Tovino Thomas explains why Christmas release date is apt for Netflix superhero film Minnal Murali

The trailer of Tovino Thomas’ Minnal Murali is already breaking records with the video being the fastest Malayalam clip to cross one million views. The trailer has only heightened the anticipation for the Basil Joseph directorial, which is slated for a Christmas eve release.

In an Instagram Live video on Wednesday, Tovino talked in length about the film’s release date, which was reportedly shifted multiple times. The actor, however, denied this. “We never officially announced that the movie will release on a particular date. All of that was hearsay. In fact, after watching the first few minutes, you would understand why December 24 is an apt date for Minnal Murali’s release. This is a proper Christmas film,” said the actor, who plays the role of a youngster named Jason who gains superpowers after being struck by lightning.

True to Tovino’s words, the trailer does show Tovino’s character dressed as Santa Claus who finds himself in a hospital after being struck by lightning. Mammukkoya’s character of a doctor in the movie, reveals that fortunately Jason escapes unscathed, despite the life-threatening disaster.

The film’s director Basil, also in the Instagram discussion, had said that while he knows that the wait till December will be long, he hopes that the trailer doesn’t disappoint and the wait will be worth it. “We started scripting in 2018 and Tovino joined in 2019. We faced the challenges together and so all of us who worked in the movie have bonded really well. This was also important as it’s a film made on a big canvas and all of us had to strive to set a benchmark and come out of our comfort zone,” the Godha filmmaker said.

Meanwhile, Kevin Paul, who is part of the film’s production team, had revealed that he felt the team has done complete justice to the superhero genre. The movie, which will release directly on Netflix on December 24, will be streaming in Malayalam, Telugu, Tamil, Hindi, Kannada and English.

Also read: Why Tovino Thomas is perfect for Malayalam’s first superhero film Minnal Murali