Asif Ali and team speaks out on Abhyanthara Kuttavaali delay, alleges blackmail and legal battle

Dubai: Malayalam actor Asif Ali has finally broken his silence on the delay of his investigative thriller Abhyanthara Kuttavaali, revealing during an Instagram Live that the film’s release was postponed due to serious and unfounded allegations.

Joined by his producer Naisam Salam and director Sethunath Padmakumar, Asif shared that the film was initially meant to hit theatres on April 17, but was held back after an individual accused the team of financial misconduct. “There are people claiming we took money from them — but we haven’t taken a single rupee,” said Sethunath.

“We are now dealing with it legally and have taken the matter to the Supreme Court," he added.

The film’s producer went a step further, claiming the team is being blackmailed. “We are being threatened by someone who is spreading false information. These are baseless allegations,” he said.

The team emphasised that their silence so far was intentional, as they didn’t want to engage in mudslinging. However, they felt compelled to update fans directly after online speculation began to spiral.

Despite the turbulence, the actor confirmed that the film is ready and will release in May. “We’ve put our heart into this project. The truth will come out, and so will our film — very soon,” he assured fans.