Latest news with #Joju
The Hindu
27-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Hindu
Jeethu Joseph's ‘Valathu Vashathe Kallan,' starring Biju Menon and Joju George, launched
We had previously reported that Drishyam-maker Jeethu Joseph's next is a feature film titled Valathu Vashathe Kallan, starring actors Biju Menon and Joju George in the lead. On Monday (May 26), the film went on floors with a pooja ceremony in Kochi. August Cinema, the banner backing the film, and the writer of the film, Dinu Thomas Ealan, shared pictures from the pooja ceremony on their social media handles to announce the news. Billed as 'a gripping tale where crime meets conscience,' Valathu Vashathe Kallan also stars Lena, Irshad Ali, Gokul, and Shaju Sreedhar. The film has Jeethu's frequent collaborators — cinematographer Satheesh Kurup, editor Vinayak VS and music director Vishnu Shyam — reuniting for the technical duties. August Cinema, Bedtime Stories, and Cineholix jointly produce the film. Interestingly, both Joju and Biju are set to be seen in big-ticket titles in Tamil. Joju will be seen soon in Suriya's Retro, while he is also part of Kamal Haasan-Mani Ratnam's Thug Life. Biju, on the other hand, will make a comeback in Tamil with Sivakarthikeyan's upcoming film with AR Murugadoss, titled Madharasi. Meanwhile, Jeethu is re-teaming with Malayalam superstar Mohanlal and producer Antony Perumbavoor for a third installment of Drishyam.
Hindustan Times
26-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
Joju George calls Kamal Haasan's praise his 'Oscar', recalls being hurt by Mollywood co-stars: Was always misunderstood
Superstar Kamal Haasan recently attended the audio launch event of his upcoming film Thug Life. During the event, the actor praised his co-star Joju George for his performance. Reacting to his words of praise, Joju penned a heartfelt note on Instagram, stating that Kamal's appreciation was like an Oscar to him. He also opened up about being misunderstood by his co-workers in Malayalam cinema and expressed gratitude to Mani Ratnam for casting him in Thug Life. (Also Read: Silambarasan says Mani Ratnam asked him to grab Kamal Haasan's neck tightly in Thug Life: 'He gave terrible reaction') Joju shared a video of Kamal appreciating his work on Instagram and wrote, "Thank you, Kamal Sir. This is my dream come true. I dreamt of getting big awards, but for me, your wonderful words and appreciation of my work feels like I've won my Oscar. You are a superstar and our universal role model. I'm a huge fan and a good disciple of yours; all of us always look forward to watch your every move on screen. So, getting such appreciation from you is my real Oscar." A post shared by JOJU (@jojugeorgeactorofficial) He added, "I worked very hard to get my roles framed to perfection. I always expected people from the industry to tell me how I did in all my movies. However, from my own field, very few (my co-workers) appreciated my roles and work. I struggled to share my movie posters with celebrities; mostly, I was always misunderstood. Many media persons and co-workers hurt me badly. But today, I'm so happy that I received such appreciation from Kamal Sir, which made my day. 'Joseph' made me happy, while the rest is just a bonus. As a human, I feel satisfied and fulfilled through his words. Thug Life is a memorable experience for me, and working with them all was remarkable." He further shared how working on Thug Life proved to be a transformative experience for him, both professionally and personally. Reflecting on his journey, Joju said the film gave him the motivation to move forward in life during a particularly difficult period. What began as a desperate situation turned into overwhelming happiness, thanks to the support he received along the way. He expressed deep gratitude to director Mani Ratnam for entrusting him with the role, calling it a wonderful opportunity to collaborate with a filmmaker of his calibre. Joju also reiterated his faith in cinema and affirmed that his journey in the industry is far from over, dedicating the appreciation he's received to all those who stood by him. The much-awaited gangster drama marks Kamal Haasan's reunion with Mani Ratnam after 38 years. Fans had earlier showered love on their film Nayakan and are now eagerly waiting to see their magic again in Thug Life. The film also stars Trisha Krishnan, Silambarasan, Abhirami, Aishwarya Lekshmi, Nassar, and more in key roles and is scheduled to release in theatres on 5 June.
India Today
26-05-2025
- Entertainment
- India Today
Kamal Haasan's praise is my Oscar, Mollywood co-workers hurt me: Actor Joju George
Actor Joju George broke down when his idol, Kamal Haasan, appreciated his performance in 'Iratta' at the audio launch of their upcoming film, 'Thug Life' in Chennai on May 24. Hours later, the actor shared the clip and wrote a heartfelt note stating that Haasan's appreciation is his Oscar. Calling him a universal role model, Joju also spoke about about always being misunderstood even among his co-workers in Malayalam the audio launch of 'Thug Life', Kamal Haasan recalled the time he watched 'Iratta'. "I didn't know who Joju was. Then suddenly, I found myself watching all his films. There's a film called 'Iratta'," he began his the time he played multiple roles in 'Michael Madana Kama Rajan', he said, "I must have done nearly thirty double roles in my career. In 'Michael Madana Kama Rajan', I didn't show much of a difference between my four characters in terms of makeup. But Joju, right from the early days, managed double roles with subtlety. In the film, he is in the same police station playing different brothers. But, you could immediately differentiate both characters." He said, "Joju, you're one of the actors I envy." Joju stood up, folded his hands and started tearing the video:Ivara paathu kathukodaa @rajinikanth (@Jana_Naayagan) May 25, 2025Sharing the clip on his Instagram, he talked about how his co-workers in the Malayalam film industry misunderstood him. However, he was satisfied and fulfilled hearing Kamal Haasan's his caption, Joju claimed that he always dreamt of getting big awards, but it felt like he's won Oscar when Kamal Haasan showered him with praise."This is my dream come true. I dreamt of getting big awards, but for me, your wonderful words and appreciation of my acting really made me feel like I've won my Oscar. You are such a big superstar and our universal role model. I'm a huge fan and a good disciple of yours; we always look forward to all your minute moments in acting. So, getting such appreciation from you is my real Oscar (sic)," he explained. In his note, he claimed that he always looked for validation from his Malayalam industry. "However, from my own field, very few appreciated my roles and word - I mean, from my coworkers. I struggled to share my movie posters with celebrities; mostly, I was always misunderstood without understanding what I was really doing. Many media people, co-workers hurt me badly," he was Kamal Haasan's appreciation that made his day. He said that his film 'Joseph' made him happy and anything that happened after that was just a bonus in his life. "As a human, I'm so satisfied and fulfilled through his words. I was on the epitome of happiness. Like Mani sir and Simbu sir said, all these made my happy. 'Thug Life' is a memorable experience for me and working with the was all was remarkable," he ended his note by calling 'Thug Life' an 'art' and 'emotional masterpiece', which gave him the courage to move forward in life. "From a desperate situation where I was figured out with all negatives without considering my positives, I'm now overwhelmed with happiness. I dedicate this appreciation to all the people who supported me," he also thanked Mani Ratnam for giving him the opportunity to work with him.'Thug Life' will release in theatres on June 5.
The Hindu
07-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Hindu
Joju George confirms ‘Pani 2' is in the works, reveals plans to make it a trilogy
Malayalam star Joju George has confirmed that Pani 2, a sequel to his 2024 directorial debut Pani, is in the works. The actor revealed that the film will tell an entirely new story featuring a new cast and backdrop. The actor took to his Instagram account to announce the news. The film, currently in pre-production, will go on floors in December this year. Other details regarding the cast and crew are yet to be announced. Meanwhile, to much surprise, Joju has revealed that Pani was envisioned as a trilogy and that Pani 2 will be on a grander, larger scale than the first part. 'The third instalment, Pani 3, is expected to be the most intense of the three, and will also introduce a new set of lead performers,' read a statement from the makers. The revenge drama Pani, released in 2024, met with resounding success at the box office. It starred Joju alongside Abhinaya, Sagar Surya, Junaiz VP, Seema, Sujith Shankar, Prashanth Alexander, Ranjith Velayudhan, Bobby Kurian, Rinosh George, Jayashanker and Abhaya Hiranmayi along with 60 newcomers and thousands of junior artists. With music scored by Vishnu Vijay and Sam CS, the film had cinematography by Venu ISC and Jinto George, and editing by Manu Antony. Pani was produced by M Riyaz Adam and Sijo Vadakkan under Appu Pathu Pappu Productions, AD Studios, and Sree Gokulam Movies.
The Hindu
07-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Hindu
Joju George confirms ‘Pani 2' is in the works; film to go
Malayalam star Joju George has confirmed that Pani 2, a sequel to his 2024 directorial debut Pani, is in the works. The actor revealed that the film will tell an entirely new story featuring a new cast and backdrop. The actor took to his Instagram account to announce the news. Further, the actor also revealed that the script of the sequel is complete and that pre-production work is underway. Stating that Pani was envisioned as a trilogy, the star added that Pani 2 will be on a grander, larger scale than the first part. The revenge drama Pani, released in 2024, met with resounding success at the box office. It starred Joju alongside Abhinaya, Sagar Surya, Junaiz VP, Seema, Sujith Shankar, Prashanth Alexander, Ranjith Velayudhan, Bobby Kurian, Rinosh George, Jayashanker and Abhaya Hiranmayi along with 60 newcomers and thousands of junior artists. With music scored by Vishnu Vijay and Sam CS, the film had cinematography by Venu ISC and Jinto George, and editing by Manu Antony. Pani was produced by M Riyaz Adam and Sijo Vadakkan under Joju's own production banner Appu Pathu Pappu Productions, AD Studios, and Sree Gokulam Movies
