Wayanad landslides kill over 156: Malayalam film industry postpones major events, movie releases

Wayanad landslides: Malayalam film industry has come forward observing a period of mourning and has postponed major events scheduled for this week.

An affected area following landslides triggered by heavy rain in the hilly areas in Wayanad, July 31, 2024. (PTI)

As Kerala grapples with the devastation left by torrential rains that triggered a series of landslides in the hilly areas near Meppadi in Kerala’s Wayanad district on Tuesday, killing at least 156 people, the Malayalam film industry too has come forward, observing a period of mourning and has postponed major events scheduled for this week.

In response to the disaster, the release of the thriller film Footage, directed by Saiju Sreedharan, has been postponed indefinitely. The film’s makers shared on social media, “Our thoughts and prayers are with the people of Wayanad who are trembling in the torrential rains and landslides. The release of our film Footage, which was scheduled for August 2, has been postponed to another day.” A found footage thriller, the film features Manju Warrier, Vishak Nair and Gayathri Ashok in the lead roles.

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Similarly, a major update regarding actor Tovino Thomas’ highly anticipated big-budget film Ajayante Randam Moshanam, directed by Jithin Lal, was expected on Tuesday but has been rescheduled. The film’s team stated, “In the context of the great disaster that occurred in Wayanad, as a mark of mourning, the announcement of our movie update, which was scheduled for today at 5:00 PM, has been postponed to another day,” the team posted yesterday evening.

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The South Indian Film Academy (SIFA) also announced the postponement of its Vidyarambham, in light of the tragedy. The Kochi-based film school, established by Listin Stephen of Magic Frames and chaired by renowned filmmaker Shaji Kailas, will reschedule this event.

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According to OnManorama, the Association of Malayalam Movie Artists (AMMA) has cancelled the press conference for the upcoming Entertainment Awards night, which was to be held with the Kerala Producers Association.

Malayalam superstars Mammootty and Mohanlal used social media to urge the public to stay safe and heed official guidance during this period of heavy rains and natural disasters. “Please remain safe and follow government instructions carefully. Limit travel and avoid spreading unverified information. Our thoughts are with those affected in Wayanad,” the legendary actors noted while sharing control room numbers.

As a mark of respect for those who lost their lives in the disaster, the organisers of the 16th International Documentary and Short Film Festival of Kerala (IDSFFK) too had decided to suspend all official events, on Tuesday. While scheduled activities such as seminars, Meet the Director sessions, Face-to-face discussions and In Conversation events were cancelled, the film screenings were announced to continue as planned. The awards, however, will be presented to winners without an official ceremony.

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