B Unnikrishnan requests FEUOK for 4 daily shows for Mohanlal’s Aaraattu without a 2-week holdover in theatres

Director B Unnikishan is hoping to control all variables he can, as he gears up for the release of his big-budget movie Neyyattinkara Gopante Aaraattu aka Aaraattu on February 18. The filmmaker recently sent a letter to the Film Exhibitors United Organisation of Kerala (FEUOK) urging that the film gets a decent run in theatres across Kerala.

In the letter sent to FEUOK on February 7, the filmmaker, who has also produced the ‘mass’ entertainer that has Mohanlal in the lead, mentioned that he had apprised the FEUOK members of the details of the movie at its recent executive committee meeting.

In an earlier interview with OTTplay, Unnikrishnan said he had spent close to Rs 39 crore on the movie and was paying Rs 20 lakh every month as interest. In the letter to FEUOK, he stated that he has been waiting for almost one and half years to release the movie in theatres, and had never once thought about selling its rights to OTT platforms.

“As someone who is loyal to this industry, I had to endure a lot of difficulties during this time period. I am requesting the support of FEUOK and hoping theatres would pay a decent sum as its advance,” he wrote. The director also stressed that the movie should be four shows in every theatres daily and the exhibitors shouldn’t look at the two-week holdover to change the film. This could mean an expected wide release for the movie, which is the superstar's first 'mass' action entertainer to come in a while after Prithviraj Sukumaran's Lucifer back in 2019.

While Aaraattu is the big release this month, it also releases alongside Arjun Ashokan’s Member Rameshan 9-aam Ward. Saiju Kurup’s Upacharapoorvam Gunda Jayan and Shane Nigam’s Veyil are set to hit theatres on February 25 and 28, respectively. The next big releases aren’t until March 3 which is taken by Mammootty’s Bheeshma Parvam and Tovino Thomas’ Naaradhan. Kunchacko Boban’s Pada, meanwhile, will be released on March 10.

Also read: Exclusive! AR Rahman initially declined to be part of Mohanlal’s Aaraattu, here’s who eventually convinced him