Murali Denies Loss Claims Amid ₹10 Crore Budget Allegations for Sumathi Valavu Controversy

Producer Murali Kunnumpurathu has publicly alleged that he was financially cheated in connection with two of his recent films, Sumathi Valavu and Nadikalil Sundari Yamuna, claiming losses of around ₹9 crore across multiple ventures. The allegations were made in an emotional video that went viral on social media, in which he stated that he proceeded with Nadikalil Sundari Yamuna based on promises made by assistant directors that he now claims were misleading. He also asserted that he was misled about the budget of Sumathi Valavu, being told it would be ₹10 crore, and that he needs to clarify what exactly happened with the film’s finances and who, if anyone, cheated him financially.

The producer, who entered the film industry during the COVID-19 period with the Jayasurya-starrer Vellam, said in an interview with Manorama Online that he went ahead with Nadikalil Sundari Yamuna relying on assurances from assistant directors, which he now believes were false. His claims have prompted a response from the producers’ body, which has stepped in to address the allegations. The team behind Sumathi Valavu has denied the fraud claims made by Murali Kunnumpurathu.

According to box office reports, Sumathi Valavu, released on August 1, 2025, is a Malayalam-language comedy-drama-horror film directed by Vishnu Sasi Shankar and produced by Gokulam Gopalan and Murali Kunnumpurathu. The film had a reported budget of approximately ₹10 crore and collected a total worldwide gross of ₹18.17 crore, with India net collections amounting to ₹11.99 crore. Day-wise collections showed an opening day of ₹1.4 crore, reaching ₹5.55 crore by the end of the opening weekend and ₹8.55 crore after the first week.

The film features an ensemble cast including Arjun Ashokan, Saiju Kurup, Gokul Suresh Gopi, Shravan Mukesh, Bobby Kurien, Malavika Manoj, Sshivada Nair, Balu Varghese, Siddharth Bharathan, and others. It was certified UA16+ and had a runtime of 2 hours and 21 minutes. Despite the theatrical collections, Murali Kunnumpurathu maintains that he suffered significant financial losses on the project and has called for transparency regarding the film’s budget and expenditure.