He is a director who makes the ordinary come alive on screen and connect with you immediately. His stories are not overshadowed by movie stars, and audiences will always find resonance in his characters.
From his first film Thanneer Mathan Dinangal and Super Sharanya to Premalu and his latest, Bethlehem Kudumba Unit, Malayalam director Girish AD has carved out a filmmaking style rooted in everyday people, awkward emotions and situations that feel instantly familiar.
In this exclusive chat with NDTV, Girish AD opens up about his films, his choice of actors and more.
Bethlehem Kudumba Unit is Girish's first collaboration with Nivin Pauly, who is also the biggest star he has worked with since his debut in 2019. Produced by Bhavana Studios (owned by Dileesh Pothan, Fahadh Faasil and Syam Pushkaran), Bethlehem Kudumba Unit is an Onam super hit having grossed more than Rs 110 crore worldwide (Sacnilk).
Ask the Premalu director why he chose to cast Malayalam star Nivin Pauly in the lead role, and he explains, "I have been a fan of Nivin Pauly's forever. His film Premam is a big inspiration for me as a filmmaker. I've liked Nivin Pauly right from his early films, like 1983 and Ohm Shanthi Oshaana. The character of Justin in this film is someone who is above 35 and who's a regular guy. Nivin just feels like a boy next door - like the heroes I like. So, I always wanted to work with him. And he has also watched all my movies and likes my work."
Girish adds that the Action Hero Biju star had no hesitation about playing the older man who falls in love with a younger woman in Bethlehem Kudumba Unit. "He didn't have any hesitation about the role. He thought it was fun and was excited about the film," he smiles.
While he has always worked with smaller actors in his slice-of-life stories, Bethlehem Kudumba Unit featured a Malayalam star in his slice-of-life story for the first time. The director has now shown that his rooted storytelling can accommodate a star of Nivin Pauly's stature without making the film feel any less grounded or personal. But he's also clear that he has no plans to go chasing stars for all his stories simply because he has now established himself commercially with a star.
"I work intuitively and do what my intuition says. I am only seeing the immediate future, not the entirety of my career at this point. The story has to be right; I don't focus on the scale of the film. I enjoy watching these kinds of films, and I make them," Girish says candidly.
One aspect of Girish's films is that they are rooted in ordinary lives and his characters look and behave like people audiences encounter every day.
"I find the stories from my neighbourhood, my friends and my family. I want them to be relatable to everyone," he explains.
"When I cast actors for my films, I don't want them looking glamorous. The actors should be like normal people. They shouldn't look like film actors with great physiques and a polished appearance. From the first film, I was specific that the actors had to be like people we see and meet every day."
Interestingly, the Super Sharanya director has worked with some actors, like Naslen (whom he introduced to Malayalam cinema), Mamitha Baiju and Sangeeth Prathap, repeatedly.
He admits, "Familiarity is an important factor - it's a comfort factor. If I find that I'm comfortable with someone, whether it is an actor or a technician - whoever it is - I want to work with them repeatedly." Today, Naslen is very successful and when you tell him that he has an eye for spotting talent, he just laughs, saying, "I audition actors and at that time, I can make out if they can act or not instinctively."
Ask him why there are long gaps between the release of his films since his debut in 2019, and Girish explains that the Covid pandemic that hit in 2020 was a factor, while after Premalu he spent a year on writing and the pre-production of Premalu 2, which eventually got dropped. However, his association with Bhavana Studios, which also produced Premalu, has been ongoing since 2023.
"It was Dileesh Pothan who first got in touch with me, and at the time, I narrated both Premalu and Bethlehem Kuduma Unit to them. They liked both the scripts. In fact, I have been carrying the basic idea of Bethlehem Kudumba Unit since 2019!" says Girish, who confirms that his next film too will be produced by Bhavana Studios.
Right now, Girish is happy with Bethlehem Kudumba Unit's success, but he continues to look for stories around him that will make audiences smile, laugh and take home a little piece of the world he creates on screen.
