NEW DELHI: American streaming platform Netflix will release Malayalam superhero flick Minnal Murali for the Christmas weekend on 24 December.
The film starring Tovino Thomas has been produced by Weekend Blockbusters, directed by Basil Joseph and also features Guru Somasundaram, Harisree Ashokan and Aju Varghese in pivotal roles. The film will premiere with dubs in Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Hindi and English.
First embraced for their unapologetic and over-the-top drama bundled with action, romance and comedy, evident in dubbed Hindi versions on satellite television, movies in the four South Indian languages, particularly Tamil and Telugu (including their dubbed Hindi versions), are now bringing big returns for streaming platforms, contributing to 10-25% of overall viewership.
However, those films premiering on television largely belonged to the mainstream action and comedy genres. Media industry experts say OTT platforms have opened the doors for more story-centric films and shows. On OTT, the more of the audience watching films from south of India belong to bigger cities, and hence, a diverse set of genres, including emotional dramas and family films, are working well across streaming services.
Partnering the Indian film industry, through original and licensing of content, streaming services have provided an additional medium for exhibition of films, according to platform executives. Netflix’s Tamil anthology film Navarasa was in the Top 10 in 10 countries including India, Malaysia and Sri Lanka. In its first week on Netflix, more than 40% of the viewers for the film came from outside India. Likewise, in its first week, Dhanush- starrer Jagame Thandhiram drew an equal share of audience from outside India as it did within the country. In the last one year, Nayattu (Malayalam), Andhaghaaram (Tamil), Pitta Kathalu (Telugu) Paava Kadhaigal (Tamil), Cinema Bandi (Telugu) and Mandela (Tamil) have all featured in the Top 10 on Netflix in India.
Source: Live Mint