KOCHI: Actor Joju George on Thursday demanded that the agreement for his role in 'Churuli' be made public, escalating a fresh row over the controversial film. The demand came in response to filmmaker Lijo Jose Pellissery’s social media post stating that the actor was paid Rs 5.9 lakh for a "three-day guest appearance" in the film.
Addressing the media in Kochi, Joju said he agreed to act in Churuli under the impression that a version with abusive language would be used only for festival screenings. “I was told it was for festivals. Later, the same version was released on OTT and monetised. If Lijo is now saying I was paid Rs 5.9 lakh, he should also publish the agreement,” Joju said.
The controversy was triggered by Joju’s remarks on TNIE's 'Express Dialogues' programme aired on Sunday. In the interview, Joju said he hadn’t received any remuneration for the film and had conveyed his displeasure to the producers. “Nobody even called me to enquire about it,” he had said, adding that the backlash he faced for the film’s language caused personal distress.
Joju also shared a personal fallout of the controversy. “My daughter was shown scenes from 'Churuli' by her schoolmate, where I was using expletives. That put me in an extremely embarrassing position before my own family,” he said.
Responding to the claims, Lijo, in a Facebook post on Thursday, clarified that Joju had indeed been paid. “Dear Joju, this clarification is in light of the emotional distress caused to the producers, who are our friends. The film, certified ‘A’, has not yet been released in theatres. The language used was examined by a committee, and a High Court verdict exists. None of us recall misleading Joju during the shoot,” Lijo wrote. He also added that Thankan Chettan, who worked on the film, had a sound understanding of the dialect used.
Lijo’s post also noted that the film is currently streaming on Sony LIV and will have a theatrical release in the future.
Joju, meanwhile, reiterated that his concerns were never about the money alone. “I acted in the film because I wanted to work with Lijo. I even dubbed a cleaner version, which was screened at IFFK. Once the uncensored version became public, I bore the brunt. I raised these concerns when it happened. Even when a case was filed, nobody responded,” he said.
Calling Churuli a “brilliant work”, Joju maintained that his role was not a mere guest appearance. “I only asked about the payment after the film turned commercially successful,” he said.