When Rajesh Pillai, director of ‘Traffic’, says the film did not get the publicity it should have got, you are bound to be stunned as ‘Traffic’ is one of the handful of commercially successful films with a storyline that appeals to the masses.

The film with no superstars is one of the recent and rare hits in Malayalam.

“My film became a hit only by word-of-mouth publicity. Traffic’s publicity and distribution was so poor that theatre owners didn’t have enough posters to display even as the film garnered good collections and an overwhelming response.”

Rajesh alleges that the distributor, Anoop, published posters which he had rejected.

“Usually, the posters are designed in consultation with the director. I was kept out of the whole process and finally what came out were the ones I rejected. Posters revealing the climax are the ones doing the rounds now. The film was pushed into B grade theatres even as it was being screened houseful in multiplexes. I haven’t initiated any legal proceedings only because I don’t want to get a stay for the film that is running in packed houses even a month after its release. How can I kill my own child?” he asks.

Rajesh says he did question the distributor’s action. “He said, ‘If I can invest the money to build a house, I have the right to decide the colour of its paint.’ Vineeth Srinivasan and Kunchacko Boban tried talking sense to him but he didn’t budge. I get as many as 500 calls a day appreciating the film. And almost 80 percent of them point out the lack of publicity. Even ace directors like Sathyan Anthikkad and B Unnikrishnan asked me about it. It’s heart-rending to see one or two posters of my film among mega flops which are being tactfully marketed.”

It is not every day that a hit is made, Rajesh says. “Top it with such foul play and how can good films thrive? Had it not been for the tremendous public support on the internet and word-of-mouth publicity, ‘Traffic’ would have been one among the films that bombed at the box office.”

Rajesh, who debuted as a director with ‘Hridayathil Sookshikkan’ five years ago, says the transition from a flop director to a successful filmmaker happened with sheer hard work and determination over the years. “My first film was not a commercial success. It took me three-and-a-half years of hard work before I could relaunch myself with ‘Traffic’.

All credit for the film’s success goes to scriptwriter Sanjay who has stood by me through thick and thin.” It was Sanjay who changed his point of view about filmdom.

“We can no longer fool the audience with unconvincing scripts. So every aspect of filmmaking requires detailed study. It was Sanjay who taught me the importance of making meaningful films.”

‘Traffic’ has taught the director new lessons. “Our artists are not ego-driven. Kunchacko Boban, who starred in my debut film, agreed to be a part of ‘Traffic’ although my first film was a flop. No one had any problem with the other’s role being more meaty and played their parts well. ‘Traffic’ followed a narrative style and gained acceptance. The film’s success has made me bold enough to experiment again.”

Discussions are on for making the film in Hindi, Telugu and Tamil. Rajesh’s next Malayalam film has actor Anoop Menon working on the script. “This will be Anoop’s best script ever. It is about the state of affairs in the media and will be a daring attempt that blares out many truths.”

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