Exclusive | 'Now I dream': '2018' director Jude Anthany Joseph on movie selected as India's official entry to Oscars 2024

Directed by Jude Anthany Joseph, '2018- Everyone is a Hero' has been chosen as India's official entry to Oscars 2024. The movie is based on Joseph's personal experience of the 2018 Kerala floods and the subsequent realization of the need to tell this harrowing tale. In an exclusive conversation with ETV Bharat, Joseph spoke about the feat and the challenges he faced before and while shooting the movie.

Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala): The Malayalam film '2018- Everyone is a Hero', an epic survival drama, has been selected as India's official entry to the Oscars 2024. The 2023 movie based on the devastating 2018 Kerala floods garnered an excellent response from critics and at the box office. It tells a gripping story about how people from diverse backgrounds come together in the face of a calamity, making unity their driving force.

Directed by Jude Anthany Joseph, '2018- Everyone is a Hero' is inspired by his personal experience of the 2018 floods and the subsequent realization of the need to tell this harrowing tale.

Speaking exclusively to ETV Bharat, Joseph said while he had expected the movie to do well, he had never dreamed of the massive reception and recognition it has got. "Oscars was never in my dream and now I dream Oscars," a buoyant Joseph said as he thanked his producers for "believing in me".

"I am happy that our movie was selected as India's official entry to the Oscars. Never expected this. It (being chosen as the official entry for the Oscars) was very surprising. I was very touched," he said.

"We knew that the movie would be loved by people. However, I had never imagined this kind of reception. And it being selected as the official entry for the Oscars is something I had never even dreamed of. Our hard work has paid off," Joseph added.

Asked about the challenges he faced as a director, Joseph said convincing others about the script and shooting the film in the rain and in the dark were some of the difficulties he and his crew faced.

"We took almost two years for the pre-production and we planned the things. We created miniatures and storyboards. It went well however it was very difficult to shoot the movie, especially during the night with the propeller and rain. The shoot period was 102 days and at last, the movie was released," he said.

Joseph dedicated the recognition to all Malayalam filmmakers and the audience. "Proud that I am a Malyali filmaker. We have very talented filmmakers in Kerala and I am honoured to get this recognition. I dedicate this recognition to all Malayalam filmmakers and the entire Malayali audience," he said.

Asked about the star cast in the movie, Joseph said they are like his family. "They never reacted like they are stars. They just wanted to be a part of this movie and were very happy to be a part of it," he said. On the recreation of the flood and the airlift scene, Joseph said they will soon release a behind-the-scenes video of the movie.