KOLLAM: Actor-turned-director Kollam Ajith who gave life to characters in over 600 films during his 34-year-long career, is staging a lonely protest. He is on tour across the state from Kasargod to the state capital screening his new film in public for free against the attitude of denying theatres for arthouse movies. His Pakal Pole spreading an anti-terrorism message also faced negligence from the Censor Board, he alleges. “My latest film is an effort to spread social awareness based on an international subject of terrorism. The low-budget movie could not attract mainstream theatres," he told DC during his stop in the home city.
“However, when approached, the government cinemas are also reluctant to screen. They offered a date in June but were hesitant to confirm the date. I have no intention to make money from this, but there should be a situation supporting such parallel cinema having good art value.” The one-man protestor sets up screens in public spots with the help of local film enthusiasts to screen his movie which is gaining good reception. Ajith also complains of the ordeal he had to face while getting the movie censored.
“I also suffered a bitter experience of censors indefinitely delaying the certification on flimsy reasons. The cost of getting a film censored has been enormously hiked recently which gravely affects such small movies. Apart from this, they also have no right to cut off visuals, but their job is just to grade the movies they get to censor,” he added.
Ajith started his career by working as an assistant director with filmmaker Padmarajan in 1981. After long 34 years in the industry as an actor, mainly handling villain roles, he found himself to be a victim of typecasting and switched over to scripting and directing to find a niche in the ever-evolving industry. His new movie Oru Kadalinum Appuram on the loneliness in old age is in the offing. He lives in Kakkanad along with his wife Prameela and children Gayathri and Sreehari.
