Tovino Thomas’ Naradan release postponed due to Omicron, second film to defer date after Dulquer’s Salute

The movie, directed by Aashiq Abu, was set to hit theatres on January 27

Naradan character posters of Tovino Thomas and Anna Ben

After Dulquer Salmaan’s Salute, the rising COVID-19 cases and the rapid spread of Omicron variant has forced the makers of Tovino Thomas’ upcoming movie Naradan to also push its release date. The movie was initially set to hit theatres on January 27.

Naradan, which also has Anna Ben in the lead, is the second Malayalam film to postpone its release date due to the surge in COVID-19 cases in the State. Dulquer had last week announced that his film Salute, which was set to hit theatres on January 14, will be postponing its release as safety is the priority at this time.

A statement from OPM Cinemas, which is producing the film, said that due to the rise of COVID-19 infections and complications caused by the Omicron variant, "the release schedule of Naradan has been postponed".

Naradan, which will mark Tovino’s second theatrical release during the pandemic after Kala, has been much anticipated, due to the team involved. Scripted by Unni R and directed by Aashiq Abu, the movie is set against the backdrop of the State’s media and its functioning.

Apart from Tovino and Anna Ben, the movie also has Sharafudheen, Joy Mathew, Vijayaraghavan, Indrans, Renji Panicker, Jayaraj Warrier and Dileesh Nair in pivotal roles. The team had been releasing the character poster from the film, which has Tovino playing a senior journalist named Chandraprakash who beings questioning his principles and ethics in today’s world of media filled with fabricated and sensationalised stories.

Naradan will mark the third collaboration between Aashiq and Tovino, after Mayaanadhi and Virus. The makers will also be hoping to bank on the recent success of Minnal Murali, which had the actor playing a superhero.

Meanwhile, Naradan and Salute’s postponement will also cause concern for the makers of other big films such as Hridayam and Thuramukham, which are also set for release in theatres on January 21 and January 20 respectively.

While a source from Thuramukham had told us that they are contemplating on shifting the release date, Visakh Subramaniam, the producer of Hridayam, said that the film is on track for a January 21 release, if the government doesn’t announce a lockdown.

Also read: Exclusive! Hridayam producer confirms Pranav Mohanlal film will release as planned if there isn’t a lockdown

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