Tovino Thomas responds to Director Sanal Sasidharan's allegations, urges audience to hear both sides

The controversy surrounding the delayed release of the film 'Vazhakku' has taken a new turn as actor Tovino Thomas responds to allegations made by director Sanal Kumar Sasidharan regarding distribution rights and career concerns.

In a recent Instagram live session, Tovino addressed the accusations leveled against him by Sanal, asserting his openness to independent cinema and emphasizing his respect for the director. Amidst a candid discussion, Tovino expressed confusion over Sanal's stance and clarified his willingness to release the film under suitable conditions.

"It was a tough role, but I enjoyed every bit of it. Working with Sanal was great, and I learned a lot. Also I love working in such off-beat films. As a gesture of respect, I offered to cover half of the expenses, spending around Rs 27 lakh. Despite my efforts, I didn't receive any payment for this film." Tovino shared in the video, shedding light on his commitment to the project and the challenges encountered during production and festival screenings.

The actor recounted efforts to secure a theatrical or OTT release for 'Vazhakku,' sharing about the obstacles faced and said that he has been portrayed as a villain in the director’s version of the controversy.

Further Tovino said that he tried to make the director understand that even though ‘Vazhakku’ may have garnered good reviews and acceptance from the audiences during the film festivals, it won’t be the same case if the movie is released in the theatres. Tovino said that the kind of audiences who will enjoy a movie like ‘Vazhakku’ will be the ones who view cinema on an intellectual level.

Tovino further said that he had conveyed an option to release the movie in MAMI virtual film fest, to which the director Sanal did not agree. Tovino said, “He was afraid whether the movie would be leaked if it was sent to such MAMI virtual movie festival.”

Reacting to Sanal's point about the actor being afraid of whether the movie's theatrical release would affect his career, Tovino remarked that had 'Vazhakku' been released in theaters, it might have been another flop in his career. However, he expressed minimal concern about it, confident in his ability to bounce back with the success of two or more upcoming successful films.

Despite making every effort to support Sanal's film, the ’Nadikar’ actor expressed deep hurt over the director's false accusations. Tovino reiterated his readiness to participate in the promotion of 'Vazhakku' if the film finds a theatrical screening. He urged viewers to hear both sides of the incident before casting blame on him.

For the unversed, it was on the last day that the ‘Vazhakku’ movie’s director Sanalkumar Sasidharan accused the lead actor Tovino Thomas of being afraid of whether the theatrical release of the movie would affect his career. Sanal pointed out this as the reason why ‘Vazhakku’s theatrical release was delayed.