Although Alphonse Puthren's Premam was a box office success and was the blockbuster of 2015, the Nivin Pauly starrer failed secure a spot in the Kerala State Film Awards.
In an exclusive interview with ManoramaOnline, Kerala State Film Award jury chairman and director Mohan had revealed that Premam, despite being a good entertainer, didn't match up to the standards of the state awards as its making was not perfect.
On Vishu day, Premam director Alphonse Puthren, who is known for his sharp wit and sarcasm, took to Facebook to retort Mohan's write-up in a national daily in the same line.
Read the complete post below:
Senior film-maker Mohan stands unfazed even as bitter barbs are being thrown at him for ignoring the blockbuster Premam from this year’s State film awards.
As jury chairman, he feels that cinema, like novels, short stories and poems, should have a certain form and structure and Premam lacked it completely.
“Or else how could someone relate to a film, where a major portion of the first half revolves around a few rudderless youth trying to woo a girl, with only her father opposing it. Premam ’s first half seems to have been made in haste. It had no clarity at all. I had great respect for the director after watching his earlier movie Neram ,” he told The Hindu on Friday.
My reply to Mohan sir :
Structure is man made. When I have to tell about a feeling that is "love" ..love is not a feeling alone... it is a creator of feelings. It can help you see magic and miracles and it can make you feel deep black darkness too. So I was taking a film in which i was officialy comparing a butterfly to love. Now sir...when you judge a butterfly with man made structures...I couldn't relate to steady shots and logic. Because however you try to watch the butterfly you won't be able to find logic in its movement. So my shots and making might have been logic less. So forgive me for breaking the norms and structure of filmmaking for my small film.
The birth of George The George in his caterpillar stage The George in his pupa stage (chrysalis) and the final butterfly stage .
The darkness is the transformation of each stage sir.
I thought this was the structure of the film sir.
Thanks that you didn't give any award for me or anyone in the film because you didn't find any structure in it. It is not for Interval and Climax..... I do films for the love of cinema and love for freedom and hope. And my film gets complete even after the end credits. In a film about love(Premam) I would let the hero run behind the heroine till the end of the film because its about love and because it was not about Politics. My film was received by the audience in Kerala with 151 days and 259 days in Tamil nadu and it was re released later too. I'm the audience and I do films that entertain me and I'm not a wanna be filmmaker who thinks that I shouldn't do this or that because the award comittee won't like it. I don't play safe. I'll break some rules. I'm replying because you degraded my film, my work and my fellow people with your ignorance sir. I was really sad and was depressed for a month because of your comment about my creation. I'm reacting after a month because my ignorance shouldn't make you feel that you are correct. Everyone has a perspective. So be open to every perspective.
*Please avoid me from awards next time too if this is the criteria.
Please make more movies like Pakshe sir. I as an audience would love to watch it. Wasn't pakshe about lost love ?
Thank you Mohan sir and happy vishu sir.