Jude Anthany Joseph to adapt MV Kairali maritime tragedy into film

Filmmaker Jude Anthany Joseph, best known for '2018', is set to direct 'MV Kairali: The Enduring Mystery' for Confluence Media. The film is based on one of Kerala’s greatest maritime tragedies — the disappearance of the cargo ship MV Kairali in 1979.
According to PTI, the project draws from 'The Master Mariner', a book on MV Kairali’s captain, Mariadas Joseph, written by his son Lt Col Thomas Joseph. Both the English and Malayalam editions of the book, published by Azhimukham Books, will be released in Kochi on August 25.

In July 1979, MV Kairali vanished while carrying iron ore from Goa to Germany with 51 crew members on board. Its last message was recorded on July 3 as it headed to Djibouti. Among those lost were 23 Keralites, leaving families in anguish. Their struggle against bureaucratic apathy and financial hardship triggered a prolonged investigation that uncovered layers of political, corporate, and international intrigue.

Jude Anthany Joseph said the film would serve as a tribute to those aboard MV Kairali. He noted that if the ship had completed its journey, it could have become a symbol of pride in Kerala’s maritime history. Instead, 51 lives were lost, and families were left in permanent turmoil. Through the film, he hopes to provide some relief to those families and offer at least a cinematic closure to the mystery.

Author Thomas Joseph described his book as an attempt to bring closure after 45 years. He recalled how the experience of losing his father as a teenager was deeply traumatic, and how families endured decades of suffering and speculation. 'The Master Mariner', he said, is his effort to close this painful chapter — not just for himself, but also for the public and the 49 families still waiting for answers.

The screenplay will be co-written by Jude Anthany Joseph, American writer James Wright, and journalist Josy Joseph, founder of Confluence Media. Josy, who spent years researching the tragedy, said the story is not only about the ship but also about the families whose lives were shattered. Bringing that to the screen, he added, is both a responsibility and an opportunity to reignite conversations about accountability and justice.