Meesha Explores Greyer Shades of Male Friendships'

Emcy Joseph, who returns to direction six years after his debut Vikruthi, talks about his next, Meesha, and the themes explored in it

- VIGNESH MADHU

M.C.Y. Joseph made a significant mark with his directorial debut, Vikruthi (2019), a well-crafted drama that earned Suraj Venjaramoodu a State award for his performance. Though Emcy showed much promise as a filmmaker, it has taken six years for him to return with his second film, Meesha.

The gap, though frustrating, was not planned, says the director. "I had announced a film titled Ennittu Avasanam in 2020 with Arjun Ashokan, Anna Ben, and Madhubala, but we had to postpone it due to the second wave of the pandemic. A lockdown was announced just days before we were planning to commence shooting. I lost nearly 2.5 years with that," reflects the filmmaker, before quickly adding that not all hope is lost regarding the project.

"I'll definitely try to revive it, but I'm not sure if I can bring back the same cast. It's a female-oriented action film with a shade of dark humour. It's a unique idea, but right now, the focus is on Meesha. It took me another 2.5 years to develop it from scratch."

Scheduled to hit screens on August 1, Meesha is a thriller starring Tamil actor Kathir, Hakim Shahjahan, and Shine Tom Chacko in major roles. Tracing the origins of the film, Emcy, who also scripted it, recalls being inspired by two real-life incidents. "Of course, I can't reveal them now, but those incidents ignited the spark."

Interestingly,