The release date of the Hindi, Tamil, Telugu and Kannada versions of Malaikottai Vaaliban, which is helmed by Lijo Jose Pellissery, has been officially revealed
The anticipation for Malaikottai Vaaliban, one of the biggest Malayalam releases this year, has already reached fever pitch. The Malayalam version of Lijo Jose Pellissery’s Mohanlal-starrer is all set to release in theatres on January 25. While the makers had advertised that the movie would also have dubbed versions in other languages, OTTplay has now exclusively learned that the Hindi, Tamil, Telugu and Kannada versions will have a delayed release date.
Unlike a lot of previous big-budget ventures in Malayalam, the makers of the period action-drama are going to see how the film is received in Kerala before they test waters in other States.
The Hindi, Tamil, Kannada and Telugu-dubbed versions of Malaikottai Vaaliban will release in theatres in the rest of the country on February 2, 2024, confirms the film’s producer, Shibu Baby John, to OTTplay.
It’s a sound strategy considering that the Republic Day weekend is packed with releases in every film industry, with Bollywood seeing Hrithik Roshan and Deepika Padukone’s Fighter and Kannada having a slew of films including Bachelor Party Upadhyaksha and Case of Kondana.
In Malayalam, there’s no other big release apart from the Lijo directorial, which also has Danish Sait, Sonalee Kulkarni and Katha Nandi in pivotal roles. This will guarantee a strong week at the box office for Malaikottai Vaaliban, which is already expected to break opening-day records for a Malayalam movie with its huge pre-sales figures leading up to the release date.
That said, the makers have spared no expense in ensuring that the dubbed versions are of the highest quality. Bollywood filmmaker and actor Anurag Kashyap has lent his voice to Mohanlal’s character in the Hindi version. Mohanlal had said that as soon as the Gangs of Wasseypur director finished watching the film, he had called him to praise his performance as well as the movie’s visual quality.
The makers of Malaikottai Vaaliban, which was shot in Rajasthan, are also hoping that its theme and content resonate with audiences across India and this could be the first big breakout film from Malayalam that tastes pan-Indian success.
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