Pookkaalam OTT release: This platform buys streaming rights of Vijayaraghavan’s feel-good movie

Director Ganesh Raj’s second directorial Pookkaalam, which hit theatres in Kerala on April 8 as an Easter release, is set for its GCC and outside Kerala release. The movie’s OTT rights too have been sold.

The film, which has Vijayaraghavan, KPAC Leela, Vineeth Sreenivasan, Annu Antony, Basil Joseph and Johnny Antony in pivotal roles, is a feel-good family entertainer revolving around a couple who have been married for over 80 years. The movie is inspired by a true incident that had happened in Italy a few years ago and Ganesh had fictionalised it and set it to match Kerala’s socio-political setting.

Also read: Pookkaalam review: Ganesh Raj’s sophomore directorial soars on the back of a stirring second half 

Vijayaraghavan essays the lead role of a nonagenarian named Ittoop, who just before his granddaughter’s engagement finds a love letter that was set to his wife five decades ago. This prompts him to seek divorce. Despite his children and grandchildren not supporting his decision, Ittoop decides to go ahead. This also impacts his granddaughter’s wedding and she sets about to find the truth about her grandmother’s alleged lover.

Also read: Pookkaalam is inspired by a true event in Italy that fit well in Kerala’s socio-political milieu: Ganesh Raj 

In an earlier interview with OTTplay, Ganesh talked about how challenging it is to make a movie, especially from a business standpoint, with two nonagenarians as its protagonists. “When you set up such a project, the entire tension is for the producers. No matter how popular the supporting cast is, the leads are aged actors who are not superstars. This affects the pre-sales of the film. So, what you can do is make such a good project that when you show them the film, they can’t say ‘no’. Touchwood, that is what is happening now,” he said.

Pookkaalam’s OTT rights have now been bought by Disney+ Hotstar, with Asianet bagging its satellite rights. The streaming platform, recently, also bought the rights for Priyadarshan’s Corona Papers. Pookkaalam is expected to begin streaming on the platform in May or June this year, after its theatrical run.