Unni Mukundan clarifies if Meppadiyan is a direct-to-OTT release

During the lockdown last year, Unni Mukundan found himself in a predicament. The actor, who is conscious about his physique and is particular about maintaining an active lifestyle, was set to start the shoot of Meppadiyan that required him to put on weight. Midway through that process is when the lockdown was declared and the actor had to maintain that look for over six months.

Meppadiyan, which also marked Unni’s first film as a producer, is directed by Vishnu Mohan and the team completed its shoot in December last year. However, with theatres still remaining shut, there were reports of Unni looking at an OTT release for the film.

Talking to OTTplay about the status of the movie, Unni says, “We are working on it. We want it to get the best release. We haven’t decided on anything as of now. I believe OTT is a blessing to the movie industry because it brings regional cinema to a wider audience.”

The movie is a family entertainer that has Unni playing a rural character. “I was so involved in the script that to look the part, I had to gain 20 kilos. It will be the next big film in my career. Anybody who knows my past and where I come from, will know that it’s a big achievement to produce a movie. Mine was a trial-and-error career and to make it this far and create a film is inspiring,” says the actor.

Unni has also finished shooting his portions for Bhramam, which is the Malayalam remake of Andhadhun and has Prithviraj Sukumaran in the lead. The actor will be teaming up with Vishnu again soon for a political thriller titled Pappa.