Churuli Trailer Talk: Lijo Jose Pellissery’s New Film Looks Hypnotic And Mysterious

No trailer announcements, no hashtags, no fuss. The trailer of Lijo Jose Pellissery's new film is out and it didn't need more than just three hours prior notice for it to become the talking point online. Titled Churuli (a type of tree), the trailer begins with the narration of an old tale of a Brahmin who ventured into the forest in search of a 'phantom' named Perumadan. At the centre of the screen is a hypnotic swirl that is placed at the bottom of a staircase, luring us in. 

But the film doesn't seem to be set too far back in time. Like the trailer of Super Deluxe, the voiceover narrating an ancient tale is being used to tell a story set in today's time.  So if it's a Brahmin in the voiceover, the characters played by Vinay Forrt and Chemban Vinod Jose are shown to be eclipsing the same activities of the Brahmin. But instead of the phantom, they seem to be on the lookout for a person named Mayiladanparambil Joy. 

The theme of losing one's way is repeated often, along with the idea that this phantom is known to mislead people. When a female character asks Vinay Forrt who he is, his answer is simply, "I don't know", hinting at the film's "spiritual" undercurrents. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZKfR3dEQm18

With distinctly creepy visuals like a set of twin boys wearing illuminated masks and an old lady in a chatta and mundu running behind Vinay Forrt with an axe, the visuals are legit freaky. Add Sreerag Saji's disorienting score and Madhu Neelakandan's visuals to the mix and you get a trailer you knew more of before watching it than you did after. 

The apologetically A-rated (above 18 years) movie, however, does not come with a release date or any additional information on whether it will release on OTT. This supernatural thriller set in the forests will feature LJP regulars such as Chemban Jose Vinod and Jaffer Idukki, apart from Vinay Forrt and Joju George.