I write about familiar people and circumstances: Director Ashraf Hamza on Malayalam film ‘Bheemante Vazhi’

Ashraf Hamza, director of ‘Bheemante Vazhi’, says he draws inspiration from regular folk leading regular lives

Director Ashraf Hamza is straightforward when it comes to the kind of films he wants to make. “I want to tell a story that can be told simply; one that at eight out of 10 people in a gathering would listen to,” he says. He sees himself as a storyteller. Bheemante Vazhi, which was released on December 3, is one such story about a group of people in a village trying to negotiate a problem.

His first film was Thamasha (2019) about a man fighting baldness and a woman who is not bothered by what people thinks about her weight. The characters are imperfect, regular folk dealing with insecurities and complexes.

Such regular folk and their stories are his ‘comfort zone’ and the point of reference is always life. He says, “These are easily accessible. I write stories about people I know and circumstances that I am familiar with.”