Filmmaker Lijo Jose Pellissery denies unpaid remuneration allegations
The drama around Malayalam film Churuli just got messier. Actor Joju George says he wasn't paid for his role and didn't know the full details about the film's language or release.
Director Lijo Jose Pellissery disagrees—he posted proof of a ₹5.9 lakh payment for George's three-day shoot and insists George knew what he signed up for.
I thought it was a festival film, says George
Joju George claims he agreed to strong language in Churuli only because it was supposed to show at festivals, not in theaters or online.
He also says his shoot lasted longer than three days and wants his contract made public.
Things escalated when explicit scenes from the film ended up on OTT platforms, which embarrassed him.
Everything was above board, says Pellissery
Pellissery says there was no theatrical release because Churuli got an "A" rating.
He maintains everything was above board: "Thankan chettan (George's character) was aware of the language used."
The film was meant to be screened at festivals before streaming on SonyLIV.