Jeo Baby may not be a prolific filmmaker yet, but the impact some of his films have had on the collective psyche of Kerala society is substantial. A feminist at heart, he makes it a point to communicate his politics through films. Jeo shares with TNIE his personal and cinematic journey, and also his aspirations as a filmmaker.
Excerpts...
Growing up in the ’80s, our home had a VCR, a luxury item back then. That sparked my interest in films. My father, an avid film enthusiast and reader, introduced me to serious cinema.
I remember watching Pather Panchali twice while in Class 6. It didn’t resonate with me then. However, when I rewatched it during a camp in Class 10, I was captivated.
After that, my father and I started exploring serious films together. For example, Aravindan’s Oridathu, which I loved. Another favourite from that time was Thenmavin Kombathu.
I also loved Shankar’s Kadhalan, which I recorded. Experimenting with film editing, I would cut tapes to merge scenes from Thenmavin Kombathu and Kadhalan. Though I never imagined a career in films, it was a constant passion.
Coming from Thalanadu in Kottayam, about 50km from the town, I had no industry connections. Yet, films occupied my mind. My early experiences shaped my fascination with cinema.
I consider Adoor Gopalakrishnan’s Elippathayam and Siddique-Lal’s Godfather as two examples of brilliant scripts and challenging productions. Similarly, Oridathu and Thenmavin Kombathu are very dear to me. Aravindan�.