Waited till 2 am, got no screen time: Junior artist says his scene in Pallichattambi was cut; assistant director responds

A fleeting moment on screen can mean everything to someone trying to find a place in cinema. For junior artist Sajeev B Vayal, that moment never made it to theatres and the disappointment that followed has now sparked a conversation online, and an apology from the film’s team.

Sajeev had been part of Pallichattambi, a film starring Tovino Thomas. Like many aspiring actors, he had hoped even a brief appearance would mark a personal milestone. But when the film released, the scene he had worked for was missing. His candid note about the experience soon went viral, drawing attention to the often unseen disappointments behind the filmmaking process.

Recalling his time on set, Sajeev described being part of a sequence where a character named Dhruvan shoots a British officer in front of Prithviraj. “We were there as officers. Out of fifteen people, three of us even had close-ups. The scene showed us trembling in fear as Prithviraj looked at us angrily,” he wrote. He also remembered how a fellow junior artist’s performance had been widely appreciated during the shoot, making the eventual exclusion of the scene harder to process.

The experience, however, was not without its small personal victories. Initially selected as a Nair soldier, Sajeev lost that role after a makeup error, but remained on set, waiting for another opportunity. “I stood in a corner of the palace holding a spear till evening. I didn’t get a frame,” he said. Yet, being stationed near Prithviraj’s room gave him a moment he cherishes. “For the first time in my life, I got to speak to him privately.”

Determined not to leave empty-handed, Sajeev sought another chance. He eventually secured a role as an officer after waiting on set until 2 am. “If that had been included, it would have been a special day in my life,” he noted. He had even promoted the film on Instagram, with his post reaching nearly five lakh viewers. Watching the final cut without his scene left him with what he described as a deep sense of heaviness. Still, his reflection struck a balanced note. “We shouldn’t celebrate only victories. Some failures also deserve to be acknowledged,” he wrote, while congratulating the team and fellow supporting artists.

His post prompted a response from assistant director Shan B Andrews, who addressed the situation with an apology. “It was not intentional that your shot was not included. As part of filmmaking, not every shot we take can always be included in the final film,” he said, adding that he was sorry for the distress caused and wished Sajeev better opportunities ahead.

Sajeev later responded with gratitude, saying the apology brought him comfort after days of disappointment. He also reflected on what the experience had given him beyond the screen. “It was through this film that I got to meet and speak to Prithviraj in person,” he said, adding that even a blurred appearance in the film’s opening scene remained meaningful to him.