Kerala: Director Anuraj Manohar defends Narivetta amid dire year for Malayalam cinema

Thiruvananthapuram Dec 24 (IANS) Filmmaker Anuraj Manohar has defended his recent release Narivetta, asserting that the film was a profitable venture, even as the Malayalam film industry faces a challenging year.

The film, released in May, had been rejected by several major producers before the Indian Cinema Company agreed to back it, marking their first production effort.

According to the Kerala Film Chamber of Commerce ( KFCC), out of 184 films released in the current calendar year, fewer than 10 per cent were financially successful, highlighting the precarious state of the industry.

Manohar’s post on social media comes in response to a year-end verdict by the Producers’ Association, which rated only fifteen films as profitable.

Manohar emphasised that it is natural for a director to seek producers and that the success of Narivetta reflects both the vision of the filmmaker and the faith of the production company.

He added that broad-brush assessments of success or failure, such as the Association’s verdict, risk discouraging new producers and consolidating control among a few established players.

“If the intention is to prevent new producers from emerging, the reality is that this opens the field to large corporate companies,” he noted.

The director underlined that Narivetta has indeed been financially successful, and the production company is willing to make account details public to substantiate the claim.

He also highlighted the dedication and hard work behind the film, pointing to long hours, worn-out shoes, and sweat-soaked attire as testimony to the team’s efforts.

Manohar noted that the verdict arrived just as discussions for his next film were underway, underlining the importance of recognising each project as a unique effort.

He concluded by stating that while industry bodies may issue broad statements about box-office performance, individual films like Narivetta demonstrate that quality cinema can achieve both critical and commercial success.

KFCC, which serves as the apex body of the Malayalam film industry representing producers, distributors, and exhibitors, had on Tuesday alleged that the state government has been consistently ignoring the felt needs of the film industry, which is in a way responsible for the present state of affairs in the industry.

–IANS

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