Basil Joseph, the visionary director behind Minnal Murali, is currently being hailed for a "masterclass of acting" in his recent project Ponman, yet he reveals that his journey in front of the camera was never part of the original plan. While audiences are captivated by his versatility, Basil admits that direction was his "first priority" and he was once purely an "ambitious dreamer" about making his mark behind the lens. He was speaking at The Hollywood Reporter India's Actors Roundtable 2025 with editor Anupama Chopra.

A strategy for survival

The transition from calling the shots to performing them was born out of necessity. Basil describes his acting career as "accidental" and initially motivated by "survival". He said, “The life of a director is often fraught with financial instability,” noting that it is "tough to have a stable income" when you are constantly waiting for actors' dates

From sidekick to leading man

His acting journey began when friends started casting him in "hero’s friend" roles, typically playing the sidekick ally responsible for "physical comedy" and cracking jokes. During this phase, his character’s success was tied strictly to the lead: "Whenever the hero wins, my character will also win. Whenever the hero loses, my character will also lose." However, as he transitioned into lead roles, Basil began to view the craft with more gravity.

He realised he had a "responsible position" to cater to the expectations of the audience, producers and technicians, which pushed him to "keep pushing myself better".

The method behind the magic

Despite not being a trained actor, Basil’s performance in Ponman has been described as heartbreakingly authentic. He attributes much of this success to his rigorous preparation with the source material, the novel ‘Naalanchu Cheruppakkar’ written by G R Indugopan. Basil spent five to six months reading the book—more times than he read the actual script—to gain clarity on the characters and the story world. This deep dive allowed him to internalise the character of P P Ajeesh to the point of "muscle memory”, enabling him to simply "behave" as the scene required rather than being conscious of his performance.

The man behind the roles

Even as he tackles intense, emotional roles that involve tears and "heartbreaking" monologues, Basil remains known on set for his vibrant personality. His colleagues often point to his "trademark Basil laugh" and his ability to crack jokes for hours, proving that whether he is directing or acting, he brings a unique energy to the industry.

To understand Basil’s career is to see a man who built a bridge out of necessity and found a second home on the other side; his acting career is like a "side quest" in a video game that accidentally became just as legendary as the main mission.