Basil Joseph: High time Indian cinema goes global, I’ll do my best to be part of that journey

At 32 years of age, Malayalam director-actor Basil Joseph has already accomplished what many just dream of. The filmmaker’s previous directorial, Minnal Murali, broke records in terms of views after it was released on Netflix and emerged the most-viewed film in several countries for weeks together. The past two years, he had also acted in two superhits – Jan-E-Man and Jaya Jaya Jaya Jaya Hey – and broken news grounds for himself as an actor. It’s no wonder then that the actor-director was honoured at the inaugural OTTplay Changemakers Awards 2023.

Basil was chosen as the Inspiring Filmmaker of the Year for his film Minnal Murali, which had Tovino Thomas in the lead. “It’s an absolute pleasure, because it’s not just winning an award; you are recognised as a changemaker. That’s a real honour and I want to thank OTTplay for that. It means a lot,” said the actor, soon after clinching the award.

Also read: Basil Joseph surprises Rocket Boys composer Achint Thakkar by revealing he considered him for Minnal Murali 

Minnal Murali was Basil’s third directorial after Kunjiramayanam and Godha – both rooted entertainers. His third film, which is an extension of his universe, sparked a huge change in bringing the desi superhero back.

Ask him how he plans to take this journey forward, with a sequel already in the pipeline? “It gives me additional responsibility to live up to the expectations, prioritise the content more than anything else and make universally appealing cinema that resonates with people around the world. It’s high time that Indian cinema goes global. I will try my best to be part of that journey,” Basil explained.

Also read: Rajkummar Rao lauds Rishab Shetty, Joju George, Basil Joseph at OTTplay Changemakers Awards: ‘Most amazing performers’ 

The actor also proved that he is as good as an actor as he is a director with a slew of brilliant performances in movies such as Palthu Janwar and Jaya Jaya Jaya Jaya Hey. “That change happened very organically. I never wanted to be an actor in this responsible space. I was a filmmaker first and just because my friends called for a few comedy roles, I started acting. It slowly evolved from there,” says the Enkilum Chandrike actor.

Basil also explained that he never even dreamt about doing lead roles. “But it happened and now I am truly excited about my profile as an actor. Movies like Jaya Jaya Jaya Jaya Hey, Paltu Janwar and Jan-e-Man have been lauded by critics and audiences, and it gives me an additional responsibility as an actor as well. I now have to strike a balance between my creative projects as an actor and a director,” he added.

The director has also served as an inspiration – not just for his counterparts but also aspiring filmmakers. But who was his inspiration? “There are so many including Sathyan Anthikad, Mohanlal, Mammootty and every other actor and filmmaker from Malayalam. But Priyadarshan sir has been the most influential director for my career as a filmmaker. He made my childhood colourful back in the 90s. Later, I was excited about so many other people including my mentor Vineeth Sreenivasan, who is a role model for a lot of us. I started working as his assistant director. Now, there are other new-age filmmakers too,” he concluded.