Latest news with #Lijo
Business Standard
07-07-2025
- Business
- Business Standard
Sigachi Industries board appoints Lijo Chacko as Deputy Group CEO
Sigachi Industries said that its board has approved the appointment of Lijo Stephen Chacko as deputy group chief executive officer (Dy. Group CEO) of the company with effect from 07 July 2025. Lijo Chacko is the chief executive officer Middle East & Africa at Sigachi Industries. He is a cross-sectoral leader with a rich background spanning defence, industrial manufacturing, and the development sector. With a proven record in building strategic partnerships, managing complex operations, and driving organizational transformation, Lijo brings a rare blend of experience and insight to the global leadership team at Sigachi. Lijo is a graduate of the Naval College of Engineering and a certified mountaineer from the Himalayan Mountaineering Institute. He is also an alumnus of Yale University, the Jamnalal Bajaj Institute of Management Studies, the Institute of Development Studies, and the Robert Bosch Foundation. He is a fellow of the Institution of Engineers and a member of the Institute of Directors. Sigachi Industries is one of the leading manufacturers of Microcrystalline Cellulose (MCC) in the domestic as well as the international market, supplying essential molecules for pharma excipients, nutraceuticals, cosmetics and food industries. The companys consolidated net profit tanked 11.8% to Rs 13.27 crore on a 23.1% rise in revenue from operations to Rs 128.20 crore in Q4 FY25 over Q4 FY24. The scrip shed 0.93% to currently trade at Rs 44.61 on the BSE.
New Indian Express
29-06-2025
- Entertainment
- New Indian Express
'Churuli' controversy: Lijo Jose Pellissery withdraws FB post against Joju George
KOCHI: Two days after filmmaker Lijo Jose Pellissery and actor Joju George entered into a spat over the release of 2021 movie 'Churuli,' Lijo on Saturday, withdrew his Facebook post that claimed that the actor received Rs 5,90,000 as remuneration for the role. The controversy was triggered by Joju's statement in TNIE's 'Express Dialogues' programme aired on Sunday. In the interview, Joju said he hadn't received any remuneration for the film and had conveyed his displeasure to the producers. Responding to this, the director wrote on Facebook that Joju had received an amount of Rs 5,90,000 for acting for three days. 'Dear Joju, this clarification is in light of the emotional distress caused to the producers, who are our friends. The film, certified 'A', has not yet been released in theatres. The language used was examined by a committee, and a High Court verdict exists. None of us recall misleading Joju during the shoot,' Lijo wrote on Facebook. Actor Joju, on Thursday, had demanded that the agreement signed before taking up the role in 'Churuli' be made public.
Time of India
27-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Joju George on 'Churuli' controversy: 'I was well aware of the language used'
(Picture Courtesy: Facebook) Actor Joju George recently made serious allegations against the makers of 'Churuli'. The actor accused them of a breach of trust after they allegedly released an expletive-filled version of the film on an OTT platform—contrary to what he had originally been promised. "They told me one thing and did another" In a conversation with On Manorama, Joju shared," The filmmakers had assured him that the version containing profane language would only be screened at select film festivals. For public release, he claims, a censored version was to be used, and he even dubbed a separate audio track for it. However, Joju says the version now streaming online is the uncut, profanity-laden one, which was sold to the OTT platform for a substantial amount. "They told me one thing and did another," he said, expressing disappointment and emotional distress. The actor stated that it wasn't just about his professional image but also the impact it had on his personal life. 'My daughter faced bullying because of those scenes,' he shared, adding that this was the main reason he chose to speak up. Churuli - Official Trailer Rebuttal to Lijo Jose Pellissery's claims - 'Lijo has only shown a receipt' The controversy deepened when director Lijo Jose Pellissery, in a Facebook post, referred to Joju's role as a "guest appearance" and claimed that he was paid Rs 5.9 lakh for it. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Free P2,000 GCash eGift UnionBank Credit Card Apply Now Undo Joju has strongly refuted this, saying that not only did he not receive any remuneration, but he also spent more days on set than what a guest role typically demands. 'Lijo has only shown a receipt. Let him show the entire agreement,' Joju challenged, suggesting that the document would reveal the full scope of his involvement and payment expectations. Joju clarified that he remains an admirer of Lijo's work and would not have gone public with his grievances if it hadn't personally affected his family. 'I was well aware of the language used in the film—that wasn't the problem. The real issue is that I was misled, and it deeply disturbed my family.' he said. Meanwhile, Joju George was recently seen in the Suriya starrer action flick 'Retro' directed by Karthik Subbaraj.
Time of India
26-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Lijo Jose Pellissery responds to Joju George's allegation; shares proof of payment for 'Churuli' cameo
Picture Credit: Facebook Malayalam filmmaker Lijo Jose Pellissery shared a social media post following actor Joju George 's claims about unpaid dues for his cameo appearance in the 2021 film 'Churuli'. Taking to Facebook, the director issued a detailed statement along with payment receipts to clarify the matter and defend the film's production team. Joju George, in a recent interview with The New Indian Express, alleged that he was not compensated for his role in 'Churuli' and that the film was released on OTT without following the agreed-upon terms, including a theatrical release. Reacting to the controversy, Lijo wrote a note in Malayalam, saying, "To my dear Joju, this clarification is being issued considering the disappointment caused to our producer friends. " In his post, the filmmaker also provided a copy of the receipt as proof that Joju George was indeed paid for his three-day call sheet. Lijo made it clear that all necessary payments were made and that there was no miscommunication or deception involved during the shooting. He further elaborated that the film had received an 'A' certificate from the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC), which made the theatrical release a challenge. Due to this certification and an existing High Court order regarding the film's usage of explicit language, the makers had to opt for an OTT release. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Worst Home Items That People Own, Ranked CleverClassic Undo 'Churuli' eventually premiered on SonyLIV on November 19, 2021, after its initial screening at the International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK) in February 2021. Addressing Joju George's concern about not being informed about the film's language and content, Lijo wrote, "We do not recall misleading Joju at any point during the filming process. Thankan Chettan (his character) is someone who has a good understanding of this kind of language." He also added that despite the OTT release, the team is still open to a theatrical run for 'Churuli' when the right opportunity arises. Directed by Lijo Jose Pellissery and written by S. Hareesh, Churuli stars Vinay Forrt, Chemban Vinod Jose, Soubin Shahir , and Jaffar Idukki in lead roles, with Joju George in a cameo appearance.
The Hindu
08-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Hindu
Malayalam filmmaker Vinod AK : ‘Moonwalk' is inspired by several real-life stories
For Vinod AK, his directorial debut, Moonwalk, is a trip down memory lane to an era when a generation was addicted to breakdance, Michael Jackson and, of course, the moonwalk. Vinod has packed it all in this slice-of-life narrative about a bunch of young men in the late '80s, who fell in love with the dance style and weaved their world around it even as they navigated the ups and downs of their personal lives. The ad filmmaker's journey to Moonwalk can be attributed to his student days in Thiruvananthapuram. 'We were fans of the disco trend and loved watching the likes of Kamal Haasan and Mithun Chakraborthy grooving. But when we were introduced to breakdance, you can't imagine the kick we got from the moves, the music, the steps and the style. I was wonder struck when I first saw it live on stage. A group of us friends used to go for all such programmes and some of us got on stage as well.' He mentions some of the famous breakdance teams of the time in Thiruvananthapuram such as Footloosers, Spindles and Boomers. 'We were in awe of their hair, costumes, and attitude. But as years passed by, most of these teams were disbanded.' He had not planned to make a film on this subject. 'I had other stories with me and had almost reached the production stages of a project, but had to drop it. That was when I thought of a movie on the breakdancing community,' he says. The major impetus being a documentary on the breakdancing community that he had conceptualised. 'We had covered dancers from across Kerala with Jomith Johny, who is in my team, tracking down several veterans.' The documentary could not be released, Vinod says, as it was too long and there were some copyright issues as well. 'That's when we realised that there was enough content for a feature film. We flexed the draft and came up with a script,' says Vinod, who co-wrote it with Mathew Varghis and Sunil Gopalakrishnan, who have been working with him on his ad films. Vinod admits that Moonwalk is inspired by several real-life stories. 'It is a compilation of what happened in the lives of multiple dancers. But we have tweaked those true events because some of these stories are heartbreaking,' he says. Vinod says that but for the pandemic the film would have released earlier. 'Although we had planned for breaks in the schedule to show different phases in the lives of the characters, COVID-19 delayed it further.' A portion was completed in 2020, Vinod says, and the rest in 2023 and 2024. 'There was confusion about taking it forward and the producers, who were actually my clients, were forced to back out because neither they nor I were sure about how it would turn out.' However, a saviour came in the form of director Lijo Jose Pellissery. He backed the project, the other two producers being Listin Stephen and Jasnin Ahamed. 'But for Lijo the film would still remain unreleased. It was Prashant Pillai (composer of the movie) who told Lijo about the project. He liked and stressed that it has to be mounted and distributed on a bigger scale. As for Listin, he had called me when we released a trailer three years ago. Although nothing happened at that time it seems he was destined to be associated with it.' The young, new faces have become the talking point of the film with their performance and their dance moves. 'Our initial plan was to have only actors from Thiruvananthapuram in the cast since the dialect would be easy for them. But that didn't materialise.' Some known young actors were to be included to up the commercial value of the film, Vinod says. 'That didn't work out since they didn't look the age of the characters — 17 or thereabouts. Even with make-up and costumes, it would have been difficult for them to play that vulnerable age. Also, they had busy schedules and didn't have time to prepare for the roles.' After several auditions they found apt actors from across Kerala and even outside. Key roles are played by Anunath (Jake), Sujith (Arun), Rishi Kainikara (Varun), Manoj Moses (Shaji), Sidharth Babu (Shibu), Prem Shankar (Sudeep), Appu Asgar (Anikuttan) and Sibi Kuttappan (Sura). 'They were trained by Sreejith Dazzlers, one of the celebrated choreographers in the state. I contacted him after watching his work in Amen. The best thing about him is that he is familiar with the breaking styles in Thiruvananthapuram and Kochi, which have many differences. He was worked with me in my ad films also.' Vinod adds, 'Now you can go to YouTube or social media to learn any dance style. Back then, these dancers learned the steps from one another. So there is something amateurish about the way they perform. We have tried to keep that in the initial scenes where these boys are trying to learn the style.' The Moonwalk team also brought in some of the veteran breakdancers from across Kerala for the pre-release promotions. 'The film is about them and so we found it apt to have them,' he says. The film is set in Thiruvananthapuram in late '80s and suitable locations were hard to come by. 'Kazhakkoottam, for example is no longer the quiet, underdeveloped area it used to be and so we had to shoot certain scenes in another part of the city. Finding a rough, uneven asphalt road was another challenge!' Music and background score are the mainstay of the movie and Vinod believes that Prashant Pillai was the best to have on board. 'Initially, I wanted multiple composers. Since I have worked with Prashant on some ads, I discussed the project with him. He was so excited that he immediately said 'We are doing it.' So there was no question of going to anyone else. I love his approach to music; he surprises you with his tunes and there is a different vibe in his works. He gave his heart and soul to the idea. He used to send samples and that helped in detailed visualisation of the sequences.' Vinod is disheartened that they could not use original Michael Jackson songs or footage owing to copyright infringement issues. 'Lijo was specific about not violating it; Prashant was also cautious. For example, the scene where they are about to play the DVD of MJ's Thriller, we planned it in such a way that they can't watch it because the screen wobbles. We tweaked the original track also! It is sad that we could not use his songs or moves. That would have taken the film to another level. But we could not afford to take that chance,' he says.
