Malayalam director Lijo JoSe Pellissery issued a statement addressing actor Joju George’s claims over non-payment of dues for his cameo in ‘Churuli’. In a note on Facebook, the filmmaker shared the proof of his payment to Joju George and explained that the film still hasn’t been released in theatres because of the A certificate given to it by the Censor Board of Film Certification (CBFC).

Written in Malayalam, his Facebook post read, “To my dear Joju, this clarification is being issued considering the disappointment caused to our producer friends.” He mentioned that the film has an A certificate and still hasn’t seen the light of the day, as he attached the proof of the receipts.

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Stating that there is a High Court order against the film regarding its use of explicit dialogue, he also emphasised that none of them associated with ‘Churuli’ misled Joju George during the film’s shooting.

The ‘Malaikottai Vaaliban’ director also clarified that “I don’t remember anyone misleading Joju during the film. Thankan Chettan (character played by Joju George) has a good understanding of this language,” he wrote.

He then added that ‘Churuli’ is streaming on SonyLIV and shared the proof of the transaction with Joju George for his three-day call sheet. The filmmaker also added that ‘Churuli’ will definitely release in theatres if there is a perfect opportunity.

This clarification stemmed from actor Joju George’s latest interview with The New Indian Express. He alleged that he was not paid for the film and violated the terms by not releasing the uncensored version in theatres.

‘Churuli’, directed by Lijo Jose Pellissery, is written by S Hareesh. The film also features Vinay Forrt, Chemban Vinod Jose, Soubin Shahir and Jaffar Idukki in pivotal roles, with Joju George in a cameo. After the film premiered at the International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK) in February 2021, it was later released on SonyLiv on November 19, 2021.

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