Jeethu Joseph (born 10 November 1972) is an Indian film director, screenwriter, and producer who predominantly works in Malayalam cinema.[1] He has also worked in a few Tamil and Bollywood films. Jeethu made his directional debut with the 2007 police procedural film Detective and later went on to direct seven successful films: the family drama Mummy & Me (2010), the comedy My Boss (2012), the thriller Memories (2013), the family-thriller Drishyam (2013), the revenge-drama Oozham (2016), the action-thriller Aadhi (2018), and the sequel to Drishyam, Drishyam 2 (2021).[2][3][4][5] Jeethu gained popularity after the release of Drishyam, which became the highest-grossing Malayalam film ever, it was the first Malayalam film to cross Template:INR50 crore mark at the box office.[6] Jeethu made his Tamil debut with Papanasam (2015)[7][8] and Hindi with The Body. [9]
Early life
Jeethu was born in a Syro-Malabar Catholic family in Mutholapuram, Muvattupuzha taluk to Leelamma and V. Joseph, ex-MLA of Muvattupuzha. Jeethu wanted to attend the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) although his father wanted him to become an engineer. He attended Fathima Matha English Medium School and later graduated with a bachelor's degree in economics from Nirmala College, Muvattupuzha.[10]
Career
Early works
Jeethu Joseph started as an assistant director to Jayaraj in the film Bheebhathsam. After that, he got a chance to direct a film starring Dileep but it did not materialize and he was back where he started.[10] Meanwhile, Jeethu developed the one-line plot of Detective. But after failing to find any producers, his mother Leelamma Joseph offered to co-produce the film, which became his debut directorial. A month into the project, a producer evinced interest and took on the production. Detective was released in 2007. The film fared well at the box-office.[10]
His next film Mummy & Me was a success at the box-office. Mummy and Me, although it took close to three years in the making, marked a turning point in his career as director. "My first film was easy compared to the struggle I had to go through for my second, Mummy and Me." There were offers to make films like Detective, but Jeethu declined. "I wanted to do a different film" It was for this reason that, though he had one line scripts of Mummy and Me and Memories ready in 2008, he chose to make Mummy and Me.[10]
His third film My Boss was also a success in theatres. Jeethu's fourth movie Memories, a suspense thriller, was released in 2013 which did well in box office.[11][12]
Post Drishyam
Towards the end of 2013, the drama-thriller Drishyam starring Mohanlal was released, which was well received critically and commercially. It was the highest-grossing Malayalam film, until 2016, and the first Malayalam film to cross Template:INR50 crore mark at the box office.[6][10][13][14] Drishyam was remade in Tamil by Jeethu with Kamal Haasan enacting Mohanlal's role. It was also remade to Telugu, Kannada and Hindi by other directors.[13] Jeethu then directed Dileep-starrer Life of Josutty.
Personal life
Jeethu married Linta and they have two children. Linta is a costume designer in Malayalam cinema.
Filmography
| Year | Title | Credited as | Notes | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Director | Writer | Producer | |||
| 2007 | Detective | Template:Yes | Template:Yes | ||
| 2010 | Mummy & Me | Template:Yes | Template:Yes | ||
| 2012 | My Boss | Template:Yes | Template:Yes | ||
| 2013 | Memories | Template:Yes | Template:Yes | ||
| 2013 | Drishyam | Template:Yes | Template:Yes | ||
| 2015 | Papanasam | Template:Yes | Template:Yes | Debut Tamil film Remake of Drishyam | |
| 2015 | Life of Josutty | Template:Yes | |||
| 2016 | Oozham | Template:Yes | Template:Yes | ||
| 2017 | Lakshyam | Template:Yes | Template:Yes | ||
| 2018 | Aadhi | Template:Yes | Template:Yes | ||
| 2019 | Mr. & Ms. Rowdy | Template:Yes | Template:Yes | ||
| 2019 | The Body | Template:Yes | Debut Hindi film | ||
| 2019 | Thambi | Template:Yes | Template:Yes | Tamil film | |
| 2021 | Drishyam 2 | Template:Yes | Template:Yes | Amazon Prime Video | |
| 2021 | Drushyam 2 | Template:Yes | Template:Yes | Debut Telugu film Remake of Drishyam 2 | |
| Template:TBA | 12th Man | Template:Yes | |||
| Template:TBA | Ram | Template:Yes | Template:Yes | ||
Awards
- 2013 – 44th Kerala State Film Awards - Best Popular Film - Drishyam
- 2013 – Vanitha Film Awards – Best Director – Drishyam[15][16]
- 2013 – Kerala Film Critics Association Awards – Best Director – Drishyam[17][18]
- 2013 – Jaihind TV Film Awards – Best Director – Drishyam
- 2013 - South Indian International Movie Awards - Best Director - Drishyam
References
- ↑ Detective – A clueless suspense thriller. IndiaGlitz(19 February 2007).
- ↑ Teenage blues. The Hindu(4 February 2010).
- ↑ Mamta Mohandas to boss around Dileep. The Times of India(7 October 2011).
- ↑ Prithviraj act as a drunkard in Memories.
- ↑ Mohanlal's Drishyam Releasing Today in 133 Theatres – Oneindia Entertainment. Entertainment.oneindia.in(19 December 2013). Retrieved 13 August 2014.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Jeethu Joseph Has Back to Back Projects in His Kitty, Post Drishyam, Nambidi, Parvathy. Retrieved 13 August 2014.
- ↑ Kamal Haasan to don Mohanlal's role in Drishyam remake?. The New Indian Express. 30 January 2014. Retrieved 27 August 2014.
- ↑ Kamal Haasan to do Drishyam`s Tamil version. Sify. 31 January 2014. Retrieved 27 August 2014.
- ↑ Emraan Hashmi announces his next, The Body, a suspense thriller with Rishi Kapoor, Sobhita Dhulipala, and Vedhika. Bollywood Hungama(8 November 2019). Retrieved 15 November 2019.
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 10.3 10.4 Bankable brand(17 January 2014). Retrieved 13 August 2014.
- ↑ Manorama Online - Home. Retrieved 1 August 2015.
- ↑ Memories movie review: Wallpaper, Story, Trailer at Times of India. Retrieved 13 August 2014.
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 My script for 'Drishyam' is original: Jeethu Joseph(4 March 2014). Retrieved 1 August 2015.
- ↑ Drishyam movie review: Wallpaper, Story, Trailer at Times of India. Retrieved 13 August 2014.
- ↑ Breaking Movies : TTK Prestige – Vanitha Film Awards 2014 ~ Complete Winners List. Breakingmovies.blogspot.com.au(6 January 2014). Retrieved 13 August 2014.
- ↑ TTK Prestige-Vanitha Film Awards: Shobhana, Prithviraj win best actor, actress awards. Kerala9.com(20 January 2014). Retrieved 13 August 2014.
- ↑ Jeethu Joseph Bags Best Director Award – Oneindia Entertainment. Entertainment.oneindia.in(30 January 2014). Retrieved 13 August 2014.
- ↑ 'Drishyam' Bags Kerala Film Critics Association Awards. Retrieved 13 August 2014.