Jeethu Joseph: I am still wondering how Mohanlal shed his muscular avatar in a matter of weeks and became Georgekutty in ‘Drishyam 2’

Mohanlal is turning 61 today. Entering movies with no godfather, making space for himself by winning hearts of the movie buffs through his performances, later becoming a superstar, and leaving the world awestruck by his acting chops, Mohanlal is no longer a star but a legend. But in his career spanning over four decades, a few things didn’t change - the hard work he puts in and his dedication.From arriving first on the sets to undergoing any pain for the fulfillment of the role for his movies, Mohanlal is a big name, for a reason.
Filmmaker Jeethu Joseph who has worked with Mohanlal twice for the Drishyam franchise has shared his experience working with the star. In an exclusive conversation with ETimes, Jeethu Joseph spoke about Mohanlal’s diligence, recalled seeing the actor for the first time, and also listed his favourite movies of the actor.
Mohanlal’s dedication towards work has always made headlines and Jeethu Joseph who recently directed the superstar in ‘Drishyam 2’, calls the actor’s work ethic commendable. “The amount of effort Mohanlal has put for ‘Drishyam 2’ has astonished the whole team. Lalettan was working out rigorously during the lockdown, last year and he was in good shape. He was very muscular and had a physique similar to that of a boxer. So, when I met him for the discussion of ‘Drishyam 2’, I was worried about his physique. Because there is a drastic change in him physically when compared to its prequel. He had a long beard, but that again is manageable, we could trim it. But I was worried about his physique and shared my concern with him as well as producer Antony Perumbavoor. The sequel had a lot of expectations and it is important that the second part feels real. Even Meena had shed weight compared to the first. But Lalettan asked me to stop worrying about it and promised that he would be the same Georgekutty when we commence the shoot. And he lived up to it!” Jeethu Joseph said.
The filmmaker shared that he wouldn’t believe his eyes when Mohanlal joined the sets. “I don’t know what all he did on such short notice. He had hardly three weeks to become Georgekutty. He went for some ayurvedic treatment, was on a diet, and by the time he joined he had shed a few kilos and was the character I imagined!” he added.
Jeethu Joseph also revealed that Mohanlal was on a strict diet throughout the shoot of the movie, “Even after joining the set, he was on a strict diet. I think the diet included not drinking water. So he would take milk instead of water. And the diet too was tough, and I don’t think most of us would be willing to follow that. And during the shoot one day, Lal sir offered me some lunch. He had some particular type of rice and nevertheless to say it was uppum eriyum puliyum illatha aaharam (tasteless)! And I cannot wrap my head around how much effort he had put in to undergo such a drastic weight loss. I could only imagine the strain and stress he has put. I am still wondering how Mohanlal shed his muscular avatar in a matter of weeks and became Georgekutty in ‘Drishyam 2’. That’s how humongous his dedication is!”
Jeethu Joseph walked down the memory lane, and recalled seeing Mohanlal for the first time. “I think I first saw him when I was in college. He was shooting for ‘Pavithram’ in Piravom. So, I went with my family to see the shooting and that was the first time I saw him off-screen. And he was 5 ft near to where we stood!” the filmmaker recalled.
When asked about his favourite film of Mohanlal, Jeethu Joseph shared, “I cannot choose one. Because if ‘Sanmanasullavark Samadhanam’ was in a particular pattern, ‘Thanmathra’ was in another type. I enjoyed watching his blockbusters like ‘Kilukkam’, ‘Chithram’, ‘Rajavinte Makan’, ‘Gandhinagar 2nd Street’ and also the gems like ‘Pavithram’ and ‘Sadayam’. It’s hard to pick one. Most of his films leave us spellbound. And that itself might be the reason why India and the entire world had recognized the actor and his talent.”
Jeethu Joseph extended birthday wishes to Mohanlal while signing off.