PS Sreekala Criticizes Jude Anthony’s 2018 Film: Some Truths, Some Distortions, Some Concealments, Some Lies

Director of Kerala Knowledge Economy Mission and writer Dr. PS Srikala. P.S. said that the film has been made with some distortions, some concealments and some lies along with the truths and the director is not ready to do the necessary research for such a film. Srikala wrote on Facebook. The note says that the film will present the Chief Minister, who called on the people of Kerala to mobilize the people of Kerala for flood relief work, ‘Then why don’t we come together…’

PS Sreekala criticizes that the youth came forward voluntarily under the leadership of the local self-governing institutions, Kerala does not have school buildings which constantly collapse during the rainy season or not, as shown in the movie. The note ends with the question of what is the difference between media that spreads lies and artistic expression if there is no honesty when expressing a true event in art, imagination, emotion and the story that goes with it.

Full text of the note:

Presentation of half-truth is as dangerous and scandalous as propaganda. Cinema is an area that has benefited greatly from the development of technology. It is in this context that some films are able to attract a large audience at the national level. It seems that it should not be heralded as a great thing. On the contrary, it would be a pity not to use such possibilities according to the resolution.

But it is a clever strategy to harness the best of technology to turn cinema into a propaganda medium. That strategy can be effective when the director knows the film. This is what has been applied in the movie Jude Anthony 2018. The director was seen saying that this film was born out of his guilt. I don’t know if he said that. If it has been said, it is thought that they must have felt guilty for the unscientific observation that the opening of the dam was the cause of the 2018 flood. But the film not only doesn’t refute that observation, it also establishes it to an extent.

The film honors the Keralites who forgot Kaimei and went to rescue operations during the 2018 floods, a relief. But there was a unique call to bring them to the scene, “Shall we not go down together?” It was given by the Chief Minister of Kerala. However, the film presents a helpless chief minister who is in crisis.

The film seems to remind or record the flood that occurred four-five years ago and the public rescue operations that took place that day. It is wrong. For example, the experience of fishermen becoming Kerala’s volunteer army. Fishermen belong to different religions and castes. They were not people who listened to the call given by the priest of any religion and turned away as the movie portrays. The rescuers are the ones who put their faith in the people’s representatives and the government, and are confident that they will be there to lead. There was a government system to provide the facilities they needed within the limitation of flood. The Chief Minister was awake day and night to lead. The director does not see this. Or, deliberately hiding it.

The director is not ready to do any research required for such a film. Even during that tragedy there were some who harbored the poison of vile caste consciousness, like some of the flooded families who refused to board the boat brought by the fish-smelling laborers. The high walls, gates and arches of the houses became a barrier to the rescue operations of the boats. The youth came forward voluntarily under the leadership of the local self-governing institutions. They were coordinated by local governments.

The Chief Minister honored the bravery of the fishermen who went ahead with the rescue operation with boats irrespective of caste and religion by giving the “Big Salute” of Kerala. There are so many events that we know are real.

But the director saw only one boat called Mary Mata. Symbolizing it. It is a memorial of the flood period. In that case, as presented in the movie, the monument should have been built in the name of the fisherman who is the owner of that boat and who volunteered to rescue the priest after seeing him in person. He saves so many people. He died when he fell down the wall while trying to remove the oat that fell in the heavy rain. (It can be considered natural during heavy rains. Even when it is not, the school is presented as a building that is constantly falling down. Thus, it is not known which school was there in Kerala in 2018, which keeps falling down).

Not only this, but there is one that has been evaluated by national research agencies after the floods that ravaged Kerala. It was said that it would take at least 20-30 years to recover Kerala from the flood. However, today’s Kerala has not even left the remnants of that great flood. The director may have his own (political) reasons for reluctance to say that Kerala has a government that has resurrected the people with confidence by compensating them for all the losses, including the boat and the house. But in bringing such themes to art, do not try to build a memory bridge of unreality over human oblivion.

Some truths, some distortions, some concealments, some lies… the structure of the movie 2018 is made up of these. When expressing a real event in art, imagination, emotion and the story that goes with it can be, but in any case, if there is no such thing as honesty and justice, then what is the difference between the media that spreads lies and artistic expression?