'Valatty' director opens up about hardships he faced while making film, posts emotional video

The newly released film ‘Valatty’ that pivots around dogs has mostly received positive reviews on social media. And director Devan couldn’t be happier! On Monday evening, he appeared live on his Facebook to express his gratitude for the overwhelmingly positive reviews for his debut film. Devan also got a tad emotional while recounting his four-year-old journey.

“Lots of strangers are calling and congratulating me. I am getting so many responses for my film. It was quite a challenge to make this film. That this film was received so well despite not having a single well-known star is incredible. I waited patiently for this film for four years. This is a small film about spreading kindness. And that required a lot of time and hard work. We really toiled hard to finish this film. We had to wait till the 30-day-old puppies grew up to make them act for this film. I am a newcomer so there will be flaws and corrections in my film. A lot of people asked me why I kept aside so many years for my first film. There were also many losses. But I am willing to overlook all those hardships when I see the reactions to my film,” he said.

He added he is elated when people feel happy on seeing the little canines onscreen. “This is also a result of their hard work and training. If we are able to feel any sort of compassion towards any animal after watching this film, then I would consider it my film’s success. I am just a filmmaker, not anybody’s spokesperson,” he said.

He also thanked Friday Films for their efforts to make his film a success. “They invested a huge amount for the film despite having no big stars in the film. They never compromised on the making. I think it was because they believed in the integrity of this film,” said Devan.

'Valatty' can be called an experimental film in Malayalam. The film features dogs in lead roles. Roshan Mathew, Soubin Shahir, Naslen Gafoor, Aju Varghese, and Saiju Kurup have dubbed for the characters, including hens. Vinay Babu is the film’s executive producer. The music is by Ayoob Khan and Vinay Panicker is the editor.