Director Lal Jose is known for his unique vision and passion for the craft of film making. Not just as a writer/director but also as a producer, he has strived to set new standards and in the process, has taken some unbeaten paths.
Now the man is all set to do something completely unheard of, in our parts of the country at least, and that is to take an international and inter – continental road trip!!
Yes, the veteran film maker along with his friends – former General Manager of Dubai port Suresh Joseph, journalist Biju N. Nair and others – are going to travel through 27 countries in Asia and Africa by car, in a journey that is going to last 75 days!
And according to sources, they are going to film the whole thing!
Why this sudden act of adventure? The message and objective of the friends’ journey will be spreading peace and just that.
The team has chosen the Ford Endeavour as their vehicle, and will set out from Hotel Crowne Plaza in Ernakulam in roughly a week’s time, on June 16! The cost of this harrowing but ultimately well intended and possibly fun trip is estimated to be Rs 75 lacs!
It is not known yet who is financing the trip – is it Jose’s production company LJ Films or are there other entities involved? One might even expect Ford to be involved in some way, given that their car is going to be one of the stars in this landmark venture.
They will start off in Kerala and then travel north through Bangalore, Hyderabad, Nagpur and so on until they enter Nepal and then the world awaits. The total distance to cover, as per the plan (well give or take a few unplanned detours) right now is 24,000 kilometres!
The footage from the journey is sure to be interesting and choke full of colourful sights, diverse people and cultures and unforgettable events. One expects and hopes that it will be made in to a documentary film or perhaps a series of some kind for the world to appreciate.
Can you imagine the artistic and entertainment quotient as well as social relevance in such a production? Meaning you have an expert feature-film maker and an experienced journalist to begin with, now add some respected and worldly friends of the duo and 27 nations and cultures to see… the possibilities are endless to put it mildly.
Lal Jose is currently busy with his upcoming flick, the Dulquer Salman – Unni Mukundan starrer Vikramadithyan which also has Namitha Pramod playing the female lead and features Anoop Menon and Lena in police roles.
In any case, one wishes a hearty ‘good luck and safe journey’ to Mr Jose and the entire team, and god bless you for your sense of humanity and spirit of adventure!