Malayalam film Jallikattu is India’s entry for 2021 Oscars

Set in Kerala’s hilly Idukki district, the 2019 film is based on the 2015 short story Maoist by S Hareesh, who won the prestigious JCB Prize for Literature this year for his novel Moustache (original Malayalam title Meesha). Jallikattu has been widely praised for its direction by Lijo Jose Pellissery and the lead performances by Antony Varghese and Chemban Vinod Jose. While making the announcement, Rawail also praised the film’s technical aspects and production values.

Pellissery told The Indian Express, “I’m very happy for every single person who worked on the film. We all ran together for this.” The film premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in September last year. Pellissery, whose previous films include the critically-acclaimed Angamaly Diaries (2017) and Ee. Ma. Yau (2018), won the Kerala State Film Award for his direction of Jallikattu in October.

Hareesh, who also wrote the screenplay of the film, along with R Jayakumar, said, “I’m doubly happy, as I won the JCB Prize only two weeks ago. Of course, this is a director’s film and there are differences, as there will be between literature and cinema.” Jallikattu is Hareesh’s first collaboration with Pellissery. “He told me that as soon as he read the story, he knew he wanted to adapt it as a film,” said the writer. The duo’s second film together is the upcoming Malayalam science fiction film Churuli.

The 93rd Academy Awards is scheduled for April 25, 2021.