‘Palthu Janwar’ is a coming-of-age comedy, says Basil Joseph

The Minnal Murali director plays the lead in the Malayalam film Palthu Janwar releasing on September 2

Basil Joseph’s attempts to coax a cat to give the right expression for the shoot of a music video have gone viral. Featuring animals on a ramp and a group of bubbly children, the making video of the song has become as popular as the song and the trailer of the film Palthu Janwar, in which Basil plays the protagonist, Prasoon.

After Jan.E.Man, a rollicking comedy, this is Basil’s second film in the lead. Releasing on September 2 for the Onam festival season, Palthu Janwar is directed by debutant Sangeeth P Rajan.

The techie-turned-filmmaker and actor says that the team behind the film gave him the confidence to take it up. “Produced by Dileesh Pothan, Fahadh Faasil and Syam Pushkaran under the banner of Bhavana Studios, the story, written by Vinoy Thomas and Aneesh Anjali, is rooted in contemporary Kerala but has a nostalgic feel about it. “It was the brand behind the film that led me to it,” he says.

Prasoon is a livestock inspector posted in a village in Kannur, where most residents happen to be families from Central Kerala who migrated many decades ago and settled in North Kerala as farmers and planters.

“It’s a coming-of-age comedy drama. Although city-bred Prasoon is not happy about his posting in a rural area, he has to interact with the people there and the animals they rear. His conflicts with the residents and how he takes time to get to know the people there and their lifestyle is the crux of the film,” narrates Basil.

He feels that the background and location of the film would be a new experience for city dwellers. The rural ambience, greenery and characters are bound to strike a chord with viewers of all ages, he adds. “Most of us are used to buying our food. Palthu Janwar takes us to the villages to show where the food comes from, whether it is milk, eggs, meat or vegetables. Dairy farmers, a panchayat member, a veterinary doctor and a priest are some of the interesting characters in the film,” says Basil.

Shot at Irrity in Kannur, Basil explains that the settler families from Central Travancore have a different dialect and lifestyle that have not been showcased much in Malayalam cinema. It was the after the shoot of the film that Dileesh requested Basil to shoot for a song, which could also be used as a promotional video.