# MC Jithin
**MC Jithin** (എം.സി. ജിതിൻ) is an Indian film director and screenwriter working in [Malayalam cinema](https://www.edgepedia.org/malayalam-cinema), known for the BMX drama *Nonsense* (2018) and the mystery thriller *Sookshmadarshini* (2024).[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm9887147/) He is also an educator in visual communication and filmmaking, and currently heads the Don Bosco Image film institute in Palarivattom, Kochi.[2](https://www.manoramaonline.com/movies/interview/2024/12/12/chat-with-director-mc-jithin.html)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Debut film | *Nonsense*, released 12 October 2018; a coming-of-age drama about bicycle motocross (BMX), touted as India's first film to explore BMX racing[3](https://www.onmanorama.com/entertainment/interviews/2018/10/15/mc-jithin-nonsense-movie-director-interview.html) • [4](https://www.newindianexpress.com/entertainment/malayalam/2017/sep/14/many-declined-the-film-because-of-its-title-nonsense-malayalam-director-mc-jithin-on-his-debut-fi-1657129.html) |
| Second film | *Sookshmadarshini* (2024), a Hitchcockian neighborhood mystery starring Nazriya Nazim and Basil Joseph, released 22 November 2024 with a runtime of 2 hours 23 minutes[5](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/sookshma_darshini) |
| Education | BA Multimedia 2007–2010 at St. Joseph College of Communication, Changanassery; postgraduate in visual communication[6](https://www.sjcc.ac.in/uploads/Prospectus%20SJCC%202025-26.pdf) • [3](https://www.onmanorama.com/entertainment/interviews/2018/10/15/mc-jithin-nonsense-movie-director-interview.html) |
| Teaching career | Guest lecturer for almost six years at institutions including Loyola College for Media Studies, Hyderabad; now HOD of the Don Bosco Image film institute, Palarivattom[3](https://www.onmanorama.com/entertainment/interviews/2018/10/15/mc-jithin-nonsense-movie-director-interview.html) • [2](https://www.manoramaonline.com/movies/interview/2024/12/12/chat-with-director-mc-jithin.html) |
| Early shorts | *Mallus* (2011), *The Loud Truth* and *Water* (2012), and *A Friday* (2014); the public service film *Water* won several awards at the national level[4](https://www.newindianexpress.com/entertainment/malayalam/2017/sep/14/many-declined-the-film-because-of-its-title-nonsense-malayalam-director-mc-jithin-on-his-debut-fi-1657129.html) • [3](https://www.onmanorama.com/entertainment/interviews/2018/10/15/mc-jithin-nonsense-movie-director-interview.html) |
| Reception of *Sookshmadarshini* | 83% on the Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer; described by critics as a smartly written suspense thriller[5](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/sookshma_darshini) |
## Early life and education
Jithin decided his future lay in filmmaking while he was a fifth-grader, an interest he traces to the DPEP (District Primary Education Programme), an activity-based syllabus the Kerala state government introduced for less than two years, which encouraged students to explore academic topics through creative activity.[3](https://www.onmanorama.com/entertainment/interviews/2018/10/15/mc-jithin-nonsense-movie-director-interview.html) He completed a BA in [Multimedia](https://www.edgepedia.org/multimedia) at St. Joseph College of Communication, Changanassery, from 2007 to 2010, followed by graduation and postgraduation in visual communication.[6](https://www.sjcc.ac.in/uploads/Prospectus%20SJCC%202025-26.pdf) • [3](https://www.onmanorama.com/entertainment/interviews/2018/10/15/mc-jithin-nonsense-movie-director-interview.html)
During his postgraduate years in Chennai he worked as an assistant director on Abrid Shine's *1983* and *Action Hero Biju*, and worked on scripts by the director-writer-editor [Mahesh Narayanan](https://www.edgepedia.org/mahesh-narayanan).[4](https://www.newindianexpress.com/entertainment/malayalam/2017/sep/14/many-declined-the-film-because-of-its-title-nonsense-malayalam-director-mc-jithin-on-his-debut-fi-1657129.html) His first professional short film was *Mallus* in 2011, followed by *The Loud Truth* and *Water* in 2012 and *A Friday* in 2014.[4](https://www.newindianexpress.com/entertainment/malayalam/2017/sep/14/many-declined-the-film-because-of-its-title-nonsense-malayalam-director-mc-jithin-on-his-debut-fi-1657129.html) He names the screenwriter Sanjay of the Bobby-Sanjay duo, Abrid Shine, and Mahesh Narayanan as the three most important people in his professional career.[4](https://www.newindianexpress.com/entertainment/malayalam/2017/sep/14/many-declined-the-film-because-of-its-title-nonsense-malayalam-director-mc-jithin-on-his-debut-fi-1657129.html)
## Nonsense (2018)
**The debut film.** *Nonsense* grew from two sources: a high-school physics teacher who repeatedly called Jithin's actions "nonsense," and a street BMX rider Jithin met years later whose stunts had drawn the same word from his own teachers and family.[3](https://www.onmanorama.com/entertainment/interviews/2018/10/15/mc-jithin-nonsense-movie-director-interview.html) The film follows a boy passionate about bicycle motocross and criticizes India's textbook-driven education system.[3](https://www.onmanorama.com/entertainment/interviews/2018/10/15/mc-jithin-nonsense-movie-director-interview.html) Jithin describes it as the first film in India to feature a BMX in an important role.[4](https://www.newindianexpress.com/entertainment/malayalam/2017/sep/14/many-declined-the-film-because-of-its-title-nonsense-malayalam-director-mc-jithin-on-his-debut-fi-1657129.html)
The road to production was long. Jithin approached nearly a hundred production companies with the script; many declined because it was a film about teenagers with no scope for big stars, and many more because of the title itself, which producers wanted changed.[4](https://www.newindianexpress.com/entertainment/malayalam/2017/sep/14/many-declined-the-film-because-of-its-title-nonsense-malayalam-director-mc-jithin-on-his-debut-fi-1657129.html) He kept the title and waited for the right producer; Johnny Sagariga, an admirer of lead actor Rinosh George's music, came on board.[4](https://www.newindianexpress.com/entertainment/malayalam/2017/sep/14/many-declined-the-film-because-of-its-title-nonsense-malayalam-director-mc-jithin-on-his-debut-fi-1657129.html) Jithin had met Rinosh George in 2013 in Bengaluru, when Rinosh was 17, and cast him as the protagonist on the spot; Rinosh bought a sport-utility bicycle and trained in BMX for the role.[3](https://www.onmanorama.com/entertainment/interviews/2018/10/15/mc-jithin-nonsense-movie-director-interview.html) The cast also included Vinay Forrt, Shruthi Ramachandran, Renji Panicker, and KPAC Lalitha.[4](https://www.newindianexpress.com/entertainment/malayalam/2017/sep/14/many-declined-the-film-because-of-its-title-nonsense-malayalam-director-mc-jithin-on-his-debut-fi-1657129.html) Released on 12 October 2018, the film started slowly but collected well after positive reviews from film personalities appeared on social media.[3](https://www.onmanorama.com/entertainment/interviews/2018/10/15/mc-jithin-nonsense-movie-director-interview.html)
## Sookshmadarshini (2024)
**A six-year gap.** Jithin's second film took six years to reach theaters. The idea came during *Nonsense*'s post-production in late 2018: because *Nonsense* was a one-day road movie with no night shoots, shooting stopped at 5 pm each day, and he wanted a next project that could use interiors and night hours.[7](https://www.malayalamtv9.com/entertainment/sookshma-darshini-director-jithin-mc-talks-about-the-movie-and-his-cinema-journey-in-tv9-malayalam-dialogue-box-2077681.html/amp) He first pitched the story in Hindi, where it was developed with Athul Ramachandran, but the project was dropped in 2019; back in Malayalam he rewrote it with Libin T.B., his co-writer on *Nonsense*.[7](https://www.malayalamtv9.com/entertainment/sookshma-darshini-director-jithin-mc-talks-about-the-movie-and-his-cinema-journey-in-tv9-malayalam-dialogue-box-2077681.html/amp)
The producer Sameer Thahir, of the production company Happy Hours Entertainment, shaped the project considerably; he also suggested [Nazriya Nazim](https://www.edgepedia.org/nazriya-nazim) for the lead in late 2022, and [Basil Joseph](https://www.edgepedia.org/basil-joseph) joined in early 2023.[7](https://www.malayalamtv9.com/entertainment/sookshma-darshini-director-jithin-mc-talks-about-the-movie-and-his-cinema-journey-in-tv9-malayalam-dialogue-box-2077681.html/amp) *Sookshmadarshini* was produced by AVA Productions and Happy Hours Entertainment, with A.V. Anoop, Shyju Khalid, and Sameer Thahir as producers, and released in theaters on 22 November 2024.[5](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/sookshma_darshini)
**The female detective.** The film centers on Priyadarshini (Nazriya Nazim), a homemaker who grows suspicious of her new neighbor Manuel (Basil Joseph) after his elderly mother goes missing.[8](https://www.indiatoday.in/movies/reviews/story/sookshmadarshini-review-nazriya-nazim-basil-joseph-lead-a-thrilling-ride-2639654-2024-11-25) Jithin has said he wanted a unique female detective for Malayalam cinema, one whose role could not simply be swapped for a man's, and that the character's observational sharpness was inspired by his own mother, who deduced from a mark on the center of a vessel's bottom that he had boiled spilled milk on an induction cooker rather than a gas stove.[9](https://www.cinemaexpress.com/malayalam/interviews/2024/Dec/03/sookshmadarshini-director-mc-jithin-priyadarshinis-curiosity-stems-from-genuine-concern-not-voyeurism) He framed her curiosity as empathetic concern rather than voyeurism.[9](https://www.cinemaexpress.com/malayalam/interviews/2024/Dec/03/sookshmadarshini-director-mc-jithin-priyadarshinis-curiosity-stems-from-genuine-concern-not-voyeurism)
The film was received as a success. Critics described it as a smartly written, engaging thriller; the Times of India gave it 4.0 out of 5, and the Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer stood at 83% from 50+ ratings.[10](https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/malayalam/movie-reviews/sookshmadarshini/movie-review/115589632.cms) • [5](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/sookshma_darshini) In a December 2024 interview, Jithin expressed the hope that the film's success would encourage Malayalam cinema to make more women-centered films, a space he said the industry still approaches with reluctance.[2](https://www.manoramaonline.com/movies/interview/2024/12/12/chat-with-director-mc-jithin.html)
## Style and influences
Jithin describes his aim on *Sookshmadarshini* as telling a Hitchcockian mystery within the world of Sathyan Anthikad's films, such as *Thalayanamanthram* (1990) and *Gandhi Nagar 2nd Street* (1986), which feature tight-knit neighborhoods and relatable characters.[9](https://www.cinemaexpress.com/malayalam/interviews/2024/Dec/03/sookshmadarshini-director-mc-jithin-priyadarshinis-curiosity-stems-from-genuine-concern-not-voyeurism) He chose a semi-rural neighborhood with low compound walls and interconnected spaces so the setting would feel familiar yet slightly eerie, and scouted extensively for a location that felt isolated but still connected to a broader community.[9](https://www.cinemaexpress.com/malayalam/interviews/2024/Dec/03/sookshmadarshini-director-mc-jithin-priyadarshinis-curiosity-stems-from-genuine-concern-not-voyeurism) Following Hitchcock's practice of implying violence, as in *Psycho* (1960), the film keeps suspense and psychological tension at the center rather than graphic violence, a choice he says was made so the film would remain family-friendly.[9](https://www.cinemaexpress.com/malayalam/interviews/2024/Dec/03/sookshmadarshini-director-mc-jithin-priyadarshinis-curiosity-stems-from-genuine-concern-not-voyeurism)
## References
1. [Mc Jithin, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm9887147/)
2. [2022ൽ നസ്രിയയോട് കഥ പറഞ്ഞു: എം.സി. ജിതിൻ അഭിമുഖം, Manorama Online (12 December 2024)](https://www.manoramaonline.com/movies/interview/2024/12/12/chat-with-director-mc-jithin.html)
3. [What knocked sense into 'Nonsense' maker Jithin, Onmanorama](https://www.onmanorama.com/entertainment/interviews/2018/10/15/mc-jithin-nonsense-movie-director-interview.html)
4. [Many declined the film because of its title 'Nonsense': Malayalam director MC Jithin on his debut film, The New Indian Express (14 September 2017)](https://www.newindianexpress.com/entertainment/malayalam/2017/sep/14/many-declined-the-film-because-of-its-title-nonsense-malayalam-director-mc-jithin-on-his-debut-fi-1657129.html)
5. [Sookshma Darshini, Rotten Tomatoes](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/sookshma_darshini)
6. [SJCC Prospectus 2025-26, St. Joseph College of Communication](https://www.sjcc.ac.in/uploads/Prospectus%20SJCC%202025-26.pdf)
7. [Sookshma Darshini Director Jithin MC interview, TV9 Malayalam (18 November 2024)](https://www.malayalamtv9.com/entertainment/sookshma-darshini-director-jithin-mc-talks-about-the-movie-and-his-cinema-journey-in-tv9-malayalam-dialogue-box-2077681.html/amp)
8. [Sookshmadarshini review: Nazriya Nazim, Basil Joseph lead a thrilling ride, India Today (25 November 2024)](https://www.indiatoday.in/movies/reviews/story/sookshmadarshini-review-nazriya-nazim-basil-joseph-lead-a-thrilling-ride-2639654-2024-11-25)
9. [Sookshmadarshini director MC Jithin: Priyadarshini's curiosity stems from genuine concern, not voyeurism, Cinema Express (3 December 2024)](https://www.cinemaexpress.com/malayalam/interviews/2024/Dec/03/sookshmadarshini-director-mc-jithin-priyadarshinis-curiosity-stems-from-genuine-concern-not-voyeurism)
10. [Sookshmadarshini Movie Review, The Times of India (23 November 2024)](https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/malayalam/movie-reviews/sookshmadarshini/movie-review/115589632.cms)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Screen people and creators › Film and television directors › Directors of South Asia*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 18, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Sep 18, 2026; Oct 11, 2026; Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
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