Baby Girl director Arun Varma: 'Is it fair to compare the Nivin Pauly film with Traffic or Mumbai Police?' | Exclusive

This week saw the digital release of Baby Girl, the most recent thriller in Malayalam. In the meantime, Arun Varma, the film's director, talked about the movie's box office performance and his expectations for Baby Girl's online release in an interview with OTTplay.

Baby Girl director Arun Varma Interview

While criticising the film, many are drawing comparisons between Baby Girl and Sanjay-Bobby's earlier works. How do you feel about it?

In actuality, comparing Baby Girl to films like Mumbai Police and Traffic is unfair. Such comparisons are irrational because every movie aims to introduce the audience to something novel. While each of those two thrillers is distinctive in their own ways, Baby Girl takes a more sentimental approach. Because of this emotional element in the film, I received a lot of favourable feedback from moviegoers at theatres. It may or may not have worked for a lot of people, which is to be expected in cinema. Additionally, films that were unpopular in theatres have received more attention online. When Baby Girl is released on OTT, I anticipate the same thing. 

Does creating a thriller really follow a certain formula?

The main goal, in my opinion, is to break stereotypes, and the best approach is to avoid formulaic thinking. The goal of filmmaking these days, regardless of genre, is viewer engagement. If your content is interesting, viewers will become hooked. Another crucial element, in my opinion, is an emotional connection to the scenarios or people. Because there are so many thrillers these days, it is difficult to make an impression on the audience unless and until you have an emotional component or anything sufficiently original.

Was shooting with a newborn challenging?

Finding a baby was really difficult at first, and shooting with one was not at all what we had anticipated. At one point, we even considered casting a six-month-old baby, but we were lucky in a way since our production executive had his baby at that time. The entire crew exercised caution while filming in order to maintain hygienic standards. In order to prevent any problems for the infant, we sterilised the area and filmed the scene when the baby is left in a remote, unclean area as fast as possible.

Also Read: Baby Girl Review: Nivin Pauly's thriller drives audiences on a thrilling yet emotional journey with compelling performances

The scene where the infant has a drop of milk on her lips after Lijomol's Rithu feeds her for the first time is one example of how details have been given priority in Baby Girl. Was there an attempt to add additional nuance to the emotions?

Although not everyone noticed, several women did, and they expressed their genuine feelings to me. Yes, details are crucial since, in my opinion, they add a deeper psychological impact. It was an adequate choice to leave the milk drop on the infant's lips. The concept was not as abrupt as it was written before in hand in the script.

Every member of the cast did a good job in Baby Girl. How did you come up with this ensemble?

We initially considered Kunchacko Boban for the role of Sanal, played by Nivin Pauly, as you may have already read. But somehow it did not happen but Nivin was roped in for this film. Nivin's portrayal of his character evokes a sense of relatability among viewers. We had Sangeeth in mind for Rishi from the start, and he was also keen to try something new from his typical comedic roles. This film demonstrates his calibre. As Rithu, Lijomol went above and above our expectations. Mythili, Mrithul, and Akshay, the young actors, were equally talented and performed their roles with ease.

Are you currently working on any scripts?

Sure, I am, but I can't tell anything just yet.I would love to work on other genres as well, especially a romantic comedy. My effort to venture into an emotional thriller was Baby Girl. 

Baby Girl OTT FAQs

Q. Which is Nivin Pauly's new movie?

A. Nivin Pauly's new movie is Baby Girl, which released in theatres on January 23.

Q. Where to watch Baby Girl online?

A. Nivin Pauly's new movie Baby Girl is now streaming on Sony LIV and OTTplay Premium.

Q. When will Sarvam Maya release online?

A. Sarvam Maya, starring Nivin Pauly, is on JioHotstar and OTTplay Premium.