We didn’t shoot a single scene in Guruvayur temple: Director Vipin Das

Unlike most films, the conflict is introduced very early here, which is again a risky choice. Was it a deliberate decision?

I would have preferred revealing the twist in the very first scene, but the Basil-Raju bromance was crucial and I had to invest some time in it. Things had to move fast as several other characters were waiting to be introduced. There were concerns within our team about how the second half is choked with too many comic situations, but while doing a comedy our judgements may not always be precise. So we had to trust our instincts. For instance, I didn’t like the scene with the dialogues from Drishyam one bit, but people are thoroughly enjoying it. There might have been many such potential scenes in the 20 minutes of footage that we edited out, but it’s a risk we have to take. Comedy is like fireworks; not everything explodes.

It is rare to see a filmmaker acknowledging the lapses…

There’s no point in hiding from reality, right? I was always aware that not all the jokes would work, but I trusted more on the ones that would. We knew we couldn’t shoot everything as intended due to some unexpected turn of events, like Raju’s injury. The availability of artists became an issue, but we managed to navigate it within our limitations.

Your process involves a lot of on-set improvisations. Was it easy to convince Prithviraj, who is known for his meticulous planning?

Raju did have some confusions initially, but he soon realised that this film could be made only like that. Moreover, improvisations don’t take a lot of time. We trust our intuitions and let things happen spontaneously, which is crucial while doing comedy. Improvising also means a lot of freedom to the artists to enhance their performances. Raju, Supriya, and many others were concerned if his performance was getting a bit too exaggerated, but I urged them to believe in me. It also helped someone like Anaswara, who might otherwise be intimidated in the presence of seniors.

You have smartly used old songs like Azhagiya Laila, Kannam Thumbi to elevate the comic moments. How did you handpick these songs?

Kannam Thumbi song was in the script. We shot the scene with the song in the background, leaving the whole crew in splits. It was a big booster for people who were initially doubtful about our process. Azhagiya Laila came after much thought as I wanted a song that’s both funny and romantic. After trying several options, this classic eventually fell in place.

Moving on, what’s next?

I’m scripting Vaazha, directed by Anand Menon. I would call it a male version of JJJJH. Though it has comedy, it’s a slightly emotional film focusing on men’s issues— something that’s rarely discussed. I’m sure it will invite a lot of discussions, forcing us to rethink our existing ideas of family and career. Then, there’s a film I’m directing with Fahadh Faasil and SJ Suryah. Its script works are underway and we’re planning to go on floors this year.

What about the Hindi remake of JJJJH?

The remake is happening, but I’m not part of it. It was wrongly interpreted that I’m directing the film after I shared a photo with Fatima Sana Shaikh. But the truth is, Aamir Khan Productions is making the film with someone else.