PremiumMarakkar co-producer says Suchitra Mohanlal convinced makers of Priyadarshan’s film to release it in theatres
The magnum opus, which has Mohanlal playing Kunjali Marakkar IV, was initially announced to be a direct-to-OTT release
Last Updated: 01.56 PM, Nov 15, 2021
The massive response of Dulquer Salmaan’s Kurup after its theatrical release has now given a lot of confidence to the makers of forthcoming Malayalam movies including Mohanlal’s Marakkar: Arabikadalinte Simham. The latter, which was initially set for a theatrical release, was announced as a direct-to-OTT release by its producer Antony Perumbavoor a few weeks ago and then last week, he reverted his stance, saying that the movie will release in theatres on December 2.
While multiple factors resulted in Antony's decision – including Kurup’s response, pressure from the government and fans, we now hear that it’s Mohanlal’s wife Suchitra who played a pivotal role in the makers opting back for a theatrical release.
In a social media post, the movie’s co-producer CJ Roy, who has backed Marakkar along with Santosh T Kuruvilla and Antony, wrote that after watching the preview show of the film in Chennai, Suchitra was “so convinced that Marakkar needs to be seen” on the big screen to witness its cinematic magic.
The producer also revealed that even during the dinner after the preview, the team of Mohanlal, Suchitra, Antony and other producers had discussed the same. He credited Suchitra’s persistence for helping bring Marakkar to theatres ahead of its OTT release.
A few days ago, Kerala Film Producers Association official G Suresh Kumar had said that Priyadarshan too was keen on having a theatrical release for the movie and that the director and Mohanlal had heated discussions about releasing the film on OTTs. Suchitra reportedly spoke to Priyadarshan after Marakkar’s preview and had told him that the movie had to be seen in theatres.
The film, set in the late 16th century, has Mohanlal playing Kunjali Marakkar IV and is touted to be the most expensive Malayalam movie ever. With a cast featuring Manju Warrier, Suniel Shetty, Pranav Mohanlal, Keerthy Suresh and Kalyani Priyadarshan, the film is expected to draw huge crowds back to the theatres. The movie will reportedly release on OTTs 41 days after its theatrical release on December 2.