Time for change in Malayalam film industry: Director

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM - Veteran film director Sibi Malayil, whose latest film “Apoorva Ragam” has just hit the theatre screens, said Monday that it is time for change in the Malayalam film industry if it has to go ahead.

“I wish that more and more new faces emerge in all sections of film making, right from actors, to technicians, and I am happy that my latest film has done just that,” said Malayil interacting with the media here.

“Apoorva Ragam” has mostly newcomers like Asif, Nishan and Nithya in key roles. It has been scripted by G.S. Anand and Najeem Koya, who are relatively new in the industry.

Malayil recently completed his silver jubilee in the industry as a full-fledged director, and this was his 41st film as director.

His popular films include “Kireedom”, “Thaniyavarthenam”, “Chenkol”, “Ishtam”, “His Highness Abdulla” to name a few. The films starred big names like Mammootty, Mohanlal, Suresh Gopi, Jayaram and Dileep.

Asked why he had all these years banked on superstars and not taken new faces, he said the normal practice in the industry was that producers would come to the directors with the dates of superstars.

“The real way how a film should be made is there should be a story, and then the other things like cast and crew should be fixed. Such things do not happen, and if it happens then new faces in all aspects of film making will emerge. I had to wait with the story of ‘Apoorva Ragam’ for six years before I could identify a producer. I was adamant that I will do this film only with new faces and now it has paid off,” said Malayil.