Young director Sajin Baabu has come in support of filmmaker Sajeev Pillai who was shunted out of upcoming period flick 'Mamankam' starring Mammootty.
The producer of the movie Venu Kunnapally had removed Pillai saying he was not satisfied with his skills. However, Baabu refuted these claims saying that Pillai was an excellent director with ample experience.
Baabu also recalled online a 2002 incident regarding his first acquaintance with director Pillai. This happened as Baabu and his friends were visiting Kuthiramalika, a royal palace in Thiruvananthapuram. There they witnessed the shooting of Adoor Gopalakrishnn's movie 'Nizhalkuthu' in which Pillai worked as an associate director. Baabu also fondly remembered how active Pillai was on the sets of the movie.
It is bad to judge such an experienced man on the basis of a few rough edits, Baabu said. He also said that Padmakumar, the new director of 'Mamankam', must at least remember the man who initiated the project, and that it was merciless to drop him away and complete the project.
Sajin Baabu has directed the Sreenivasan starrer 2017 flick 'Ayal Sasi' and 2014 movie 'Unto the Dusk'.
A row erupted recently after Pillai revealed that the shooting of 'Mamankam' began without him. The producer had reportedly claimed that he was not at all impressed with the test footage submitted by Pillai.
Earlier, young actor Dhruv, who has worked hard for a year, preparing for the role of a warrior in the film, was excluded from the project. Soon cinematographer Ganesh Rajavelu, art director Sunil Babu and costume designer Anu Vardhan too were shown the doors. Pillai, reportedly, was unaware about the producer’s decision to oust them.
The Film Employees Federation of Kerala (FEFKA) has decided not to intervene in the row. The association came up with this decision as Pillai failed to inform them about the legal action initiated by him against Kunnapally.
Maamaankam' depicts a medieval fair which is also famed for a series of battles among the local chieftains. Starring megastar Mammootty in the lead role, the period drama tells the tale of the warriors of Valluvanadu.
