Joji and Macbeth
Joji is a Malayalam movie (2021) directed by Dileesh Pothan and Written by Syam Pushkaran. In the beginning of the movie it is stated that the story of the film is inspired by Macbeth, the famous tragedy by the ‘Bard of Avon’. Joji is the first movie to be produced in Malayalam as an adaptation from Macbeth. The crew of the movie tried to reimagine the tragedy in a more contemporary setting. This essay attempts to analyse Joji as a regional adaptation of Macbeth.
Joji is undoubtedly an excellent crime drama film. Starring actor Fahadh Faasil in the lead role, the movie portrayed a realistic story that has similarities and obviously differences with the play Macbeth. In an interview given by the director Dileesh Pothan to the Cue has clearly said Joji is not an exact adaption (The Cue 2.50- 3:13), but rather he has tried to make a movie around the idea of Macbeth that influenced him--a man driven by greed and ambition turning violent against the power that controls him and once he starts killing, he is entrapped in a cycle of crimes.
It is interesting to say that one could see all the Macbethian elements in the movie. If Macbeth killed King Duncan for the throne of Scotland, Joji is killing his father (Panachel Kuttappan) for the wealth of the Panachel family. We can see Banquo, Lady Macbeth, Macduff and even Fleance in Joji. It doesn't mean they should behave exactly as the characters created by Shakespeare. Dr. Felix does the role of even the witch when he calls Joji “a millionaire” ( 00:27:42) --It's very subtle. The character of Bincy seems to be in par with Lady Macbeth. If Lady Macbeth is an evil influence on Macbeth in the play, Dileesh has liberated Bincy from that stereotype. In the movie, Bincy is a silent partner in crime; though she witnesses the crime she is not willing to prevent the crime and in addition to it she urges the characters to commit the crime in a subtle manner. Nevertheless she is free of guilt. Unlike in Macbeth, the scriptwriter places the responsibility for Joji’s wrongdoings entirely on the man himself. Panachel Kuttappan, the counterpart of the old Scottish King Duncan is a rude father whose extremely abusive behaviour and unnecessary control over others are revealed in the very first minutes of the film. In the play, King Duncan is characterized as a fair and wise king who is generous with his kinsmen and just with his people.
The movie begins by showing an aerial view of the place. The Panachel house is surrounded by a huge rubber and pine apple plantation. This view resembles the palace of king Duncan surrounded by huge fortress. More interestingly, Macbeth is not a realist play. But Joji’s story is not at all unrealistic. Dileesh has drawn from the classic and made an intense, realist movie, extracting some terrific performances from his artists. It is also pertinent to note that the screenwriter Syam Pushkaran has not read the play Macbeth as stated by him in an interview but he watched the movie Maqbool which is a more justifiable adaptation of Macbeth. Perhaps the writer had read the play, he would have been able to incorporate more similar elements of Macbeth in the movie.
Though the plays of Shakespeare were written four centuries before, those works continue to live in various forms as adaptations and influences. Especially Shakespeare movies are always popular and gain wide critical acclaim. The writers and film makers who take Shakespeare alters the plot and background of the plays and make them into something new. The crux of the Shakespearean play is the destructive power of unchecked ambition and greed. The film also portrays the same theme how the greed for father’s wealth brought complete devastation in Joji’s life though set in a different geographical and cultural background.
Works consulted
Narayanan, Manish M. “Dileesh Pothan.” YouTube, 31 Mar. 2021.
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