Middle class moving away from theatres: Nedumudi

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Malayalam actor and winner of many awards, Nedumudi Venu, in an exclusive interview, gives his views on what's ailing the Malayalam film industry.

Malayalam cinema has been given a raw deal at the National Awards. Was the industry biased against or were there no movies worth mentioning to feature for the awards?

It didn't come as a surprise to us. Even the state jury this year didn't give the award for the best film, saying there were no good movies.

What's your opinion of the type of movies being made in Malayalam film industry now?

Both commercial films and art movies are not as communicative as they used to be earlier. The type of movies we have now only helps in keeping the viewers away from theatres. The middle class is also not taking interest in movies as the middle-of-the-path films are not coming nowadays. Industry is the main culprit for this.

What can we revive the film industry?

A collective effort is needed to revive the industry. Theatres in Kerala, for example, are huge structures without basic amenities. For the middle class to return, theatres will have to change with the times and provide better amenities. Filmmakers, on their part, should make better movies to wean back the lost audience.