49th International Film Festival of India
Report by: Amit Agarwal
Lijo Jose Pellissery’s Ee. Ma. Yau wins prestigious Critics Award.
‘Ee. Ma. Yau,’ a morbid satire by auteur filmmaker Lijo Jose Pellissery has garnered over half the votes polled by 23 film critics from all over India to win the prestigious FCCI Best Indian Film of 2018 Citation Award.
In earlier years, this citation instituted by the Film Critics Circle of India to encourage the production of cinema of high artistic and aesthetic value had been awarded to Village Rockstars (Assamese), Thithi (Kannada), and Court (Marathi /Gujarati /Hindi /English); in 2018, 2017, and 2016, respectively.
In this year’s nomination list, Rahi Anil Barve's Tumbbad (Hindi), Aditya Vikram Sengupta's Jonaki (Bengali /English), and Rima Das' 'Bulbul Can Sing (Assamese) were the three other films that found a place. Also recommended were Andhadhun, Ashwatthama, Badhaai Ho, Bhayanakam, Ek Je Chhilo Raja, Ghode Ko Jalebi Khilane Le Ja Riya Hoon, Love Sonia, Maassab, Manto, Mulk, Olu, Pariyerum Perumal, Poomaram, Raazi, Soni, Sudani from Nigeria, Vada Chennai, and Uronchandi; in the preliminary round.
Pellissery's Ee. Ma. Yau had earlier won major awards at the Kerala State Film Awards and at IFFI and IFFK. He made his debut as a filmmaker with the critically acclaimed Nayakan (2010) and followed it up with City of God (2011), Amen (2013), Double Barrel (2015), and Angamaly Diaries (2017).