Jayasurya, Vijay Babu's films banned from Kerala theatres due to 'Sufiyum Sujathayum' row?

On Friday, a media report published on an online portal claimed that the Film Exhibitors United Organisation of Kerala (FEOUK) is planning to ban Jayasurya and Vijay Babu's future film releases from theatres in Kerala if they go ahead with Sufiyum Sujathayum's OTT release.

Liberty Basheer, president of the organisation, in a media statement, made it clear that the Film exhibitors are against the release of Jayasurya and Aditi Rao Hydari starrer on Amazon Prime Video. He went ahead and exclaimed that the association would boycott actors and filmmakers planning to release movies on OTT platforms. The move comes after, film producer Vijay Babu decided to release his film Sufiyum Sujathayum on Amazon Prime Video in the wake of nationwide COVID-19 induced lockdown. 

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Vijay Babu recently announced that the Jayasurya and Aditi Rao Hydari starrer Sufiyum Sujathayum is headed for release on Amazon Prime Video. Following the announcement, MC Boby, General Secretary of the Film Exhibitors United Organisation of Kerala, talked to an online portal, condemning Vijay Babu's decision. He seemed more disturbed by the fact that the makers of Sufiyum Sujathayum had registered the film with the Kerala Film Chamber of Commerce and had made an agreement with film exhibitors to release the film in the theatres. 

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Sufiyum Sujathayum, starring Jayasurya and Aditi Rao Hydari in the lead marks the return of Aditi to Malayalam films after her debut in 2006's film Prajapathi. Sufiyum Sujathayum is reported to be an intense love story that travels through time. The upcoming movie is directed by Naranipuzha Shanavas of Karie fame. Sufiyum Sujathayum is bankrolled by Vijay Babu under his production banner Friday Film House. 

Interestingly, Sufiyum Sujathayum will be the first Malayalam movie to release on an OTT platform. Besides, the Jayasurya starter, Amazon Prime Video recently revealed that seven Indian films would premiere on their platform soon. Movies like Gulabo Sitabo (Ayushmann Khurrana and Amitabh Bachchan), Shakuntala Devi (Vidya Balan), Penguin (Keerthy Suresh), Ponmagal Vandhal (Jyotika), among others are the movies that will soon release on Amazon Prime Video. 

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