Ponniyin Selvan 2, Neeraja to Mea Culpa: Malayalam OTT, theatre releases this week

The first Friday of June 2023 is a relatively quieter week for Malayalam cinema, with releases being far and few between. The much-anticipated blockbuster 2018, starring Tovino Thomas, Asif Ali, Kunchacko Boban and Vineeth Sreenivasan, will only drop on Sony LIV on June 7. However, there’s still a variety of films that you can watch this weekend on OTT platforms as well as theatres including the Malayalam version of Ponniyin Selvan 2 as well as Sulaikha Manzil, which is available on Disney+ Hotstar.

Here’s the list of new Malayalam releases to watch this week.

Ponniyin Selvan 2

Release platform: Amazon Prime Video

The second instalment of Mani Ratnam’s magnum opus, based on the novel by Kalki Krishnamurthy, follows the journeys of Arulmozhi Varman, Aditha Karikalan and Nandini to determine the fate of the Chola dynasty. The movie starring Jayam Ravi, Vikram, Aishwarya Rai-Bachchan, Karthi and Trisha is currently streaming in Tamil, Malayalam, Telugu, Kannada and Hindi.

Also read: Ponniyin Selvan 2 review: Vikram, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan steal the show in Mani Ratnam's epic 

Neeraja

Release platform: Theatres

Sruthi Ramachandran, Guru Somasundaram, Govind Padmasoorya and Jinu Joseph star in this drama helmed by Rajesh K Raman. The movie follows the life of Neeraja (Shruti) after her spouse (Govind) passes away, and how she deals with her desires vis-à-vis a society’s perception of a widow.

Mea Culpa

Release platform: Saina Play

Starring Sarath Kumar, Sohan Seenulal and Teena Sunil, director Navaz Ali’s direct-to-OTT release revolves around a woman who is stalked by a stranger. Though his motives are unclear in the beginning, as various events transpire, it also unravels the cause for his vengeance.

Sulaikha Manzil

Release platform: Disney+ Hotstar

Haala surprises her family by finally agreeing to an arranged marriage with an NRI, years after suffering a heartbreak. However, as the wedding day approaches – both the bride-to-be and the groom-to-be start having second thoughts about their decision. How they navigate this tricky phase while also keeping their families’ emotions in check form the plot of Ashraf Hamza’s directorial, starring Anarkali Marikar, Lukman Avaran, Deepa Thomas, Shabareesh Varma, Chemban Vinod Jose and Adhri Joe.

Also read: Sulaikha Manzil review: Lukman Avaran, Anarkali Marikar’s film is simple, slow and subtly peddles regressive ideas