Kunchacko Boban’s Ariyippu to release directly on Netflix, to mark actor’s first direct-to-OTT movie

Kunchacko Boban’s acclaimed film Ariyippu, which is helmed by Mahesh Narayanan, will also mark his first direct-to-OTT release. The rights of the movie, which also has Divya Prabha, has been grabbed by Netflix, which will be streaming the film after its festival run.

Ariyippu aka Declaration, which is co-produced by Mahesh, Kunchacko and Shebin Backer, became the first Malayalam movie to have its premiere in over three decades at the Locarno Film Festival. Following that the film was selected to be screened at both the Busan International Film Festival and BFI London Film Festival, where it is currently playing.

Also read: OTTplay Awards 2022: Mahesh Narayanan: The onus is on OTTs to ensure that theatres and streaming services co-exist 

Set during the COVID-19 lockdown, the movie revolves around a Malayali couple working in a medical glove factory in the outskirts of Delhi. How an old video wreaks havoc in the lives of the husband and wife, essayed by Kunchacko and Divya respectively, and threaten their marriage, jobs and their dreams to migrate abroad, form the plot of this intense movie, which is also scripted by Mahesh Narayanan.

While Kunchacko’s previous films such as Nayattu, Pada and Bheemante Vazhi have all won pan-Indian acclaim after they dropped on OTT platforms, the actor has stayed away from direct-to-OTT releases so far. That’s also what makes Ariyippu a special film for the Malayalam star.

In an interview with Variety, the film’s director Mahesh, who had earlier helmed C U Soon, Take Off and Malik, said that they were thrilled the movie was picked up by Netflix, guaranteeing that the film will reach audiences in 190 countries.

The filmmaker had recently told OTTplay that the digital wave has helped filmmaker push the envelope in terms of the content and this has also helped in the reach of a film. “About 50% of Ariyippu is in Hindi, the rest in Malayalam with some portions in Tamil. I have a scene where four people are talking but in three different languages. This is possible only with digital new wave and I am grateful for that,” he said.