People feel the film was released ahead of its time, says Sibi Malayil

The 2000 Mohanlal-Jaya Prada film, Devadoothan may have failed to click at the box office, but gifted audiences a set of tracks composed by Vidyasagar that are still much-loved. Poove Poove Palappoove or the melodic Karale Nin Kaipidich are not songs that Malayalis will forget easily.
Post COVID, the film has been gaining appreciation as a cult classic, and its growing fanbase has prompted a re-release.Its director Sibi Malayil says, “The film was not well received during its initial release, but today’s audiences are talking about how the film was ahead of its time. After Spadikam was remastered and re-released, there was buzz about Devadoothan being next in line for a re-release. With the public opinion being that the film would be more relatable to audiences if it were to be released now, the remastering took off.”

The director says that the film’s remastered version will be re-edited and also re-censored. “We have edited out some parts that are not relevant to the film now. There were some commercial elements that were added in back then because they were the demand of those times, but now, we have removed them all, keeping a stronger focus on storytelling. So far, the run time has gone down by 25 minutes, but it won’t affect the film at all as the comedy and action portions have become outdated now,” he says.
"The idea of watching an old film that they have only seen on smaller screens with improved quality in theatres is what draws people to re-releases," he adds.
The director informs that the team is also planning an event later with the actors and crew, including Mohanlal and Jaya Pradha, being part of it.

Did you know?
Actor Madhavan was the initial choice for playing a role in Devadoothan. But by then, the actor had already signed Mani Ratnam’s Alaipayuthe.