Mammootty starrer 'Valyettan' faces social media backlash for body-shaming dialogues

The remastered 4K Dolby Atmos version of the blockbuster Mammootty starrer 'Valyettan' has been re-released in theatres across Kerala. Following its return to the big screen, social media has been buzzing with discussions about the political correctness of certain dialogues in the film.

In the movie, Mammootty’s character, Valyettan, addresses his younger brother, played by Sudheesh, who is physically disabled. Some of Valyettan's dialogues, such as referring to his brother as “just three feet taller than sea level” and describing his body as one that “doesn’t have a finishing,” have drawn criticism for being politically incorrect. Netizens have raised concerns, questioning how the hero of the film could utter such lines.

While some social media users argue that mocking one’s own brother for his physical disability should not be portrayed as heroism, others have pointed out that the film was originally released years ago, and such dialogues were more common at the time. Additionally, many have expressed their discomfort with Sidique’s character calling Sudheesh’s character ‘njondi’ (crippled) repeatedly throughout the movie. These discussions gained traction after 'Valyettan' was re-released in theatres nearly 24 years later.

Originally released on September 10, 2000, 'Valyettan' was one of the biggest box-office hits of that year. Mammootty played the powerful patriarch Arakkal Madhavanunni in the film, which featured an impressive ensemble cast including Shobana, Sidique, Manoj K. Jayan, Poornima Indrajith, Innocent, NF Varghese, Kalabhavan Mani, Vijayakumar, and Sudheesh.

Written by Ranjith and directed by the successful Shaji Kailas, 'Valyettan' was re-released by Baiju Ambalakkara under the banner of Ambalakkara Films. The movie has been remastered with 4K visuals and Dolby Atmos acoustic quality, thanks to Matinee Now.