'Cinema is not money-making machinery': Lijo Jose Pellissery writes against mainstream Malayalam film industry

Malayalam filmmaker Lijo Jose Pellisary took to his Facebook page and wrote a powerful statement announcing that he is no more a part of mainstream Malayalam cinema. He called himself an independent filmmaker. Lijo who directed hit film Jallikkattu in 2019 is gearing up to start filming of his upcoming directorial titled A. He announced that the film is all set to go on floors from July 1, 2020.

Meanwhile, Lijo's Facebook post read as "For me cinema is not money-making machinery but a medium to express my vision. so from today onwards. I am an Independent filmmaker. 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."

His post further read as "We are in the middle of a pandemic - a war - jobless people - identity crisis - poverty and religious unrest. People are walking 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."

Lijo concluded by writing, "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 lose because we are Artists."

Check out his post below:

Apart from Jallikkattu, Lijo has also directed Ee.Ma.Yau in 2018 which bagged him Kerala State Film Award for Best Director.