Kochi: The makers of the Malayalam film Abhyanthara Kuttavaali have issued a public statement addressing the delay in the film’s release and the allegations of financial irregularities surrounding its production.

In a video posted on social media, director Sethu Nath Padmakumar, lead actor Asif Ali and producer Naisam Salam clarified their stand and described the allegations as “unexpected” and “baseless”.

The film, which was originally scheduled to release on April 17, has now been postponed twice following a legal dispute. Complaints were reportedly filed by former production partners against the current producer, citing financial misconduct.

Director Sethu Nath said that he was confident the film would release as planned, and promotional events had been carried out accordingly. “However, allegations came in an unexpected way,” he said, adding that legal steps are being taken to address the matter.

“Neither the producer nor anyone in the crew has taken a single rupee from the complainant,” he added.

Actor Asif Ali expressed disappointment over the situation, stating that the controversy has left the team distressed.

Producer Naisam Salam claimed that he has approached the Supreme Court and hopes to receive a favourable verdict soon. He described the complaint as an act of “blackmail”, alleging that the complainants were demanding money for something that was never received.

“When someone insists that money be returned without having paid anything in the first place, it can only be called blackmail,” Salam said.

Abhyanthara Kuttavaali stars Asif Ali in the lead, with Thulasi and Shreya Rukmini as the female leads. The supporting cast includes Jagadish, Harisree Ashokan, Siddharth Bharathan, Azeez Nedumangad, Anand Manmadhan and Vijayakumar Henry.