Upacharapoorvam Gunda Jayan: When and where to watch Saiju Kurup, Siju Wilson's entertainer

Director Arun Vaiga’s Upacharapoorvam Gunda Jayan is a film that actor Saiju Kurup has been excited about for a long time now. The movie, which has him in the lead, also marks the actor’s 100th film in his stellar career spanning 17 years.

While it had completed shooting over two years ago, the film has had multiple shifts in release dates owing to the pandemic. However, the makers of the movie have now finalised a release date for the entertainer, which also has Siju Wilson, Sabumon Abdusamad, Shabareesh Varma, Johny Antony, Jaffar Idukki and Sudheer Karamana in pivotal roles.

What is Upacharapoorvam Gunda Jayan about?

The movie spans a day during a Hindu wedding of a family based in Cherthala, Alappuzha. The film has Saiju playing the titular character of Jayan, who was previously a goon but is now living a peaceful life with his family.

Incidentally, when Arun had initially written the script, the lead character was not that of a goon. However, after he had trouble getting the dates of the actor he initially had in mind, Arun revised the script and modelled the character after Anjooran in Godfather. That’s when he zeroed in on Saiju as the actor matched the height and physique of the character he had in mind.

While the movie has been delayed, it has also worked in favour of the team. Saiju, in an earlier interview with OTTplay, had said that he had approached Dulquer Salmaan to back the movie, after they had completed the shoot. “Dulquer was more than happy to produce it. But I asked him to watch the film first. He did and he enjoyed it. That’s how he came onboard,” said Saiju.

The film’s supporting cast too had grown popular in the past few years with Siju Wilson now gaining popularity as a hero and Johny Antony winning accolades for his comedy roles.

When and where to watch Upacharapoorvam Gunda Jayan?

The film is currently scheduled to release in theatres on February 25. Considering that the Kerala Film Chamber’s rules state that the movie can drop on OTTs 41 days after its theatrical release, the movie is expected to release on a streaming platform by April 2022.

Also read: Exclusive! Dulquer Salmaan: The next stage of my career is to lose myself and delve deep into my characters