'Kooman' needed a young ordinary cop: Jeethu Joseph

Jeethu Joseph is back with 'Kooman', a thriller headlining Asif Ali. Apart from the Pan-Indian film 'Ram' starring Mohanlal, there are quite a few films in various languages (Malayalam, Hindi, Tamil, Telugu) in the pipeline for Jeethu. Jeethu Joseph shares more updates on 'Kooman' and his upcoming films with Manorama.

How did 'Kooman' happen?

'Kooman' is a thriller. If 'Drishyam' is a family drama, 'Kooman' is a true thriller. The story takes place on the Kerala-Tamil Nadu border.

There is a definite link between Kooman and the film. Asif plays a cop. In a police story, a thief will be there. During the course of catching the thief, the cops would need to travel at night. When the film’s scriptwriter K R Krishnakumar suggested the name Kooman, I also liked it.

This is your second collaboration with Krishnakumar

We were friends much before we came to films. During Covid time when a Mumbai-based producer told me the idea of the '12th man', I discussed it with Krishnakumar, and he was ready to write it. It was also a film that didn’t require multiple shooting locations or travel. Actually, 'Kooman' was the film we were supposed to do first.

How did the Jeethu Joseph-Asif Ali association happen?

'Kooman’s' leading character requires an actor like Asif Ali. This film doesn’t need a muscled cop but a young ordinary civil police officer. He has no muscle power but is very intelligent. In the film, there are villagers who wonder how he became a cop.

Have you been hearing complaints about Drishyam model killings when something happens in real life?

Before and after the film, similar incidents happened in the world. When a crime happens, the first thing someone who is involved in the crime would do is hide or destroy the evidence. Such things are there even before 'Drishyam'. Maybe some of what is shown in films can influence some people. Once the culprits of a case said they had thrown the mobile phone in a faraway train. And also said they got the idea after watching a film. But that idea didn’t help them. So they got caught. If someone copied what Georgekutty did in real life, there is every chance of getting caught. Our intention was to stun the audience. That was all we ever tried.

Tell us about your new projects

Antony Perumbavoor had suggested giving 'Drishyam 3' a shot. I will do it if I get a good idea. As a filmmaker, if I only stick to thrillers it can bore me. I have a few different ideas on my mind and despite the risks involved, I intend to do them. Currently, I am committed to some projects, and I need to finish them.

The shooting of Ram’s UK portions is over. The next location is Morocco, and we will soon be leaving for Morocco. After that Tunisia is the location. Some portions might be shot in Israel too. 'Ram' is a big film and is made like a pan-Indian film. After that, I have a few projects in Malayalam, Tamil, Hindi and Telugu.