A lot of brilliant Malayalam movies are expected to drop this year, mainly due to the (ongoing) coronavirus pandemic which prevented many big budget movies from releasing in theaters last year. But still, due to the number of movies set to be slated for release this year, there is a chance that multiple movies will miss out getting favourable release dates. So these films – both with big and small budgets – are looking for alternative forms of release AKA OTT platforms.
Of course, some of the movies in this list are still under specaulation, but nearly all movies discussed have been approached by some OTT platform or the other. Here are the top 7 Malayalam Movies which will be released directly to OTTs in 2021 in the upcoming months:
The Great Indian Kitchen
This contemporary feature film will bring Thondimuthalum Driksakshiyum’s married couple which was portrayed by Suraj Venjaramoodu and Nimisha Sajayan to play another married couple. This film will focus on the role of women in a conservative society and will hopefully open the eyes of many. The movie dropped yesterday on 15th January 2021 on Neestream.
Vaanku
This upcoming Malayalam drama film is based on the short story of the same name by Unni R. This film focuses on the violence that happened inside the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) back in January 5th 2020 that left 34 people injured. This Kavya Prakash directed film will drop on Prime Reels on January 29th 2021.
Confessions of a Cuckoo
This movie follows a young woman Sherin, who is investigating multiple child abuse cases for a documentary. During one such case, she is forced to take a look at her past. This Jay Jithin Prakash directed film premiered on Prime Reel on January 8th 2021. The film is currently available for streaming on the same OTT platform.
Guardian
This Sathish Paul directed Malayalam thriller stars Saiju Kurup and Miya George. The synopsis of Guardian is as follows – when a third person enters into the life of a happily married couple, their life takes a drastic hard turn. The film premiered on January 1st 2021 on Prime Reels and is currently streaming in the same.
Cold Case
This upcoming cop thriller has been cited for OTT release but no official announcement has been provided yet. Cold Case will feature Prithviraj Sukumaran and Aditi Balan in lead roles. Prithviraj portrays a police officer, while Aditi portrays an independent journalist – both of them trying to complete a cold case.
Churuli
This Chemban Vinod, Joju George, Vinay Forrt, and Jaffer Idukki starrer is another film that has been garnering clout, expecting to drop in OTTs soon. No official confirmation has been given yet but this supernatural thriller will be a welcome addition to the OTT space. Churuli is set in a hilly region in Kerala, which follows a man who sets out to capture a phantom named Perumadan, but he ends up falling for its trap instead.
We all knew this film was definitely making this list. This surprise sequel is being made for Amazon Prime Video, with the entire original cast from the 2013 prequel feature set to return. Director Jeethu Joseph will return to the sequel as well and it will be interesting to see if the skeletons in the proverbial closet stays hidden. The film is expected to release next month, on February 15th 2021 on Amazon Prime Video.
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