Jeethu Joseph: Mirage becoming a Malayalam film hinged entirely on Asif Ali

That Mirage is a film that was meant to be made in Hindi, is, by now, old news. Filmmaker Jeethu Joseph had, apparently, tried for a while to pitch it in that market, but was unable to convince the right actors, as it is a female-centric subject. When he eventually thought about doing it in Malayalam then, the first name that came to his mind was that of Asif Ali, with whom he had earlier done Kooman.

Asif's character has certain quirks

In fact, when Jeethu broached the subject with Asif, he’d given the actor a Hindi script. “I wasn’t fully convinced about doing this film in Malayalam even at that point, and everything hinged on what his thoughts were on it. Asif had asked me for details on the story and his character, and once he’d heard it all, he said he liked it and was okay to do it. That’s how it then became the film it is today,” said Jeethu, talking to Mathrubhumi.

Also read: Jeethu Joseph on Asif Ali’s Mirage: It was meant to be a Hindi film, but… 

In the same interview, Asif had also mentioned that his character has certain quirks, which would require a deeper understanding and handling, which may have also been reason that the film did not take off in Hindi. What also appealed to Asif is that the story had a fresh feel to it, had an urban setting, with a new ambience and a lot more technology at play.

Set to release in theatres on September 19, Mirage has Asif playing an investigative reporter, Ashwin, who runs an independent online channel. Under certain circumstances, he ends up joining Aparna’s Abhi in the search for someone called Kiran and figuring out the events that led to his disappearance. Also on the cast are Hannah Reji Koshy, Deepak Parambol, Arjun Syam Gopan, Hakim Shahjahan and Sampath Raj.

FAQs

Q. How many movies has Jeethu Joseph directed?

Jeethu Joseph has directed over 18 films, including Drishyam, 12th Man, Neru, and My Boss, among others.

Q. Is there going to be Drishyam 3?

Yes, Drishyam 3 is happening, Jeethu Joseph and Mohanlal had confirmed.

Q. Is the Drishyam 3 shooting started?

Drishyam 3 shooting will start in October 2025.

Q. Is Drishyam 3 cast?

Drishyam 3 cast includes actors Mohanlal, Meena, Ansiba Hassan, and Esther Anil