Award-winning sound designer Ajayan Adat has dismissed Operation Tral as “RSS theettam” – a crude Malayalam insult that literally refers to excrement. The remark, posted under a video related to the film, has drawn a sharp response from its director, producer and technical team.
As reported in Mathrubhumi, Adat made the comment under an Instagram post shared by the film’s team. The post, shared by the film’s sound designer R.S. Vicky, featured glimpses of the sound design of the teaser.
Operation Tral stars Jayasurya as a National Investigation Agency (NIA) officer and is based on the backdrop of counter-terrorism operations and national security.
Adat’s comment, which characterized the film as being aligned with the RSS, drew responses from members of the film team.
Director Ratheesh Vega said he was deeply hurt to see such a comment from someone working in the same industry.
He said criticism was always welcome but added that greater respect should be shown to colleagues and creators who had invested considerable time and effort into a project.
Sound designer and re-recording mixer M.R. Rajakrishnan said he was shocked by Adat’s response.
He questioned why such a reaction had come from “one of the best technicians in the industry” and asked about the reason behind the comment.
Producer Joby George Thadathil responded more briefly, writing, “Mone, very bad.”
R.S. Vicky also questioned Adat’s response, asking whether this was an appropriate way to respond to the work of someone from the same industry.
Filmmakers Reject ‘RSS Propaganda’ Label
In a subsequent press statement, the Operation Tral team rejected the characterization of the film as political propaganda.
The filmmakers said the movie was inspired by a true story and draws its concept from the work of India’s national investigative agencies.
According to the statement, the film seeks to tell a story about India, its people and the spirit of those serving the country, while highlighting national security, bravery and sacrifice.
Ratheesh Vega said everyone has the right to express political opinions, ideological beliefs and differences of opinion, and that cinema should remain a space for different perspectives.
However, it said differences of opinion should not become an excuse for abusive or derogatory language, particularly when directed at a film and the people who had invested their time, effort and sincerity in making it.
Ratheesh Vega also expressed disappointment that the comment came from an award-winning member of the industry, saying professional recognition and experience should be accompanied by respect for the work and choices of others.
“Operation Tral is not a political propaganda film,” he wrote, reiterating that the film is based on true events and aims to honour the bravery, commitment and sacrifices involved in protecting the country.
He said it would continue to respect differing opinions and welcome healthy criticism of the film, but would not support insults, personal attacks or attempts to reduce the work behind the film to a political attack.
Vega concluded by saying they stood firmly by the film, its purpose and the story they had chosen to tell.
Operation Tral is written and directed by Ratheesh Vega and produced by Joby George Thadathil under the Goodwill Entertainments banner. Jayasurya leads the cast, alongside Rithika Singh, Kavya Shetty, Anson Paul, Nandalaal Krishnamurthy, Vinay Rai, Siddique, Sai Kumar and Murali Sharma.
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