‘Premam’ director Alphonse Puthren has found unexpected support in his tussle with state film award jury chairman Mohan. The young director had taken issue with Mohan’s comment that the blockbuster did not deserve to be considered for an award.
He said he was forced to reply because the senior director had disparaged his movie and those who worked on it. He even said that his films need not be considered for future awards if the juries were looking for certain criteria like structure.
Film director B. Unnikrishnan has come out in defense of Puthren. He said he wondered how Mohan could make such a comment on ‘Premam’. Here is what Unnikrishnan had to say about the whole controversy.
“I watched ‘Premam’ once again on TV yesterday. I also read Alphonse’s reply to Mohan sir through Facebook. I am not getting into that. I usually keep away from controversies related to awards.
A jury goes by what it feels is right. Awards do not mean anything beyond this. But when a jury chairman targets a particular movie and analyses its aesthetics, it is bound to draw some reactions. I can’t help saying it. I do not understand how the respectable Mohan sir could say that this film lacked unity, structure and focus in the first half and it was made without any care.
“There cannot be anything far removed from truth. If this is is a lax way of moviemaking, Puthren should do it more often. We do not need any awards.,” Unnikrishnan said.
Mohan had said that the jury felt ‘Premam’ was not worth considering for an award in any category as the movie lacked standards.