The Malayalam cinema world is in active discussion about the ‘review’ of the movie. Director Roshan Andrews is firm on the argument that it is ‘sadistic mind’ who tear the movie which is being made at a cost of crores of rupees after seeing the first show. Film should be criticized creatively. But Roshan insists that a movie review is not suicide. Active in Malayalam cinema for 17 years, Roshan Andrews’ first three films won the state award. Roshan (36 years old) also directed the film when actor Suriya made his debut in production. The operation of the ‘Nava Agashva’ method at Roshan Cinemas in Mumbai is revealed amid the rush of the new Bollywood film starring Shahid Kapoor.
Your comment about film criticism has become a big controversy? Does the audience who watches the movie paying money have no right to criticize?
I have been standing here as a director for 17 years with the support of the audience. I have never blamed the audience’s point of view for criticizing the film. Controversial people were twisting an answer I gave in an interview related to the movie Saturday Night. I have not criticized the enlightened audience in Kerala. I was talking about the decline in quality of movie reviewers. I asked if the reviewer had written a story. Do reviewers set the pace of a film? The language and style they use is so poor. Absolute contempt for everyone. Let them see the reviews of people like Anupama Chopra and Bharadwaj Rangan. Like Kozhikode and Cineke, there were people who reviewed the film beautifully. This is a quotation group here. I know people who take money from manufacturers by threatening to give bad reviews. There are people who are tweeting that it is a good movie by charging up to 2 lakh rupees.
Is there a habit here of coming to meet the audience with a mic even during the break of the movie to seek feedback?
YouTube reviewers storm the theater and ask for feedback during intermission. Then there will be viewers who will say good and bad things about the movie. Many people are blackmailing the producer by showing this. If you don’t pay, the film will be edited and shown only as bad. Theater owners should be careful not to let such people into the theatre. Those who come during the break today will live from inside the theater within 10 minutes of the start of the movie tomorrow. On the first day after the movie, the guy who comes with the mic should be pushed away. I have directly requested the producer and theater owner Anthony Perumbavoor and others not to allow such people in the theatre.
Shouldn’t we realize that in fact, review and criticism are two?
There are two types of film reviews and reviews. In the past there were good reviews in the media. It is not suicide. We are talking about the creativity of the film. The reviewers here express their disappointment of not being able to make it to the movie. They are sadists. They should not come to mark my film. Who gave the authority to these people to mark the film? Those who need to earn from YouTube should not drink blood for killing the movie. Those who commit suicide should be chased away. There is no need for some people to write reviews in the name of being the advocates of the cinema audience in Kerala. I am not saying that all YouTube movie reviewers in Kerala are bad. There are those who review the film by understanding it factually. They are very few.
Did you say that movies are not criticized in Korea?
When Parasite director Bong Jung Hoo received the Oscar, he said that he would dedicate the Oscar to his country. It is the Korean people who promote the good movies released in that country. Cinema is the greatest entertainment of those people. They don’t want to destroy it. They don’t kill movies with reviews. Good cinema in Korea is inspired by its people. That is what I pointed out. What’s wrong with that?
Is the argument that one should study the film academically to criticize the film?
No director tells the audience to study the film academically and criticize it. What Mohanlal, who has been a superstar in the industry for years, said and what Anjali Menon said are correct. None of them blames the audience for criticism. Anjali Menon is a director who has made great movies in Malayalam. What they said is correct. The rhythm of their story is determined by the director who listens to the story and makes the film. Alphonse Putran is a director who has shot films all over India. If Messi’s game is bad, talk about that game. Why should you drag Messi’s character into it?
If we say that directors get angry only when they fail?
I have done 12 films in 2005 from Udayan Athari to Saturday Night. Out of that 3 movies were failures. Others were hits or blockbusters. The flops were Casanova, Saturday Night and School Bus. When the film ‘Note Book’ was released, it was judged to be a failure. Later it was accepted by the audience. I cannot predict the success of the film. Then I will not produce all my films myself. I want to be known as a person who has done different films and experimental films. It will continue like this. I come here from a normal family. He came to the cinema with difficulty. I will continue to do films that I like. I will make a film that I can enjoy as a person. We are confident that we will get a producer and an actor for it. Let those who throw stones throw stones.
Do you have the experience of asking for money before the review comes?
When my film Mumbai Police came out, a critic bought Rs 25,000 from the producer. If I didn’t pay, there was a threat that Prithiraj, the hero of the film, would spread the word that he was gay in the film. I came to know about this late. The same person asked for money when ‘How Old Are You’ came out. A Malayalam channel also publicized the climax of Mumbai Police on the first day itself. I called the main person of the channel. His question was whether we should also present the program.