Priyadarshan denies direct-to-OTT release for Marakkar: ‘It can be enjoyed only on the big screen’

Filmmaker Priyadarshan has put to rest rumours regarding his upcoming Malayalam film Marakkar: Arabikadalinte Simham getting a direct-to-OTT release. He clarified that the film, reportedly made on a lavish budget of over ₹100 crore, will only release in cinemas.

Marakkar: Arabikadalinte Simham, which stars Mohanlal in the lead role, was supposed to hit the screens last March. However, due to the coronavirus pandemic, the release has been postponed indefinitely.

In an interview with Sify.com, Priyadarshan reiterated that Marakkar will only come out in theatres, even if he has to wait for six more months.

“Marakkar is a big-budget film that can be enjoyed only on the big screen, even if I have to wait for another six months it will only have a theatrical release. Mohanlal, Antony Perumbavoor (producer and distributor), and me, we are on the same page as far as the release is concerned and we are sure a big tentpole film like Marakkar will have a big screen release before going the digital way,” he said.

Priyadarshan asked if any OTT platform would be interested in paying ₹150 crore for the film, even if they consider a digital release.

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“With such huge stakes involved, we’re concerned about our product which we painstakingly built, but we are in no hurry to release the film. We’ll take a call when the world returns to normalcy, when people are in a position to enjoy things the way they used to earlier. We’re looking forward to a release in December or even early next year,” Priyadarshan had said in an interview to The News Minute last year.

Marakkar: Arabikadalinte Simham, produced by Anthony Perumbavoor, also stars Arjun, Suniel Shetty, Keerthy Suresh, Manju Warrier and Siddique in important roles. It will also be released in Tamil, Telugu, Kannada and Hindi.