Flashback: When Basil narrated the plot of 'Vaaranam Aayiram' for a storytelling competition

To say that actor-turned-director Basil Joseph is having a good run in his career would be an understatement. He is, in fact, taking the film industry by storm with his remarkable works. The celebrated filmmaker, who has also carved a niche for himself as an actor, has turned into a veritable hit machine—delivering one blockbuster after another with almost unfailing consistency.

His latest release, Ponman, is currently running successfully in theatres. Penned by Indugopan, the film is a hard-hitting drama that sheds light on the struggles of distressed women in society, using the men in their lives as a narrative device to paint a poignant picture of their hardships.

Ponman has been widely hailed as one of the finest Malayalam films released this year.

College nostalgia

In a recent interview with Cue Studio, the young actor-director reminisced about his college days, sharing amusing memories of inter-college arts festivals. At the time, Basil was the arts secretary of his college, actively leading his team during an annual cultural fest. He and his peers were always devising clever tactics to ensure their college secured the maximum number of points.

"We would do anything to help our college gain more points. At that particular fest, I noticed that only two colleges had registered for the storytelling competition. That’s when I thought—if we participate, we’ll at least secure third place," Basil recounted.

Determined to make the most of the opportunity, he took up the challenge himself. With no pre-prepared story in hand, he convinced the instrumentalists from the preceding college’s performance, including a tabla player, to accompany him on stage.

Once on stage, Basil improvised a narration based on the plot of Vaaranam Aayiram. "I began by describing how the protagonist sees the heroine on a train journey, and then I dramatically introduced a song from the film, Nenjukkul Peidhidum," he recalled with laughter.

Though his primary goal was simply to ensure his college earned a few extra points, the experience remains one of his most cherished college memories. "At that moment, all we cared about was winning at least a third position for our college. Looking back, it was all great fun," Basil concluded.