Dr. Biju recently directed the Malayalam-language anti-war film Adrishya Jalakangal.
Adrishya Jalakangal premiered at the 27th Tallinn Black Nights International Film Festival (TBNIFF) in Estonia in November 2023.
Renowned Malayalam director Dr. Biju has recently resigned from the board of the Kerala State Film Development Corporation (KSFDC). As per the latest reports, Dr Biju posted on social media that he has submitted his resignation letter to KSFDC. However, this update has created a huge buzz involving director Ranjith, the current chairman of the Kerala State Chalachitra Academy.
In a recent media interaction, Ranjith said, “There is no relevance in releasing movies like Dr Biju’s Adrishya Jalakangal, which lacks significant audience interest in theatres.” This statement erupted in controversy, leading to widespread criticism of Ranjith for his authoritative approach.
On the other hand, Dr Biju responded via a Facebook post titled ‘Open letter to Ranjith.’ In the letter, Dr Biju questioned Ranjith’s qualifications and relevance to holding the position of chairman at an international film festival. Biju also expressed his disinterest in accepting judgments from someone who appears unaware of the global film landscape beyond Kerala and our country.
Following this, criticism mounted against Ranjith from various quarters, with some demanding his removal as chairman of the Kerala State Chalachitra Academy.
Dr. Biju is an Indian homoeopathic physician who is now a renowned scriptwriter and director. He has worked in many popular films like Saira (2005), Veettilekkulla Vazhi (2010), Akasathinte Niram (2012), Perariyathavar (2013), Valiya Chirakulla Pakshikal (2016), Painting Life (2018), Sound of Silence (2017), and Veyilmarangal (2019) to name a few.
The filmmaker has been the recipient of three National Film Awards. His films have also been recognized with the Golden Goblet Award for Best Artistic Achievement at the Shanghai Film Festival in 2019. His movies have also been exhibited at numerous international film festivals like Cannes, Montreal, Shanghai, Telluride, Moscow, Cairo, Iran (Fajr), Eurasia, Almaty, Jeonju, Tallinn, Oporto, Dhaka, IFFK, and IFFI.
He recently directed the Malayalam-language anti-war film Adrishya Jalakangal. The movie featured Tovino Thomas, Nimisha Sajayan, and Indrans in prominent roles, and it was backed by Radhika Lau’s Ellanar Films, Naveen Yerneni, Y Ravi Shankar’s Mythri Movie Makers, and Tovino Thomas’ Tovino Thomas Productions.
The film premiered at the 27th Tallinn Black Nights International Film Festival (TBNIFF) in Estonia in November 2023, becoming the first Malayalam film in the official selection and the only Indian film this year to be selected.
