‘Dridam’ director Martin Joseph on the Jeethu Joseph comparisons and why Shane was the perfect choice

For many viewers discovering 'Dridam' on OTT, the conversation has begun at the end. The climax of the Shane Nigam-starrer has become one of the film's biggest talking points since its OTT release. But when director Martin Joseph looks back at the film, he says the ending was only one part of what drew him to the project.

"It wasn't a case of wanting to make a thriller," Martin says. "I liked the story, especially the way it ended, but more than that, I wanted to make a film that would work for the audience."

The response following the OTT release suggests that audiences have found plenty to discuss. Some have spoken about the film's slow-burn first half before it gathers pace later on. Others have focused on the climax. Martin has been hearing both reactions.
What interested him from the beginning, however, was Vijay, the young police officer played by Shane Nigam.

Vijay arrives at a remote station for his first posting. He is unsure of himself, new to the job and immediately confronted with situations that test him. Martin says it was that progression that stayed with him.

"There is a journey in the character," he says. "He comes in carrying the anxiety of someone entering a completely new environment. Then all these things begin happening around him. Watching how he deals with that pressure was important."

That idea also shaped the casting. According to Martin, Shane Nigam was always the first choice. He wanted someone who could look like an ordinary young man suddenly placed in extraordinary circumstances.
"Shane has that quality," he says. "He has a boy-next-door appearance, but at the same time there is enough maturity in him. When we narrated the story, he agreed straight away."

Not everyone interpreted Vijay's nervousness the same way. Some viewers felt the character appeared hesitant at times. Martin says that reaction did not surprise him. "People told me they felt he seemed inexperienced in certain situations," he says. "But that's exactly who the character is. He's taking charge for the first time. An ordinary person would react that way."
The comparisons that followed the film's release were perhaps inevitable.

Before making his directorial debut, Martin spent years working with Jeethu Joseph, a filmmaker whose name has become synonymous with carefully constructed thrillers and late-stage twists. Some viewers came into 'Dridam' expecting something similar.

Martin says that expectation was more noticeable during the theatrical release.

"People knew I had worked with Jeethu sir, so naturally there were comparisons," he says. "I think OTT audiences are watching it with fewer expectations."
One scene in particular made those connections impossible to miss.
The film contains a dialogue delivered by Shobi Thilakan's character that references 'Drishyam'. Martin reveals that the line was suggested by Jeethu Joseph himself after reading the script.

"I actually asked him whether we needed it," Martin recalls with a laugh. "But he felt it belonged there and insisted we keep it."
Jeethu's influence extends beyond script discussions. Ask Martin what he has learned most from working alongside him, and he does not immediately talk about suspense or screenplay structure.

Instead, he talks about temperament. "The biggest thing is how composed he is," Martin says. "How he leads a set, how he handles pressure, how calm he remains while working. Those are things I have learned from him."

At the same time, Martin is aware that audiences have pointed out similarities in tone. Some viewers have told him they sensed a certain dramatic quality in 'Dridam', something they often associate with Jeethu Joseph's films as well.
Martin does not dismiss the observation. "When you've worked with someone for a long time, some influence is bound to show," he says.

It is also something he is thinking about as he moves forward.
If 'Dridam' introduced Martin Joseph as a director, it also came with a reminder of the filmmaker whose sets shaped him. The challenge now is not escaping those comparisons altogether, but making films that gradually build an identity of their own.