Leading Malayalam filmmaker Lijo Jose Pellissery's magnum opus Malaikottai Vaaliban starring five-time National Award-winning actor Mohanlal took a staggering opening in cinemas despite the initial mixed feedback. Although the ambitious film did not resonate instantly with fans as his previous films did, it is gradually attracting an audience, who have been taking to social media to express their views. That being said, Lijo recently sat down for a one-on-one conversation with National Award-winning film critic Baradwaj Rangan, the Editor-in-Chief of Galatta Plus, to discuss in detail about Malaikottai Vaaliban, while also opening up on the audience reaction to the Mohanlal-starrer.
Addressing the mixed response, Lijo said, "Malaikottai Vaaliban is a very special film for a very simple reason that I've gathered all those small, small things what I've experienced from my childhood. I would say mostly from films, the stories what I've heard from my grandmom or around all those Amar Chitra Katha stories, comics, and everything. I would say that the references in this film you cannot count. That many references are there. And, when such an effort is taken... See, I wouldn't say that it should be like celebrated, but at the same time, when it critiqued... I would not even say it's critiqued. Criticism is also totally welcome. But, this film when it was released, the first two days of the discussions were in total wrong direction, I felt. And, all the people, all the work done behind it, were suddenly out nowhere."
Speaking further about the criticism towards Malaikottai Vaaliban, Lijo explained, "There was only a discussion about the worst Malayalam film ever made. So, that really made me sad and it's not just me. It's the whole team who had worked day and night for it for the last one and a half years. So, normally I have never come out and spoken about why we should watch the film. But, this film I thought that I have to explain it why the discussions are going in the wrong direction, why the critique is going in the wrong direction, and why the people should not be throwing stones at each other in the name of a film. It's all yours. You watch it or don't watch it. It's all fine. But, not compel people not to watch it. That is what is happening. When that happened, I had to come in front of the press and tell the mthat this is not going the right way."
Watch Lijo Jose Pellissery in conversation with Baradwaj Rangan in the video below:
