a typical Sathyan Anthikad world. My idea was to create a Hitchcockian mystery thriller film set in such a world, among that kind of characters. Another thought was to create a female detective character in Malayalam cinema. Even though I was actively thinking about making the character a police officer or a doctor or some other kind of investigator, I was sure that the production banners might ask for a ‘leading man’ to play the role,” added MC Jithin.

Also Read: Sookshmadarshini Trailer Review: Nazriya Nazim Fahadh, Basil Joseph’s film is NOT just a fun ride

Interestingly, the filmmaker took inspiration for his lady detective character from his home, his mother, and an incident that happened in their lives. “I took inspiration from that incident that happened in my home, and that is how I generated the idea behind Sookshmadarshini – A Hitchcockian thriller set in a Sathyan Anthikad world, with a female detective. The audience will relate to this idea a lot, as it says we all have a detective in our homes. This film is also about the special observation skills possessed by women.”

From Bollywood to Malayalam cinema

MC Jithin revealed that he initially pitched this idea to a Bollywood production banner, and the project was about to get materialised. However, the pandemic pushed it further and the plans were eventually called off. “Later, I tried to pitch this idea in Malayalam and approached quite a few banners. But the idea of a female protagonist, playing the detective didn’t work for many, even though the story was loved by everyone. But things changed when I narrated the idea to Sameer Thahir, who instantly loved it. The project was initially planned amid the pandemic and had a different cast. But it was delayed due to various reasons,” revealed the director.

Also Read: Sookshmadarshini to Hello Mummy (Nov 18 to Nov 24): Malayalam releases on OTT, theatres to watch this weekend

Casting Nazriya Nazim Fahadh and Basil Joseph

The director revealed that the central character underwent significant changes after Nazriya Nazim Fahadh came on board. “It was Sameer Thahir, who suggested Nazriya for the role after the initial casting didn’t work. Later, we worked on the protagonist’s age and other characteristics, which made it even more interesting. Nazriya was roped in for the role in 2022, while Basil Joseph joined in 2023. He is playing the only important man character in the film, and his role is as significant as the protagonist, played by Nazriya,” stated MC Jithin.

“Basil Joseph knew Sookshmadarshini’s plot right from the time he was working on Minnal Murali, and he always loved it as a viewer and director. After the initial cast didn’t materialise, I asked Sameer Thahir if we could approach Basil for the role. He was already a sensation with the success of Jaya Jaya Jaya Jaya Hey, and we felt he was perfect for the role. We also felt that his combination with Nazriya Nazim would make the film much more interesting. The dynamics of their fresh pairing also toned down the darkness of the mystery thriller, and explored its bright side more,” added the filmmaker.

Basil Joseph and Nazriya Nazim’s inputs

“Nazriya and Basil are extremely energetic, and fun to work with. When they are on the sets, they are the team’s stressbusters,” added the Sookshmadarshini director. “Both the actors conceived this subject very well. After I narrated the story to Nazriya, she had many questions about her role and it was clear that she was very excited about the project. From her reaction, it was evident that she loved the subject. When we offered Basil the project, he immediately said Yes, as he has always loved the idea,” revealed MC Jithin.

Finding the ideal location

MC Jithin revealed that finding the ideal location was the most challenging part of making Sookshmadarshini. “Finding the perfect location with 2-3 houses in a distance of 15 to 20 meters, was the most challenging part while making this film. The story demanded this particular kind of location, and that is the reason why Sookshmadarshini got delayed in between, despite having actors on board. Creating the sets was practically impossible, due to budget constraints. This is one of the first films to have an audition for the location. Finally, we shot the film in Kolanchery,” recalled the director.

MC Jithin’s next project

The filmmaker, who says he has already detached from Sookshmadarshini, is now working on his next outing. “I’m already thinking about my next film, and I have cracked an interesting idea. I’m quite excited about it, and have already started the research for that project,” confirmed MC Jithin, as he signed off.

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