In the build-up to the messy climactic battle in Dilish Pothan’s directorial debut Maheshinte Pratikaram, protagonist Mahesh Bhavana asks his attacker, Jimson, “hello, how are you?”. That’s exactly what I wanted to ask Dilish after watching his latest release, Oh baby. The Ranjan Pramod directorial has Dileesh rolling on rocky terrains to pull off gritty and dangerous action scenes. “Now health is fine (laughs). But I was at my best during that time Oh baby. There was a 6-8 month preparation period as the character required me to be physically strong. Everything was fine until the shoot of the climactic fight. With just two more days left for the film to wrap up, I broke my leg and had to be on a break for nearly three months,” Dilish recalls with a wry smile.
But all the pain seems to have finally paid off as Dileesh’s performance in the titular role has been widely praised. While at his best, the actor-director talks in detail about his acting process and the excitement of working with a like-minded director.
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Earlier, while talking to us, Ranjan Pramod talked about how this project wouldn’t have happened if it wasn’t for your trust. Where did this confidence come from?
I have immense respect for Mr. Ranjan and his works. It was after working with him in Rakshadikari Baiju that I got serious about acting. Although it was a short role, it gave me a big break – not in terms of my acting being noticed, but how it affected me personally. As I watched it again during the pandemic, I felt like calling him to ask why he didn’t make a movie after that. This conversation initiated several discussions over the next few months, and at some point we came up with this idea. My trust was in Ranjan Pramod, the writer-director, not in the project.
Ranjan Pramod is known to be a fickle director like you in terms of developing the narrative on the fly and improvising on set. Does this kind of approach make it easier for you to work together?
It’s definitely a comfort because it’s a technique I’m familiar with. Moreover, Mr. Ranjan has a clear understanding of the environment and its opportunities. I am particularly impressed with the way he shapes his actors and brings out the best in them. I believe it’s because he develops deep layers to each character. You can see this with the quality of performances in his films.
Speaking of performances, many rated it as the best of your career. What is your personal rating?
After the release of a film, I respect whatever the audience’s reaction is. So if they say this is my best career, it must be true. For an actor to reveal his potential, it is important to get a complete character. This is my most rounded character yet and I believe I’ve done a pretty good job.
Baby is a complex character, lost somewhere between loyalty and servitude. How did you fit into it?
As someone who lives in this society and is aware of what is going on around me, I can understand Baby and his psyche. Also, there were clear contributions from Mr. Ranjan. But it was only during the filming that I recognized him and got to know him better. The character’s mental state develops and with each scene I felt like I was getting closer to him. It’s a process that I really enjoyed.
Could you take us through the filming of the emotionally charged scene between Baby and Valya Mutalali just before the break?
I can explain what happened before the shot, but not during the shot because I still don’t know how it happened. This is the most important scene in the movie, so whenever it was discussed, a sense of dread grew inside me. At my request, we shot this particular scene just a few days after I met the character. Ranjan sir composed the scene in such a way that the camera mostly favored me. I wasn’t instructed to cry, but somehow during the shot I was extremely emotional and shed tears. Sir was delighted with how the scene turned out and kept it in the film as such. Although we did a few more takes, I think he went with the first take.
The baby goes through a lot of such emotions that you might not have done before in any movie. As the action…
Yes, that’s why I believe this is the most complete character I’ve been offered so far. The fights in this movie were supposed to be raw and brutal. We didn’t want it to look like choreography and Unni Perumal guided us with a basic design. It was a challenging terrain to perform such stunts, but we still gave it our all.
Your previous director, Joji, was also located in a similarly extensive plantation (rubber instead of cardamom). Did you pick up any new lessons from Ranjan on how to effectively explore such a landscape?
Absolutely, but I don’t know how to pinpoint exactly what I’ve learned since it’s a subconscious process. I was with Ranjan sir right from the development process of Oh baby, then almost 60 days of shooting and another 30 days of post-production. All those days where we were together and shared ideas helped me tremendously. As a director, that’s what excites me about acting – the experience of working with senior directors, watching them up close and learning their craft. Each director has a different vision and execution and they have all influenced me in one way or another.
Being a director yourself, do you feel tempted to make creative suggestions while acting?
I think you don’t have to be a director to share your creative input. Even if you are only a small part of the movie, you would like to see it well. So I always make sure to share my thoughts and concerns, but the key is not to force them on anyone. It is up to them to consider it or not. In this sense, Mr. Ranjan is a very receptive person who is open to suggestions.
Is Dileesh Pothan, the actor, grabbing a lot of time from Dileesh Pothan, the director?
Not exactly. Even while I am busy with my acting commitments, I am constantly in discussions about my directorial ventures. Syam (Pushkaran) and I are now working on something and we hope to materialize it by next year.
Do you have any plans to venture into screenwriting?
I would like to write a movie script, but I’m sure I won’t direct it. I’d rather direct someone else’s script. This is because I need someone to constantly share ideas and have discussions with. Having a writer by my side is comforting.