I am ashamed of you Prithviraj: Says Kuruvachan’s grandson

Katuvakunnel Kuruvachan’s grandson Jose Nelluvelil opened up about the film ‘Katuva’, which was released after much controversy, and the relationship between that film and his grandfather. After watching the movie, Jose criticizes Prithviraj and Shaji Kailas. Jose is the son of the eldest daughter of Kuruvinakunnel Kuruvachan, also known as Jose Kuruvinakunnel. From a note shared by Jose Nelluvel on social media:

“The old heroic story of Jose Kuruvinakunnel, popularly known as Kuruvinakunnel Kuruvachan of my grandfather Pala Edamatta, is now rocking theaters as Prithviraj’s Tiger (later changed to Kuryachan). As they claim, Tiger’s script is not a figment of Jinu Abraham’s imagination. It is a story known to most of the older generation of Palai. All his legal efforts to prove that the film is a copy of his life have failed and he is too frail today to continue the fight due to his advanced age.

I saw the movie yesterday. I was literally shocked to see that the director and screenwriter of this film has shamelessly changed the sad and provocative life story of a man and his family through years of police brutality and the ill-accusations and atrocities of the then IG of Police, late Joseph Thomas Vattawayal (Joseph Chandy in the film) and made it into a film titled ‘Tiger’. . This kirata battle started when my mother was in seventh grade and my mother’s younger brother was in kindergarten.

The dispute that started over the keyboard gifted to the church by IG Joseph Thomas on his daughter’s death anniversary in Vattawayal turned into personal disputes. He smashed my grandfather’s bar several times, destroyed the gardens, bought land behind the house and turned it into a graveyard, sent thugs to attack him in broad daylight, revoked his gun license without prior notice and jailed my grandfather. They claim that after taking more than fifty percent of the movie from the life of Jose Kuruvinakunnel and adding some spicy stories and dramas that never happened and turning it into a movie, it has nothing to do with his life.

We have posted a 12-episode YouTube video just for those who are curious to know what happened. Retired SP George Joseph, who was my grandfather’s friend and active supporter during the most difficult phase of his life, explains what really happened. In this video, he himself explains what kind of person Joseph Thomas was in Vattawayal, the similarities between the film and Kuruvachan’s life, the hardships he had to face in the service to support my grandfather. All my grandfather wanted was a word that the script of the film was based on his life. Instead, Shaji Kailas and all the big stars of the cinema made statements and interviews in the media that there was no such person on the face of the earth.

I am angry and disappointed to know that Malayalam cinema is exploiting the helpless common man and making money, credit and fame through false stories. My grandfather Jose Kuruvinakunnel was not the first person to be exploited in this way. Prithviraj, I am ashamed of you.

PS: The characters in the movie like Kuryachan (Jose Kuruvinakunnel), Joseph Chandy (Joseph Thomas Vattawayalil), Varki Sir-Teacher (Mathews Sir), Kora-Lawyer (Thomas), Basil (Sabu George) etc. are all real. The bar shown in the movie called Maria is called Mayura. My grandfather owns a black Ambassador and a Mercedes-Benz W123 as shown in the film.”