Exclusive! Jeethu Joseph: For Kooman, we needed a performer who could look ordinary and Asif Ali fit the bill

Casting plays a huge role in director Jeethu Joseph’s movie, more so when it’s a thriller. The filmmaker has always maintained that he has shaped his characters around ordinary people and his upcoming movie Kooman, which is set to hit theatres on November 4, is no different.

In an exclusive chat with OTTplay, Jeethu reveals why he picked Asif Ali in the lead role of the movie, which marks their first collaboration.

“For this movie, we didn’t want a large-than-life police character that we have seen in many films to drive the story,” says Jeethu. “Asif plays an ordinary police constable in the film. His characterization is such that people even doubt how this man became a cop. So, even when is deputed in his hometown, he has that complex that people aren’t giving him enough respect.”

The filmmaker clarifies that KR Krishnakumar, who had scripted the movie, didn’t initially lock in on Asif while writing the investigative thriller. “For the movie, it was necessary that we cast someone who had a normal physique, height and looked like a layman. His character is fairly young and inexperienced, and so we looked at actors in that category and Asif fit the bill. He’s also a good performer.”

The movie also has Baburaj in an equally contrasting role. “He plays a circle inspector in the same station where Asif’s character is a constable. The impact of an incident that happens there on each of the characters and how they respond to it form the plot. So, how does someone who has the physique and influence of a circle inspector handle that case versus someone who doesn’t even look like a cop is the difference that also pushes the story forward,” says the filmmaker.

Kooman also has Hannah Reji Koshy, Baiju Santosh and Renji Panicker in pivotal roles. The film will clash with Nivin Pauly’s Saturday Night on November 4.