Venu Nagavally returns to direction after eight years

Thiruvananthapuram, March 2 (IANS) Actor-scriptwriter-director Venu Nagavally, who makes a comeback after eight years with "Bharaya Swantham Suhurthu", Monday said Malayalam films have lost the Malayali 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," Nagavally told reporters here.

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 Nagavally.

This is Nagavally's 12th film and he says that the film sends out a message to each and every family in the state.

Produced by Mystic Eye Dream Visualisers, the film features Mukesh and Jagathy as the central characters and also stars Padmapriya and Urvasi.

Veteran actor Thilakan, who plays an important role in the film, endorsed Nagavally's views on the industry.

He said: "In yesteryears, the industry here was not money minded, but now it has become purely commercial where money is everything and hence the Malayali touch has disappeared."

Thilakan says that Nagavally's long absence hasn't been a loss if one sees the film.

"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 and that has been done by Nagavally and is evident in his film," said Thilakan.