For someone known for poking fun at old and less popular films, giving them a new entertainment value – making a horror film – may seem like an unlikely next step. But for actor-turned-director Anantharaman Ajay, fear has always been as fascinating as humour. His debut short film, Granny, which crossed over 4 million views on YouTube, swaps punchlines for psychological tension.
Ajay first found popularity through his YouTube channel ‘Appoppan and the Boys’ (Grandfather and the Boys), where his humorous roasts of old Malayalam films became a genre of their own. He later launched Nissaram, shifting gears to create astronomy content that explored the mysteries of the universe. But behind the camera, he had always been writing short stories and scripts, nurturing an ambition to direct. The push came when an established actor suggested he try directing one of his own stories. “I’ve always enjoyed writing, and having created close to a hundred YouTube videos, I already understood editing, sound design and visual storytelling. Making the transition felt like a natural next step,” he says.
A lifelong fan of horror literature, Ajay did not want Granny to rely on exaggerated scares. “When horror becomes too outlandish, audiences disconnect because they know it can’t happen. But when it’s subtle, they begin to wonder if it could happen to them. That’s what makes it frightening,” he says. He also believes horror remains an underexplored space in regional cinema, where conventional storytelling often overshadows quieter, psychological narratives.
Apart from beginning his career as a content creator in Bengaluru, Ajay’s experience acting in the Malayalam hit Romancham, a horror movie shot in Bengaluru by the director of Aavesham, Jithu Madhavan, became an unexpected learning ground. “It taught me how to run a calm, collaborative film set, while understanding what performers need from a director,” he notes.
For him, one of the most memorable parts of making Granny was working with veteran actor KPAC Leela. At 85, she grasped the film’s deliberately ambiguous narrative in a single reading, something Ajay says even his close collaborators needed to be explained. “I was mind-blown. Despite being among Malayalam cinema’s senior actors, since the 1960s, she approached the project with complete sincerity. She arrived punctually and rehearsed extensively throughout the shoot. Watching someone with that much experience take instructions from a first-time director like me was truly inspiring,” he says.
Ajay hopes the film leaves a lingering emotional unease. “With Granny, I’m not trying to make viewers say, ‘I was terrified.’ If they walk away carrying a sense of anxiety, dread or tension that stays with them after the film ends, I’ll consider it a success. That lingering discomfort is the takeaway I wanted to create,” he says.