Joju George did not receive money for Churuli, claims makers misled him

Actor Joju George is one of the most versatile performers to have come from the Malayalam film industry. He was last seen in the Tamil film `Thug Life` alongside Kamal Haasan. Now, the actor is in the news for making a shocking revelation about the critically acclaimed Malayalam language film Churuli. The film was lauded for its experimental nature and sparked conversation for its intense use of profanities. Joju revealed that the version with abusive language was not meant for public release.

Joju did not receive money for Churuli

In an interview with The New Indian Express, Joju George revealed that the makers had promised him the version with abusive language would only be submitted for awards, and a cleaner version would be released for general audiences. However, the original version was released in theatres without his knowledge.
“I was told the version containing expletives would be sent only for awards. But they went ahead and released that version. I’m still carrying the burden of the decision. They should have contacted me and informed me of the matter as an act of courtesy before the OTT release. I didn’t receive a single rupee for acting. Truly, I have expressed this issue directly to them,” he said.

Joju landed in trouble for Churuli

He also said that the abusive version landed him in trouble, as a legal case was filed against him for mouthing the dialogues. “I had to weather it alone. I conveyed my concerns to the producers of the film, but no one called to check on me after the film was released in theatres,” he continued.

For the unaware, Churuli landed in legal trouble, with the Kerala High Court calling out the makers for its abusive language. After examining specific scenes from the film, Justice N. Nagaresh observed that the language used violated public decency standards.

About Churuli

Churuli tells the story of two undercover police officers who find themselves stuck in the mysterious village of Churuli while searching for a criminal on the run. Directed by Lijo Jose Pellisery, the film was released in February 2021. 

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