'Sufiyum Sujatayum' is special: Aditi Rao Hydari

Actor Aditi Rao Hydari on Wednesday said she is looking forward to her upcoming Malayalam movie "Sufiyum Sujatayum", which is the first film in the language to have a direct-to-OTT release.

Also starring Jayasurya, the musical love story is set to premiere on July 3 on Amazon Prime Video.

The film marks Aditi's return to Malayalam cinema, 14 years after her big screen debut with "Prajapathi", co-starring south star Mammootty.

"'Sufiyum Sujatayum' is a special film for me. I been lucky to work with some incredible people across India, and this film marks my debut as the leading lady of a Malayalam film. The film is an innocent love story, where love is unburdened by prejudices and discrimination," Aditi said in a statement.

The "Wazir" actor said the movie is a drama narrated with a lot of "sensitivity and honesty" and she had a great time working with a brilliant cast and crew.

"I'm looking forward to the audience's response. I hope they get immersed in the world of Sufi and Sujata like I did and I hope everyone makes their own special connection to the characters and the story," she added.

The streaming platform also unveiled the trailer of "Sufiyum Sujatayum".

Jayasurya, who plays the male lead, said Malayalam film industry is known for rolling out good stories and their new movie fulfils that promise.

"I play the role of the husband to Aditi's character. An interesting and nuanced role of a husband that knows of his wife's love for another man, and tries to find ways to keep his family together.

"There's a lot that we're trying to convey through the film and one will have to watch the movie and be part of it to know how beautifully these sequences take place," he said.

Directed by Naranipuzha Shanavas, "Sufiyum Sujatayum" is backed by actor-producer Vijay Babu through his banner Friday Film House.

Babu said Aditi and Jayasurya are perfectly cast in the film which attempts to chronicle a simple but nuanced take on love.

"With the movie releasing on Amazon Prime Video we are glad that the film will reach a global audience allowing them to revel in Malayalam cinema," the producer said.

The film joins a host of other titles across Hindi, Tamil and Telugu acquired by Amazon Prime Video to have a digital release.

Amitabh Bachchan-Ayushmann Khurrana-starrer "Gulabo Sitabo", helmed by Shoojit Sircar, and "Penguin", the Tamil/Telugu thriller, featuring Keerthy Suresh, hit the platform this month.

Vidya Balan's "Shakuntala Devi" biopic is scheduled to directly head to Amazon in near future, skipping a theatrical release owing to the coronavirus pandemic-induced shutdown.

Image credit: Instagram/@aditiraohydari