Sibi Malayil explains deletion of Jagathy Sreekumar’s scenes in ‘Devadoothan’ re-release

The re-release of the classic film ‘Devadoothan’ has been met with significant success, showcasing the enduring appeal of this underrated gem.

Directed by Sibi Malayil, the film’s new cut, which hit theaters recently, has sparked conversation due to the omission of several scenes, notably those featuring the beloved actor Jagathy Sreekumar and some action sequences. In total, over 36 minutes of footage were removed from the original version in this updated release.


Talking to Manorama Online, director Sibi Malayil provided insight into the reasons behind these edits. He candidly admitted that the original inclusion of certain scenes, particularly a fight sequence, was intended to elevate the stardom of Mohanlal, the film’s lead actor. "It was our mistake when we thought to add an unnecessary fight sequence in the film just to boost the stardom of Mohanlal," Sibi Malayil explained.

The director also addressed the removal of scenes featuring Jagathy Sreekumar, who portrayed the character Ambili chettan. Malayil acknowledged that while Jagathy's comedic presence was appreciated by some viewers, the character did not contribute significantly to the film’s narrative. "Ambili chettan’s character was also added just for the humor content of the film and did nothing to enhance the storytelling," he noted.

Sibi Malayil emphasized that the decision to cut these scenes was not a reflection on Jagathy Sreekumar’s performance, which remains highly regarded, but rather a reflection on the filmmakers' decisions at the time. "Omitting those scenes was not because of any fault of Jagathy Sreekumar, but due to their wrong decisions that we took during that time," he clarified.

Sibi Malayil also added that the audiences didn't complain about Jagathy Sreekumar's scenes being omitted after watching the re-released version of 'Devadoothan'.

The re-released version of ‘Devadoothan’ now runs for 2 hours and 12 minutes, in contrast to the original’s 2 hours and 46 minutes.