Sookshmadarshini on OTT: Nazriya Nazim’s role was first pitched for a leading Bollywood star?

Post the OTT release of Nazriya Nazim and Basil Joseph’s Sookshmadarshini, the responses from audiences outside Kerala have been highly positive, with many hailing the actors’ performances, the film’s making and some even calling for makers in Telugu and Bollywood to remake the movie, in the respective languages.

Incidentally, in an interview ahead of the film’s theatrical release in November 2024, the movie’s director MC Jithin had revealed that Sookshmadarshini was initially pitched as a script for a Bollywood film, with a leading Hindi actress.

Also read: Sookshmadarshini review: Nazriya, Basil Joseph’s suspense thriller about neighbourhood snoops is a gripping outing 

Sookshmadarshini was set to be made as a Bollywood film?

Jithin explained that after his directorial debut Nonsense’s release in 2018, he received a call from a Bollywood producer, asking for its remake rights. The movie, which was touted to be the first Indian film revolving around the BMX cycle sport, didn’t do well in Kerala, but the Mumbai-based producer seemed to think it had the potential to work as a Bollywood film.

Also read: Sookshmadarshini director MC Jithin Interview: ‘The idea was to create a Hitchcockian thriller set in a Sathyan Anthikad world’ 

The director, however, said that its remake rights weren’t easy to procure due to several issues, but decided to not tell it to Bollywood producer immediately. Instead, he went to Mumbai to meet the producer, with another idea that was later developed into Sookshmadarshini.

Jithin revealed that the Hindi producers were impressed with the idea and also had dates of a leading Bollywood actress, who would play the lead role that Nazriya had essayed in the Malayalam movie. The script, back then, didn’t have as much importance for the character played by Basil Joseph – which was later worked upon at the request of Sookshmadarshini’s co-producer Samir Thahir.

The pandemic, however, threw a spanner in the works and the project was stalled. Jithin said that the producers had to back out of the film and this forced him to then pitch it to several backers in Kerala, till Samir’s Happy Hours Entertainment decided to bankroll it. Jithin did not reveal the name of the Bollywood star that the Mumbai-based team had dates for.

Where to watch Sookshmadarshini on OTT?

Sookshmadarshini revolves around a neighbourhood where a bakery owner and his mother arrive to reside. After the latter goes missing, their neighbours believe that something is amiss and begin their own ‘friendly neighbourhood’ probe.

The movie also has Deepak Parambol, Siddharth Bharathan, Merin Philip, and Akhila Bhargavan in pivotal roles. It is available to watch on Disney+ Hotstar.