Raj B Shetty set to release Toby in Malayalam and Tamil?

The actor-filmmaker had not ruled out the possibility of releasing dubbed versions of the film, and now, sources say that it is imminent

Raj B Shetty in and as Toby

Raj B Shetty’s Toby was released in its Kannada original version on August 25. But unlike Garuda Gamana Vrishabha Vahana, where he did not dub the film in other languages and instead only sold the remake rights (which are yet to be made), with Toby, he was clear that he would release it in whatever language it made sense. Raj had promoted the film as a mass commercial subject with strong characters that audiences will root for. When Toby came to theatres, though, only part of that statement rang true for audiences – the strong characters bit. Toby, as far as they were concerned, was an emotional saga of a father and daughter, so, audiences who were expecting an out-and-out commercial film with massive action blocks, elevations, etc. were disappointed, leading to mixed reviews coming in for the film. At the box office, the film did not create the kind of waves that the team was hoping for, although its performance was not altogether disappointing.

Read: Toby movie review: Raj B Shetty presents a heart-achingly beautiful and tragic tale

One of the major types of feedback that the team received, though, was that the story of Toby was such that it would resonate well with audiences in, say, Kerala and Tamil Nadu, which they’ve paid heed to. According to sources close to the team, Raj is currently in the process of figuring out the film’s other-language release, with special emphasis on the Malayalam and Tamil versions. The team had not zeroed in on a digital partner prior to the theatrical release, although rumours suggest that they were in talks with Amazon Prime Video.

Read: Exclusive! Midhun Mukundan: The music of Toby is situational and important to take the narrative ahead

Meanwhile, as an actor, Raj has got to finish his portions in composer-turned-filmmaker Arjun Janya’s debut directorial, 45, after which he will focus on writing the script for another production under his banner. Raj is looking at writing two scripts that will serve as directorial debut vehicles for two of his friends, both of which will not have him on board as actor. Only after these two projects, will Raj return to direction.

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