Confirmed! Mohanlal and Vysakh’s Monster is a theatrical release, to clash with Suresh Gopi’s film

After negotiations with various leading streaming platforms fell through, Malayalam superstar Mohanlal and director Vysakh’s Monster will head for a theatrical release. This was confirmed, with a leading digital cinema distribution network beginning to block the dates for the film in various theatres.

Monster, which has Mohanlal essaying the role of an investigative officer named Lucky Singh, is written by Udaykrishna and marks the second collaboration between the actor, director and scriptwriter after their blockbuster Pulimurugan.

In an earlier interview with us, Mohanlal had said that he was excited about the film as it isn’t a conventional thriller and the second half is packed with twists. The movie was done with the aim of providing work for industry personnel during the pandemic and also with the aim of an OTT release, if theatres had still not reopened.

Currently, the film is looking at a September end or October first week release in time for the pooja holidays. This would mean that Monster will clash with Suresh Gopi’s entertainer Mei Hoom Moosa, which is directed by Jibu Jacob.

Meanwhile, Vysakh had earlier told us that he was sure that Monster would work well both in theatres as well as on OTTs because of the “strength of its content”. ““Every twist in the film presents a mode of entertainment. On a broader perspective, it belongs to the thriller genre. Also, Monster is a movie that’s made for entertainment. We have also tried to address aspects that many are hesitant about,” he said.

The movie, which had concluded shooting last year, also has Sudev Nair, Lakshmi Manchu and Honey Rose as part of the cast. Mohanlal’s next release is expected to be Shaji Kailas’ Alone, which is a single-actor thriller that is set during the pandemic. The movie is set to be a direct-to-OTT release.