On a road less taken

One film that made waves in Malayalam cinema in recent times was the simple and unpretentious Pullipulikalum Aattinkuttiyum, set in Kerala’s picturesque Kuttanad region.

With just one established star Kunchako Boban in the lead, and school girl Namitha Pramod making her debut, the film was not expected to click in a big way. But with director Lal Jose wielding the megaphone and working his magic with another offbeat theme, the film attracted eyeballs aplenty, adding another feather to the director’s cap.

Sixteen films old, Jose could well be labelled the Mr Consistent of Malayalam cinema. Barring a few films like Randam Bhavam and Pattalam that bombed at the box office, his ventures have never failed to woo audiences.

At a time when Malayalam films were not garnering much acclaim, Jose has done exceptionally well to score hits with films like Diamond Necklace, Ayalum Njanum Thammil and the latest Pullipulikalum Aattinkuttiyum.

The secret behind the success of this self-effacing filmmaker is that right from his first film with Mammootty, Oru Maravathoor Kanavu, he has endeavoured to swerve from the beaten track.

Learning curve

Before landing his first offer, Jose apprenticed under several well known directors like Kamal, Thampy Kannamthanam, Lohitadas and Vinayan. Jose had decided right from the start that he would choose his scripts with care and this was
apparent in all his films, including Chandranudikkunna Dikhil and Randaam Bhavam and Pattalam.

A glance at his oeuvre will reveal that Jose has always targeted family audiences and has taken great pains to eschew violence and intimate scenes in his films. He made a clean break from serious cinema by directing the laugh-a-minute detective thriller Meesa Madhavan with Dileep in the lead. With a cast that comprised almost all the comedians in the industry, Meesa Madhavan became a runaway hit.

The Lal Jose-Dileep combination has always been formidable. While their first venture together, Chandranudikkunna Dikhil, did average business, Meesa Madhavan and Chanthupottu captivated the audience.

Chanthupottu, where Dileep played a eunuch opposite the beautiful Gopika, found the actor pull off a difficult role with ease and Jose, with his deft directorial touches, ensured that the film held the attention of the audience.

Jose also helmed the tear-jerker Achanuragantha Veedu, a film based on one of the sordid incidents in Kerala, where a young girl who had been abducted and passed around to several men, eventually breathes her last after delivering a baby. The highly-acclaimed film had a brilliant performance by comedian Salim Kumar, who played the role of the traumatised father with a lot of conviction.

Across genres

Jose cast almost all the new generation actors in his campus romance Classmates, which turned out to be a blockbuster. Prithviraj, Indrajit, Jayasurya, Roma, Samvratha Sunil were all part of the cast in a film that dealt with campus rivalry. The film was nowhere near some of Jose’s best efforts, but nonetheless the appeal of the youth brigade saw the film through.

Jose also made a mark with low budget movies like Arabikatha, Neela Thamara and Elsamma Enna Aankutty. Apart from these, the film Ayalum Njanum Thammil, which was loosely based on the Akira Kurosawa masterpiece Red Beard. Pratap Pothan, who had once been the toast of Malayalam cinema both as an actor and director, made a comeback with this film, and with Prithviraj proving an apt foil, the film fetched a host of awards.

Jose is now busy with his latest venture Ezhu Sundara Rathrikal, which may hit the theatres soon. The film has Dileep, Murali Gopy and Rima Kallingal in pivotal roles. The unassuming director has a lot to offer his audiences and is all set for the long haul.