In a public statement that has sparked significant debate, producer Antony Perumbavoor has called out producer Suresh Kumar over his recent comments on the Malayalam film industry.

Suresh Kumar's statements about producers, high renumerations of actors, and the state of the industry have raised eyebrows, prompting Perumbavoor to demand clarification on his motives and authority to speak on behalf of the organisation. Actor Prithviraj showed his support for Antony Perumbavoor’s stance by sharing his post. Actor Unni Mukundan has also come out in support.

Antony Perumbavoor’s response to Suresh Kumar

Antony Perumbavoor expressed his discontent with Suresh Kumar’s remarks, especially those made about the Malayalam film industry over the past month. Perumbavoor acknowledged that while Suresh Kumar, as an individual, has the right to express his opinion, he should clarify whether he was speaking on behalf of the organisation.

“Posting this here, because I want to share something regarding the statements made by veteran producer and actor Suresh Kumar to the media about the Malayalam film industry only after assessing Malayalam cinema in the past month. He has the freedom to express his own opinion. However, when representing an organisation, the things that are accepted and convinced by the majority in that organisation should be presented in the public forum. Only then can the majority in the organisation stand by and support that opinion,” Perumbavoor stated.

Perumbavoor also questioned Suresh Kumar’s position, asking who authorised him to make such public statements and what his underlying motivations might be. He further criticised Kumar’s suggestion of a strike, saying it lacked merit and would do more harm than good to the industry.

Suresh Kumar had previously claimed that producers would go on strike from June 1, a statement that, according to Perumbavoor, was made under pressure from other organisations.

“I do not think that such a strike will be beneficial for cinema in any way. Because cinema is something that directly and indirectly affects hundreds of people, and thereby thousands of families,” Perumbavoor remarked.

He further questioned the legitimacy of the strike, asking who gave Suresh Kumar the authority to speak on behalf of the producers.

"Suresh Kumar’s criticisms lack clarity”

Perumbavoor did not hold back in his critique of Suresh Kumar’s public statements. He pointed out that Suresh Kumar’s criticisms seemed to target the new generation of filmmakers and actors, especially those whose films have enjoyed considerable commercial success. He said that Suresh Kumar might have thought that if he criticised these groups, the rest of the organisation would silently support him. One such target was the Malayalam films that have recently entered the coveted 100-crore club.

“As far as I know, according to the current practice in the film industries everywhere in India, a film entering the 50 crore, 100 crore, 200 crore, and 500 crore clubs is based on the total collection or gross collection. It is the total collection from the theatre and the other income that the film receives from various sources. Such evaluations and descriptions are not based on the net profit of the producer,” he explained.

He went on to clarify that the recognition of Malayalam films achieving remarkable commercial milestones should not be ridiculed.

"In my opinion, there is nothing wrong with being happy that Malayalam films have collected so much in a short time, and that they are on par with even bigger films from other countries."

He also raised concerns about the personal motives behind Suresh Kumar’s remarks. He speculated that Kumar might have been influenced by certain individuals with vested interests within the industry.

Furthermore, Perumbavoor questioned why no other members of the organisation, including current president Anto Joseph, had come forward to support Kumar’s views.

“If Mr. Suresh Kumar’s explanation is the organisation’s decision, then why didn’t people like Mr. Anto Joseph come forward to support him?” Perumbavoor asked.

Empuraan and it's budget

One of the most contentious parts of Suresh Kumar’s statements was his public critique of the budget for the film 'Empuraan', produced by Aashirvaad Cinemas, which Perumbavoor found inappropriate. He emphasised that Empuraan's post-production work had not been completed, making public discussions about the film’s budget was premature and unwarranted.

“No matter how much I think about it, I still can't understand why he wouls speak publicly about the budget of 'Empuraan'. Why did he make a public discussion about the cost of a film whose post-production work has not been completed? I have never spoken publicly about the budget or collections of my films; nor about my businesses. In that case, it is honestly impossible to tell with what right he spoke in public like this, and whether he said all this to improve the industry or to make it look negative.”

While discussing Empuraan, Antony Perumbavoor also highlighted the broader goals of Aashirvaad Cinemas, particularly its ambitions for pan-Indian success. He referenced the success of films like 'KGF' and expressed his pride in Aashirvaad’s efforts to replicate such success, noting that Empuraan was being made with the vision of expanding Malayalam cinema’s reach across India.

“The director and the whole team have been working with great dedication for the last two years towards that goal. A great actor like Mohanlal sir has also been collaborating with it all this time. We are taking this dream forward by collaborating with a big production house like Lyca. A large team of artists and technicians are working day and night behind it, compromising on many things. All this is for the sole purpose of turning this into a film on a large canvas that will achieve pan-Indian success.”

Antony Perumbavoor’s frustration was further compounded by the lack of support from the Producers Association for the efforts of 'Empuraan'.

“It is very disappointing and sad that the Producers Association, instead of encouraging such an initiative wholeheartedly, is being unsupportive,” Perumbavoor lamented.

He also expressed dismay over Suresh Kumar’s negative comments based solely on data from January, suggesting that the financial challenges faced by the industry should not be reduced to a snapshot of one month.

He pointed out the overall success of Malayalam cinema in recent years, mentioning the packed theatres during exam periods and Ramadan and the international attention the industry received. He stressed that a more nuanced approach should be taken when addressing the challenges of the industry.

"Ups and downs, successes and failures have been happening since the time of cinema. Criticising the entire film industry by highlighting the income only based on a month’s data certainly does not seem to be a healthy and mature intervention, and that too from a producer as established as him."

Unity in the industry

He concluded by emphasising the importance of collective decision-making within the film industry. He made it clear that decisions like closing theatres or halting movies should be made after thorough deliberation, rather than by individual producers making public statements.

"None of us in the country can decide to close theatres or stop screening of movies. If he said all that based on non-authentic information received from any other organisations or individuals, let's just say that someone like him needs to show the courage, responsibility and maturity to realise the mistake and correct them. Mistakes can happen to anyone, both inside and outside the organisation. But I believe that such an effort will come from leaders like Mr. Anto Joseph"