Prithviraj's crash-course on why writers hold the power in Malayalam cinema

Actor-filmmaker Prithviraj Sukumaran offered a candid insight into what he believes sets Malayalam cinema apart from other Indian film industries, arguing that its biggest strength lies in giving writers the power to shape a film from the very beginning. Speaking at an event in Mumbai, Prithviraj explained how a Malayalam film can originate with a writer rather than a star, director or production house — a process he hopes the industry never loses.

In a conversation with The Indian Express, Prithviraj was asked about the commercial dynamics between stars and production houses in Malayalam cinema. The actor-filmmaker explained that he has produced several of the films he has acted in under his banner, Prithviraj Productions, and often chooses to take a financial stake in a project instead of a conventional acting fee.

“With me, I've produced a lot of the films that I act in. And for most of the films I act in, I don't take a salary. I have a stake in the film,” he said.

But for Prithviraj, the more important difference lies in who gets to initiate the filmmaking process. “Even today, the one quality about Malayalam cinema that I love the most is that writers hold the power,” he said. According to the actor, the first person to approach a star is usually not a director, production house or manager, but the writer.

He then broke down the process almost like a crash-course in how a Malayalam film gets made.

“A writer gets in touch with the actor and says, 'I've written something, would you like to listen to it?'” Prithviraj explained. He then added, "If the actor likes the material, the next conversation is not necessarily about money or dates, but about finding the right director for the script. 'If I like it, then we think, who would be great to direct this?' Then we reach out to a director we think would be good for this. Then we decide who would be a good production house to back this.”

In Prithviraj's description, the hierarchy is therefore reversed. The script comes first, the actor responds to it, the director is chosen for the material and the production house comes in to finance the vision.

For him, protecting that writer-first ecosystem is essential. “I hope we never lose that. I hope we never lose that process, that method. But I see signs of us losing it,” he said.

Prithviraj argued that Malayalam cinema's distinctive strength has traditionally been its ability to let the story find its actor, director and producer, rather than having the story built around those elements first. He was speaking alongside his Daayra co-star Kareena Kapoor and director Meghna Gulzar. The film hit theatres on December 18.- EndsPublished By: K JananiPublished On: Sep 18, 2026 10:23 ISTALSO READ | Prithviraj Sukumaran reveals why he avoids risky stunts: I have 3 titanium screws