Basil Joseph says he may ‘forget to call himself a filmmaker’ if his directorial comeback delays further

Highlights:

• Minnal Murali director Basil Joseph opens up about his four-year break from filmmaking
• Reveals in The Hollywood Reporter interview that two projects were shelved after long development
• Says he stopped acting in October 2024 to focus on ambitious directorial comeback
• “It’s frustrating. If it takes longer, I’ll forget to introduce myself as a filmmaker,” he says

Basil Joseph, who directed Minnal Murali, one of Malayalam cinema’s biggest genre hits in recent years, has revealed he is growing increasingly frustrated over the delay in returning to the director’s chair. In an emotional new interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Joseph said that the four-year gap since his last film has been filled with near-misses and creative roadblocks.

“If it takes any longer, I’ll forget to introduce myself as a filmmaker,” he admitted, reflecting on how his identity as a director has felt distant amid his busy acting career. Though he has delivered multiple successful acting performances since 2021, including the acclaimed Ponman, Basil says he’s now pressing pause on acting to make room for what he calls “an ambitious film” that demands his full creative attention.

Basil Joseph says back-to-back film delays left him questioning his identity as a filmmakerInstagram/ibasiljoseph

Why hasn’t Basil Joseph directed a film since Minnal Murali ?

Though Minnal Murali, Malayalam cinema’s first superhero film, was a Netflix hit and critical success in 2021, Joseph has not directed another feature since. According to his THR interview, he came close to making two more films, but both were shelved after long periods of script development and pre-production.

“It’s not that I was slacking or distracted. These films took up so much time and effort with rewrites,” he explained. “But when it does not materialise after getting close, it sort of gets to you. Films and ideas have a shelf life, and you need to make it within a certain timeframe.”

Joseph was also briefly linked to the long-rumoured Shaktimaan reboot, a major superhero project in Hindi, but that too has since been shelved.

Four years after Minnal Murali, Basil Joseph is still waiting to direct againInstagram/ibasiljoseph

He stopped signing films to prioritise his directorial return

In the interview, Joseph confirmed that he hasn’t signed any new acting projects since October 2024. Despite being in demand for lead and supporting roles, he says he deliberately stepped back to finally realise the next film he wants to direct.

“If the film I wanted to make was small, I could have done it alongside acting. But this one is big. It needs a star’s dates, a large budget, and time. I need to give it everything,” he said.

Joseph is known for directing with a unique mix of humour, emotion, and technical flair. His earlier films, Kunjiramayanam and Godha, developed a cult following, while Minnal Murali opened the door for genre filmmaking in Malayalam cinema.

Basil Joseph opens up on long wait for directorial comebackInstagram/ibasiljoseph

Acting gave him success but not the same creative fulfilment

While his transition into serious acting has been widely praised, especially in Joji, Palthu Janwar, and Ponman, Joseph says direction still gives him a different kind of high.

“I think it could be the magic of seeing a single idea get bigger at each stage… You obsess over it. You forget where you are or what time it is. You’re fully engrossed. I haven’t felt that with acting,” he said.

Even though he acknowledges the growth he’s experienced as a performer, he described acting as instinctive, while direction feels more intellectual and immersive. “Maybe the frustration I feel today comes from acting in too many films in a short span. I want to get back to directing as soon as I can.”

What’s next for Basil Joseph?

Joseph didn’t reveal plot or casting details about the upcoming film but hinted at its scale. He’s also juggling this development phase while being a full-time parent to his young daughter, Hope, often balancing writing sessions and interviews alongside childcare.

For now, the director-turned-actor is determined to make a comeback behind the camera and reclaim the identity he feels slipping away. As he said: “If it takes longer, I’ll forget to introduce myself as a filmmaker.”