OTTplay Awards 2022! Know Your Winners: Pushkar Gayathri's Suzhal wins Best Screenplay (Series)

Suzhal, the first Tamil web series from Amazon Prime Video, which was released three months ago on the OTT platform, was honoured with Best Screenplay (Series) award at the OTTplay Awards 2022 which was held at Mumbai a few days ago.

Popular director duo Pushkar Gayathri, who created and penned the screenplay for the acclaimed series, was more than happy to receive the recognition and recollected their association with the project.

About the winner

Ever since Suzhal was announced by makers, there was excitement about movie buffs, thanks to its star cast. Aishwarya Rajesh, Parthiban, Sriya Reddy and Kathir played pivotal characters in the series which was directed by Bramma and Anucharan. The eight-episode project dealt with the mysterious disappearance of a teenage girl.

How her parents, elder sister and cops set out to find her only to realize a few shocking revelations about the village they reside in forms the rest of the story. The story is set against the backdrop of Mayana Kollai, a unique festival which is celebrated in a few parts of Tamil Nadu.  

Accolades

Suzhal opened to unanimous positive reviews from critics and film lovers. It is regarded as one of the best binge-worthy series by Tamil audiences, thanks to its unique plot, gripping narration style, impressive making, intriguing screenplay, effective twists and turns complemented by flawless performances by lead artistes.

A few portrayals like that of Aishwarya Rajesh, Sriya Reddy and Harish Uthaman garnered huge appreciation. The suspense factor and the manner in which the investigation happens till the end are a few of the highlights which made Suzhal a nail-biting series. The whodunit was praised by movie lovers from other languages, too. It was released in more than 30 languages, including French, German, Thai and Italian.  

The journey of Pushkar Gayathri

The filmmaker duo made their directorial debut with Oram Po in 2007 which had Arya and Pooja playing lead roles. The movie, which dealt with the lives of auto drivers in Chennai, opened to rave reviews because of some of the impressive aspects in its narration.

Their sophomore project, Va: Quarter Cutting, released in 2010, starring Siva and Lekha Washington in lead roles, garnered praise for the manner in which black humour was handled. Later, the directors took a break for a few years and returned with Vikram Vedha, which went on to become one of the biggest hits of Tamil cinema in 2017.  

The gangster drama, which starred Madhavan and Vijay Sethupathi, earned praise from critics and impressed movie goers, too. The film helped them fetch several awards for their extraordinary direction. Pushkar Gayathri then collaborated with Halitha Shameem's Aelay as creative producers for the project which also won critical acclaim for its screenplay. 

Pushkar Gayathri: Language has become immaterial in today's times

The directors expressed excitement after receiving Best Screenplay (Series) award for Suzhal at the event and said that it felt great to be part of the affair which has integrated all film industries. 

Gayathri said, "Suzhal was our first step into the OTT world. It's really inspiring to receive the award. We are thoroughly excited." Pushkar added, "I love the fact that this award has integrated all languages, there's no language barrier or separation here. Today, language has become immaterial with the advent of OTT space. We should start reaching out to a wider audience. I'm happy for the recognition our work has received."

Upcoming projects

The directors are now looking forward to the release of the Hindi remake of Vikram Vedha which will be released under the same title on September 30. Hrithik Roshan and Saif Ali Khan essay the characters played by Vijay Sethupathi and Madhavan respectively in the remake.   

The Bollywood trade has pinned high hopes on the action movie and is expected to open with huge numbers at the box office. Film lovers, too, are confident that the multi-starrer gangster drama can set the cash registers ringing, thereby becoming the much-needed blockbuster Hindi film industry is looking forward to.

A while ago, Pushkar Gayathri hinted at the possibility of teaming up with Ajith for a project. Though it is too early to talk about it, fans of the star are thrilled about the unusual collaboration. In an earlier chat with OTTplay, the director duo said that they might come up with a sequel to Suzhal as well, if everything goes well.