Joji (film)

Joji
File:Joji 2021.jpg Official release poster
Directed by	Dileesh Pothan
Produced by	Fahadh Faasil Dileesh Pothan Syam Pushkaran
Written by	Syam Pushkaran
Based on	Macbeth by William Shakespeare
Starring	Fahadh Faasil Baburaj Shammi Thilakan Unnimaya Prasad Basil Joseph
Music by	Justin Varghese
Cinematography	Shyju Khalid
Edited by	Kiran Das
Production company	Bhavana Studios Working Class Hero Fahadh Faasil and Friends
Distributed by	Amazon Prime Video
Release date	7 April 2021 (2021-04-07)
Running time	113 minutes
Country	India
Language	Malayalam

Joji is a 2021 Indian Malayalam-language crime drama film directed by Dileesh Pothan and written by Syam Pushkaran. The story is inspired by William Shakespeare's play Macbeth. The film was produced by Bhavana Studios in association with Working Class Hero, and Fahadh Faasil and Friends. Fahadh Faasil plays the title character, while Baburaj, Shammi Thilakan, and Unnimaya Prasad play other pivotal roles. The plot revolves around a wealthy family of three sons and a father living in the countryside of Kerala.

Principal photography took place from November 2020 to January 2021, shot extensively in Kottayam. Joji released through the OTT service Amazon Prime Video on 7 April 2021.

Plot

Joji, an engineering dropout, along with elder brothers Jomon and Jaison lead a life of fear under their dominating father Kuttappan. The family also includes Jaison's wife Bincy and Jomon's teenage son Popy. They live in a vast house in the middle of sizable plantation in high ranges of Covid ridden Kerala. While Joji looks meek among his father and brothers, he appears to share a bond with Bincy and Popy.

Despite being 74, Kuttappan is well-built and is very much in charge of family affairs. Jomon, a divorcee, aids him in agriculture in their vast estate, while Jaison manages their businesses in town. Joji is running unsuccessful ventures, the remains of them being a horse tied in their estate. He is financially dependent on Kuttappan who is physically abusive of Joji. Bincy manages the household chores and is always shown to be occupied in the kitchen. A pond is being dug in the family yard by workers including Gireesh and Sudhi. Kuttappan manages to pull out a heavy valve stuck in mud as nobody else could handle it. But he suffers a stroke in the process and is hospitalised. A close relative of the family Dr. Felix discusses with his fellow doctors and comes to the conclusion that Kuttappan is paralyzed and there is little hope of improvement in his condition. Things look brighter even for Joji as he manages to sell his horse after showing it off to buyers in the family's yard.

However, Kuttappan returns home bedridden and unable to speak. Jomon is visibly upset over his father's condition, while the others at various levels hope for a speedy death. Joji even visits his father in bed and mocks his paralyzed hand which was used to abuse him. When Kuttappan shows further physical suffering, Jomon decide to sanction a risky surgery, which is fortunately successful. This brings a recovering Kuttappan back home, albeit in a wheelchair, getting everyone in the house back to their old ways.

As prompted by Bincy, Jaison asks his father for money to buy a new house in the town. But Kuttapan rejects it and ridicules Jaison. Kuttappan also manages to use a pen to sign a cheque indicating his improved condition. An upset Bincy shares her frustration with Joji. Joji decides to stand up against his father and demands him to step down. However the old man manages to choke Joji with his able left hand and ridicules him as well. Joji decides to kill his father, and begins to secretly replace Kuttappan's daily medication with similar looking pills. This is witnessed by Bincy who does not divulge the truth as she and Jaison too secretly wish for Kuttappan's death. Joji's plan works and Kuttappan dies soon.

Jomon, already an alcoholic, bursts firecrackers at the funeral procession, claiming his father would not have wanted a depressing funeral. This leads the family into a scuffle with the church priest, Fr Kevin. Not long after the funeral, the family meets presided by Dr. Felix to partition the dead man's estate. Jomon objects the partition saying it will be disrespectful to the spirit of their father. Jomon and Jaison enter into a heated argument. Joji rises to the occasion and proposes a solution agreed by both his brothers impressing everyone.

Meanwhile rumours begins to spread about Kuttappan's death. Joji has nightmares of his father and tries to destroy the evidences by burning all medicine strips that were used in the gruesome act. But this leads to a fire near the pond. Jomon notices the sign of fire next morning. Joji manages to escape but he lies to Jomon that he doesn't visit the pond at all. Jomon is upset over rumors that Kuttappan's murder is suspicious and someone in the family is behind it. Jomon wants to confront Thotta Sudhi who was loud about Joji's apathetic walking towards the house as Bincy was crying out when Kuttappan died. Joji joins Jomon in searching for Sudhi in the planatations. They find Sudhi working alone in the planatation making thotta (a crude explosive used in breaking stones). When confronted, he runs away after a heated exchange with the brothers but not before spilling some beans which makes Jomon suspicious of Joji. Realizing Joji is hiding something, Jomon attacks him, and Joji subdues him using an air gun that belonged to Popy, and throws Sudhi's explosives at him, killing him instantly. Joji provides a statement to the police that makes it look like Sudhi was responsible for Jomon's death.

Over the next few days, Jaison notices weird changes in Joji's behavior, including him becoming overtly religious, as Bincy begins to question the possibility of Joji's involvement in Jomon's murder as well. During autopsy, the police find the pellets from the gun in Jomon's body, and Popy realizes that Joji was the only other person who knew of the gun, which was purchased with money stolen from Kuttappan. The family confronts Joji, who continues to deny these claims. Realizing that he will not get away, Joji tries to blackmail Jaison that unless he stands with Joji, he will be implicated as a coconspirator in the murders. Realising true colors of Joji, Jaison refuses this categorically. Bincy confesses to Jaison of knowing about some of Joji's acts. Having no way out, Joji attempts suicide by firing the air gun to his pterion. He also sends a suicide note to the remaining family members blaming society for all his acts.

In the post credits scene it is shown that Joji survives and wakes up in the hospital, paralyzed. When the Police officer asks a bedridden Joji to confess to his crimes by blinking his eyes, Joji forcefully does not blink.

Cast

• Fahadh Faasil as Joji Panachel
• Baburaj as Jomon Panachel
• Joji Mundakayam as Jaison Panachel
• Sunny PN as Kuttappan P K Panachel
• Unnimaya Prasad as Bincy
• Shammi Thilakan as Dr. Felix
• Alister Alex as Popy
• Basil Joseph as Fr. Kevin
• Renjith Rajan as Girish
• Dhaneesh A Balan as Thotta Sudhi
• Renjith Gopali as Suresh
• Aby Thomas Iritty as Priest Assistant
• Kunjumol Issac as Maid
• Joji Joseph as Worker
• Issac K.G as Worker
• Tince Alex as Delivery Boy
• Dileesh Pothan as Dr. Roy
• Roy as Doctor 2
• Divya Kiran as Priest's Wife
• Yuvan Kiran as Priest's Son
• Mohanan as Fireworks Master
• Johny Antony as Joji's NRI Uncle (voice cameo)

Production

On 3 October 2020, Fahadh Faasil announced his next collaboration with Dileesh Pothan after Maheshinte Prathikaaram and Thondimuthalum Driksakshiyum. Titled as Joji, the announcement featured a poster which informed that the film will be based on William Shakespeare's play Macbeth, also becoming the third Macbeth-based Indian film after Maqbool and Veeram. The poster also contained details about the crew, which include Shyju Khalid as cinematographer, Justin Varghese as music director and Kiran Das as editor.

Principal photography began on 13 November 2020 and was shot in Cheruvally estate and Erumely. Kottayam, Kerala. Shooting of the film got wrapped up on 14 January 2021, within a duration of two months.

Music

The film score is composed by Justin Varghese.

JOJI
Soundtrack album by Justin Varghese
Released	April 7, 2021
Genre	Feature film soundtrack
Length	22:46
Label	Bhavana Studios
Producer	Justin Varghese
Justin Varghese chronology
Thanneer Mathan Dinangal (2019) JOJI (2021) Ajagajantharam (2021)
External audio OST Jukebox at YouTube

JOJI Original Soundtrack (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
No.	Title	Length
1.	"MAIN THEME"	02:35
2.	"PROPHECY"	00:45
3.	"HE IS BACK"	02:00
4.	"THE LADY MACBETH ELEMENT"	00:34
5.	"THE HOOK"	04:47
6.	"THE FIRE"	01:29
7.	"EXECUTION"	02:47
8.	"DESPERATION"	01:04
9.	"FEAR"	02:03
10.	"REALITY"	01:17
11.	"MARANA MOZHI"	02:20
12.	"TRAILER MUSIC"	02:05

Marketing and release

On 31 March 2021, Amazon Prime Video India released a teaser and trailer on 2 April 2021 announcing that the film will premiere through the streaming platform on 7 April 2021.

Reception

Critical response

Anupama Chopra of Film Companion wrote, "Joji is a reworking of Macbeth and while these words might suggest a period setting, Shakespeare’s tragedy has been reimagined in contemporary times, on a sprawling rubber plantation in Kerala. But Joji, the youngest of three brothers, is very much a subject of his father’s kingdom. The film received generally positive reviews from critics." Rating 4.5 out of 5 stars, Sajin Shrijith of The New Indian Express said "Joji is another brilliant, debate-worthy film about oppressed characters from the enviable imagination of Syam Pushkaran and director Dileesh Pothan. It's the duo's darkest film yet". Richard Brody of The New Yorker gave the film a positive review, noting, "The script, by Syam Pushkaran, is both practical and fiercely expressive," and concludes, writing, "Long before the plot is resolved, Joji offers a sardonic vision of patriarchal tyranny and the pathologies it spawns... [it] declares, with bitter irony, that there’s no end in sight."

External links

• Joji on IMDb