The producer of Identity, Raju Malliath of Ragam Movies banner, has dismissed allegations made by director Vinu Kiriyath regarding actor Tovino Thomas’s remuneration and the film’s promotional budget. Raju clarified that Tovino had received only a small advance and had agreed to accept the remaining amount post-release to support the film’s financial constraints.
Vinu had claimed in a television discussion that Identity’s budget escalated due to extravagant promotions, including a helicopter campaign, and that Tovino had charged an excessive fee. In response, Raju stated, "Tovino never insisted on or suggested such a promotional campaign," adding that the helicopter promotion was an independent initiative funded by CJ Roy, a production partner.
He further emphasised Tovino’s unwavering cooperation throughout the one-and-a-half-year-long shoot and revealed that the actor was even willing to provide financial assistance. Despite a significant portion of his payment still pending, Tovino assured the producer that he would do another film with him to help mitigate losses, a gesture Raju described as "a rare display of goodwill." Additionally, when the originally contracted distributor withdrew, Tovino played a key role in securing a deal with Sree Gokulam Movies’ Dream Big distribution company. "When I expressed my gratitude, he simply said, 'This is our film, brother,'" Raju recalled.
Identity, released theatrically on January 2, opened to mixed responses. The film is now available to stream on ZEE5.
