“I’ll screen my cinema anywhere I feel is right”, pens Lijo Jose Pellissery declaring himself as an Indian filmmaker!
Lijo Jose Pellissery has posted a strong-worded statement in Facebook, through which he has made it clear that he no longer wishes to be part of the mainstream Malayalam film industry. His statement comes at a time when several restrictions are being imposed on the shoot of new Malayalam films. The Kerala Film Producers Association has asked filmmakers not to start shoot of new films until the films completed before lockdown are released. Opposing this, directors like Lijo, Aashiq Abu and Khalid Rahman have decided to go ahead with the shoot of their new films.
Lijo has now declared himself as an independent filmmaker. According to him, he will be releasing his films wherever he feels it’s right because he is the creator. During these though times, he feels great art should be made to inspire people to feel alive and to give them hope to stay alive .
Lijo’s Facebook post reads,
He has written,
For me cinema is not a money making machinery but a medium to express my vision . so from today onwards
I am a Independent film maker.
I will use all the money I raise from cinema to fuel better cinema and nothing else . I will screen my cinema anywhere I feel is right because I am the creator of it .
We are in the middle of a pandemic -a war-jobless people – identity crisis- poverty and religious unrest.people are walking a 1000 miles just to reach home .Artists are dying out of depression .
so …These are times to create great art just to inspire people to feel alive. Just to give them hope in some form to stay alive .
Don’t ask us to stop working
Don’t ask us to stop creating
Don’t question our integrity
Don’t question our self respect
You will terribly loose
because we are Artists
lijo jose pellissery
Independent film maker
After three months of no activity, Malayalam film industry is slowly getting back to work. Since the Covid-19 situation is not getting any better, taking safety precautions and coping up with it seems to be the only way forward. To ensure that their livelihood is not affected any further, many new filmmakers have started works.
Lijo has already announced his next film. Though he is yet to reveal deatils about the cast and crew, he has informed that shoot will begin on July 1. Aashiq Abu’s new production venture ‘Haagar’ is slated to start rolling on July 5. Khalid Rahman’s new film starring Rajisha, Shine Tom Chacko and Veen Nandakumar has already been launched.
