Actor Asif Ali has voiced his disappointment over inadvertently leaving out the names of other films in a recent promotional video. The video, which featured Asif alongside actors Tovino Thomas and Antony Varghese, was intended to generate excitement and share positivity about the Onam season. However, Ali expressed regret that this promotional effort did not include mentions of other films.
In his statement, Asif Ali explained that the trio, being of a similar age group, were excited about the excellent year for Malayalam cinema, which has seen a host of great films and active theatres. He acknowledged that the omission was an oversight and did not reflect their intention to downplay other films. The goal of the video was to encourage audiences to enjoy various films during the festive season, not to exclude any particular titles.
Ali further elaborated that while the oversight was unfortunate, it was not meant to harm the prospects of other films. He stressed that the choice of films is ultimately up to the audience, and the omission of other titles in their video was not intended to negatively impact them.
The issue gained further attention when Sheelu Abraham, an actress and producer, criticised Tovino, Asif, and Antony for promoting only their films and allegedly neglecting other releases. Sheelu argued that this behaviour exemplified how 'power groups' operate in the industry, creating a misleading impression that only their films were significant for the festival.
Supporting Sheelu's comments, Omar Lulu, director of Bad Boys, questioned the decision to overlook other films. Lulu remarked that all films undergo similar challenges and should be given equal recognition. His comment reflected the sentiment that the industry should collectively support all releases.
