Shaji Kailas called KG George’s Yavanika a textbook.
Shaji described that KG George was his mentor and added that he was a teacher with unique qualities that cannot be imitated.
KG George, one of the legendary Malayalam filmmakers, died on September 24, 2023, at the age of 77. KG George tried to bridge the gap between the mainstream and the parallel cinema. Many celebrities from the Malayalam film industry remembered him one last time. The latest to join the bandwagon is filmmaker and writer Shaji Kailas. He wrote an Instagram post in honour of KG George.
The note states, “Yavanika is a textbook. A textbook that bears extraordinary genetic strength that cannot be copied no matter how much you study.” Here, he referred to one of KG George’s best directorial films, Yavanika (1982). Shaji described that KG George was his mentor and added that he was a teacher with unique qualities that cannot be imitated. Shaji remembered that he had gone with a cake on his birthday at the old age home, where he lived during the post-Covid-19 period. Scriptwriter Jinu Abraham and production controller Sanju J had accompanied Shaji during that time.
Shaji Kailas wrote, “George sir gifted us a smile that touches the soul…The all-time master craftsman of Malayalam cinema then cuts the cake,” adding: “Sri KG George was the hero of that period when Malayalam cinema challenged the world cinema.”
Social media users also paid their respects to KG George. One of them wrote, “Big Craftsman”. Another commented that Yavanika and Mela should act as study materials for the new generation of filmmakers.
Yavanika remains the most celebrated work of KG George. According to the critics, it didn’t adhere to the conventions of investigative thrillers. The movie revolves around the sudden disappearance of an alcoholic and sadistic tabla player, associated with a professional drama group. Sub-inspector Jacob Eeraly takes up this case for investigation. Whether he is able to crack this case or not forms the core theme of Yavanika. His other well-known film Mela revolves around a dwarf, a circus clown by profession, who marries a beautiful girl from his village.
