Amid row, director Sanal Kumar Sasidharan uploads Tovino-starrer Vazhakku online

Over the past few days, a controversy has been brewing over the release of Vazhakku, between the film's director Sanal Kumar Sasidharan and the lead actor Tovino Thomas. Things escalated on Tuesday with the director releasing the film in its entirety on a video-sharing platform and announcing the same on social media. Along with the link to the film, Sanal added, "Cinema is supposed to be viewed by the audience. For anyone who wants to watch it, here is Vazhakku/The Quarrel. Anyone who wants to understand will now know why the movie is not getting released."

The dispute started when the director made allegations against Tovino, who is also one of the co-producers of the film, stating that the latter was obstructing the film's release to avoid any negative impact on his career.

Later, Tovino came forward to address the issue head-on, alongside co-producer Girish Nair, in a live session on social media. The actor categorically denied all the allegations made by the director, stating that he invested a considerable amount in the production, simply out of respect for Sanal's vision, without expecting any kind of gain in return. Tovino added that it was the director's disinterest in the prospect of handing over the creative rights of the film to streaming platforms that prevented the OTT release of Vazhakku. The actor also recounted when the director was not keen to send the film to the virtual version of the Mumbai Film Festival, citing piracy.

Vazhakku premiered at the 27th International Film Festival of Kerala and later went on to win multiple accolades at the 53rd Kerala State Film Awards. It also stars Kani Kusruti, Sudev Nair, and Azees Nedumangad in prominent roles.