Actor Joju George on controversial phone call to online reviewer: I wish the incident hadn’t happened
The Hindu
Joju George, who made his directorial debut with ‘Pani’, responds to the criticism around a rape scene in the movie and talks about his expectations from film reviewers
Malayalam actor Joju George’s purported phone call to a person who had criticised his latest movie, Pani, landed him in a controversy a couple of weeks ago. Joju had slammed Adarsh H S, a research scholar, for posting a review on Facebook that prominently denounced the depiction of a rape scene in the movie. Joju says he regrets the entire incident.
“I wish that episode hadn’t happened in my life at all,” he says. Adarsh had said that the rape scene “objectifies the female character.” “When rape is picturised in a movie, the viewer must be able to empathise with the victim,” he had written. His review turned controversial when he posted his conversation with Joju online, accusing the actor of threatening him.
“I didn’t question anybody’s opinion,” Joju offers. “I felt a negative comment was force-fed to people across different platforms, and I reacted to it.” The National Award-winning actor said he has complete respect for film reviewers.
“It’s their right to talk about movies. It’s about how they see a film and what they take away from it. I can only make a film with all my skills. I can’t demand another person to see the movie the way I want,” he says.
Pani is Joju’s directorial debut. Billed as an action-packed revenge drama, the film stars Joju, Abhinaya, Sagar Surya, and VP Junaiz in prominent roles. After a successful run in Malayalam, the movie will be released in Kannada, Tamil, and Telugu on November 29, 2024.
The film drew flak for a sexual assault scene, with the makers being questioned by one section of the audience for the “graphic” portrayal of rape. Joju defended the scene, saying there is no one way to depict a situation in films.
“Cinema is an individualistic expression. For instance, if you look at a painting, it doesn’t have one meaning. It is subjective and depends on the viewer. There is no right or wrong in art. An artiste has the freedom to create his art,” he reasons.
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