Exclusive! Jithin Issac Thomas: I make films to my liking, I don’t expect a particular reaction from audience

One who has watched Pra. Thoo. Mu. from the anthology Freedom Fight, will be surprised and ask themselves, ‘What did I just see!’. Director Jithin Issac Thomas’ segment in the latest Malayalam anthology is not only loud in politics but is also a cinematic treat - both in disturbingly wonderful ways. The directorial team, led by Jeo Baby, has pulled off five narrations on the fight for freedom, each presenting a different definition for freedom, set in different stories, created by the filmmakers.

From the subject to the visuals and the background track, Jithin’s Pra. Thu. Mu. has everything in it to catch your attention. It speaks about class politics with the central characters of a local ruler and a worker in the background of a story of septic tank cleaning. Sounds gripping, right?

Catching up with the director for an exclusive chat was as interesting as his segment and its politics. “Sometime back, I saw a group of septic tank workers asking not to use the toilets for a day, ahead of their cleaning near my place. I found it captivating, and created a story based on that idea,” he narrated the story that led to the conceptualisation of the film to OTTplay. He also spoke about Unni Lalu not being his first choice for the film, working on the anthology with Jeo Baby and more. Edited excerpts:

“Wanted to connect to Jeo Baby since I watched The Great Indian Kitchen”

Director Jeo Baby has been one of the most influential filmmakers of today’s Malayalam cinema. Jithin says he wanted to connect with him since watching his path-breaking movie The Great Indian Kitchen, which also bagged the State Award for Best Film this year.

After the screening of Jithin’s Attention Please at the International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK) last year, he luckily got a chance to meet the director through a mutual friend, which made things happier for him from then.

“When Jeo Baby told me about the anthology and asked to pitch story ideas if there were any, I was clueless. I didn’t have any idea then. I crafted a story afterward,” he says. He also added that the story was built upon his imagination, based on the septic tank cleaning incident that he saw in his neighbourhood once.

“Was sceptical about Unni Lalu at first, now he is the lead in my next”

“Casting was a bit of a task, as I wanted two leads, who look strikingly opposite physically,” he shares. “I talked to Siddharth Siva at The Great Indian Kitchen’s celebration, and he instantly agreed.” He said he had initially planned to cast someone else for the other role but was immediately impressed when he saw Unni Lalu’s audition. “When Unni Lalu came in, I was sceptical as I had only seen him doing romantic and light roles. But things turned upside down after the audition, as he was perfect for the role. After working with him and watching him on the screen, I decided to cast him again for my upcoming film titled Rekha,” he says.

“Freedom Fight offered much freedom”

Jithin recalls working on the film. He says he was given complete freedom to work on the anthology by the team Jeo Baby. “No one from the production team was there at the location, which facilitated me to do everything in my own way,” he says. This, he adds, has allowed the makers to tell their stories in a very raw manner. “We were enjoying what we were doing, and at the end, it turned out that the five tales were clearly putting forward five strong politics,” he exclaims.

“Attention Please is not for everyone”

The filmmaker is now gearing up for the release of Attention Please, which received raving responses at the IFFK screening. The movie is about an aspiring filmmaker of contemporary cinema. Jithin says he has presented it the way he felt was okay. Speaking about the film, he says, “I know Attention Please is not for everyone, and it will cater only to a part of the audience. But I don't make films to expect a particular reaction. I just do them, according to my liking and preference.”

Talking about political correctness, the director says he still is not clear about what the term actually intends. “I think it is not okay to offend anyone based on their colour, caste or more. But portraying something as it is, be it the body language, mannerisms or language, is not problematic,” he opines.

ALSO READ: Freedom Fight movie review: Jeo Baby’s hard-hitting anthology will leave you intrigued, influenced & impressed 

Meanwhile, Freedom Fight also presents the segments directed by Jeo Baby, Kunjila Mascillamani, Akhil Anilkumar, and Francies Louis. The anthology is currently streaming on SonyLIV.