Kalapatthar on OTT: Vikky Varun’s debut directorial finds a streaming partner

Kenda Sampige fame actor V ikky Varun’s debut directorial, Kalapatthar, in which he played the lead role as well, had its theatrical run in September 2024, but had not cracked an OTT deal. The film, which had opened to decent reviews, will soon be available to stream, what with a platform finally picking it up. Kalapatthar will soon be headed to Sun NXT, with the streamer announcing a May outing, but not a final date.

Kalapatthar, written by Rama Rama Re fame filmmaker D Satya Prakash, paired Vikky with Dhanya Ramkumar, while the cast also included TS Nagabharana, Achyuth Kumar, Sampath Maithreya, Rajesh Nataranga, Galli Nata, Basu Hiremath, Kanthraj Kaddipudi, among others. Produce by Bhuvan Suresh and Nagaraju Billinakote, Kalapatthar had music by Anoop Seelin, while Sandeep Kumar was credited with the cinematography.

Interestingly, Vikky was not the first choice for actor or director and had been announced with a different cast and crew. However, when the pandemic struck, everything changed, and subsequently, Vikky, who has assisted filmmakers like Yogaraj Bhat and Duniya Suri came on board to make the film. The film was shot mostly in Bijapur, with a few portions set in Kashmir and Rajasthan.

Kalapatthar follows Shankara (Vikky), an army man relegated to kitchen duties at his barrack. Shankara dreams of his big moment doing his bit for the nation, which he gets when he foils an infiltration attempt by terrorists single-handedly, even as his colleagues are busy celebrating Kargil Divas. Shankara’s brave effort does not go unnoticed and he makes his way from the kitchen to the frontline, while back home in his village, it is decided to honour him with a statue.

And that is when trouble begins for Shankara; he begins to experience nature as his statue does. From feeling the blazing sun even as he’s stationed in cold Kashmir, to getting drenched when there’s rain back home, Vikky has an inexplicable connection to his figure cut in stone. So much so that when it is decided to get rid of it, he fights tooth and nail to protect it, at great personal cost.

Also read: Kaalapatthar movie review: Much ado about a statue in Vikky Varun’s debut directorial