“Malayalam films have lost the Malayalee touch”

Veteran Malayalam actor-scriptwriter-director Venu Nagavalli, who makes a comeback to direction with his latest Bharya Oru Suhruth after a gap of 10 years (his last, Rektha Sakshikal Zindabad, released in 1998), said on Monday that today's Malayalam films have lost the Malayalee touch.

"I wouldn't blame anyone for what has happened to the industry and I would say several factors have contributed to this, including the actors, producers, exhibitors and all those associated with the industry," Venu Nagavalli told reporters in Thiruvananthapuram.

He also added that the huge remunerations being charged by the stars, shouldn't be seen as a dampener. "They command that price because people are willing to pay and it is not proper to ask them to reduce their prices," said Nagavalli.

Bharya Oru Suhruth is Nagavalli's 12th directorial venture in the series of Sughamodevi (1986) Sarvakalasala (1987), Ayitham (1987), Swagatham (1989), Lal Salam (1990), Aye Auto (1990), Kizhkkunarum Pakshi (1991), Kalippattam (1993), Aayirappara (1993), Agni Devan (1995) and Rektha Sakshikal Zindabad (1998). It sends out a message to each and every family in the State, he said.

Produced by Krishna Kumar and Biju Shamsudden under the banner of Mystic Eye Dream, Bharya Oru Suhruth has Mukesh, Padmapriya and Urvashi in the lead roles. Veteran actor Thilakan, who plays an important role in the film, endorsed Nagavalli's views on the industry. He said: "In yesteryears, the industry was not money-minded, but now it has become purely commercial where money is everything and hence the Malayalee touch has disappeared."

"Veteran director Balachandra Menon once asked me why his films are not doing well as compared to his earlier ones. My answer was simple, I told him that a director has to invest his time in reading and observing the surroundings. This has been done by Nagavalli and is evident in his film," Thilakan added.