Jithin Raj

The texture of memory in Kerala

Jithin Raj wasn't chasing cheap nostalgia when he began shooting in the rural landscapes of India. His real intent was to capture a visual texture that was being lost amid so much digital effects work. In 2023, he premiered Pallotty 90's Kids, and the festival circuit immediately understood that his gaze was something different. He is not a director who settles for the surface of memories.

And the gamble paid off.

The film had the backing of Lijo Jose Pellissery as the project's presenter. That kind of seal of quality is not handed out lightly in the Malayalam industry. Raj worked on the script for a long time to make sure the childhood portrayed was not a simple exercise in melancholy. Because for him, cinema should hurt a little before it heals.

In 2023, the film received the Kerala State Film Award for Best Children's Film. But reducing his work to a children's genre would be a major mistake. The color treatment and cinematography by Sharon Srivatsav under his direction show a technical maturity unusual for a feature-length debut.

The craftsman of the short form

Before making the leap to major theaters, he worked in short films. Pieces such as Pattabhiraman helped him refine a style that prioritizes internal rhythm over flashy effects. On those low-budget shoots, he learned that editing is the true writing of cinema and that every second counts.

But his training was not linear.

In the Indian film industry, the move from technician to director is often full of bureaucratic obstacles and rigid hierarchies. Raj sidestepped those processes by focusing on pure visual storytelling. So by the time he was ready to direct his debut feature, he had already mastered the language. And he did it without asking permission from the major studios in Kochi.

Their films avoid explanatory dialogue. They prefer to let the setting speak for the characters. In 2024, their name began to gain serious traction in international distribution markets thanks to their ability to turn local stories into universal ones. The key lies in their refusal to rely on easy sentimental tricks.

An obsession with framing

Filming his best-known work presented considerable technical challenges because it featured actors with no prior experience. Raj decided to shoot in chronological order to make the emotional arc of the leads easier to build. This logistical decision complicated the production schedule but preserved the naturalness of the performances.

He doesn't believe in sprints.

In 2023, specialist critics praised its ability to weave elements of 1990s pop culture in without falling into pastiche. Sound design became a key narrative tool for recreating an atmosphere that no longer physically exists. Jithin Raj personally supervised every audio layer during post-production.

The final budget for Pallotty 90's Kids was kept under control thanks to a preproduction phase that stretched across fourteen months. The film completed its theatrical run with solid box office earnings for an independent production of its kind.