The couple has apparently filed for divorce

Filmmaker Priyadarshan's marriage has hit a rough patch and we hear that the director and Lizzy, his wife of 24 years, have now filed for divorce. While Priyadarshan was not available for comment, Lizzy replied that she didn't want to talk about the issue. `I am not in a state of mind to say anything. Please respect my privacy,` was her text reply.

Priyadarshan and Lizzy
Lizzy is a former actress who first met the filmmaker in Thiruvananthapuram on the sets of his 1984 film, Odaruthammava Alariyam. Industry watchers say that it was love at first sight for the two. The actress went on to act in 22 films directed by Priyadarshan and married him in December 1990. After her marriage, Lizzy gave up her acting career and changed her name to Lakshmi. The couple has two children - daughter Kalyani and son Siddharth - both studying abroad.

Interestingly, Lizzy - who is the managing director of Four Frames Sound Company and Four Frames Entertainment - is also the co-owner of the Celebrity Cricket League (CCL) team, Kerala Strikers. A source says, `Lizzy was missing from the cricket match held earlier this month in Kochi and the organisers were told that she isn't keeping well.

However, Priyadarshan was present at the match and he even dedicated their team's victory to his wife Lizzy.'' Though there is no clarity about the reason behind the couple's separation, some sources say that a financial dispute has caused the split, while others say that the filmmaker's liaison with an actress has fuelled the fire.