Exclusive! After Kaanekkaane, Suraj Venjaramoodu’s Roy heads for an OTT release

National Award-winning actor Suraj Venjaramoodu has back-to-back OTT releases coming up. After Manu Ashokan’s Kaanekkane was confirmed as an OTT release last week, OTTplay has exclusively learnt that the Android Kunjappan Ver 5.25 actor’s Roy too will drop directly on a streaming platform.

The movie’s director and scriptwriter Sunil Ibrahim tells us, “The movie is ready for release and we are currently in talks with OTT platforms. The release date and platform will be announced very soon. The aim was to always release in theatres and that’s why we had waited so long despite winding up the shoot last year. However, the rise in COVID-19 cases and lockdowns prompted us to negotiate for an OTT release. Also, the audience has now begun accepting movies through streaming platforms.”

On the movie, Sunil, who had previously helmed Chapters and Arikil Oraal, says, “Suraj plays Roy, who has his own idiosyncrasies. The story is about Roy and wife Tina, played by Sija Rose. They have a marked age difference and so their bond is unique. Though the film begins with their relationship, it soon evolves into a thriller with mystery and investigation, and builds up curiosity.”

Ask him if the pandemic restrictions had an impact on the story or its making and the director tells us, “We had decided to shoot the movie before the pandemic. So, storywise, we didn’t make any changes. When we began filming after the first lockdown, we reduced the number of personnel. That’s it. The viewers won’t feel it’s a movie that was made amid restrictions.”

The team had also shot outdoors in Idukki and Kochi. “We had to digitally remove the masks of people in some scenes,” says Sunil, who is gearing up for his next film in November.

Apart from Suraj and Sija, the movie also has Shine Tom Chacko, Rony David, Jins Bhaskar, Riya Saira and Boban Samuel.