| Otta | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Resul Pookutty |
| Written by | Kiron Prabhakaran |
| Based on | Runaway Children by Hariharan S. |
| Produced by |
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| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Arun Varma |
| Edited by | Zian Sreekanth |
| Music by | M. Jayachandran |
Production companies |
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| Distributed by | Century Films |
Release date |
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Running time | 147 minutes[2] |
| Country | India |
| Language | Malayalam |
Otta (also known asOtta: The Loner) is a2023 IndianMalayalam-languagedrama thriller film directed byResul Pookutty in his directorial debut, based on S. Hariharan's book,Runaway Children. The film starsAsif Ali,Indrajith Sukumaran, andArjun Ashokan in the lead roles, alongside anensemble supporting cast. The story follows two friends, Hari and Ben, who abandon their homes due to family problems.
The film was officially announced in April 2022 inKochi, andprincipal photography began in the same month. The music was composed byM. Jayachandran, while the cinematography and editing were handled by Arun Varma and Zian Sreekanth, respectively.
Otta was released in theatres on 27 October 2023. The film received mixed to negative reviews from critics.
Otta marks the directorial debut ofResul Pookutty.[3] In an interview withFilm Companion, Resul said that he planned to make his directorial debut with aHindi film withRajinikanth, however, his debut film eventually becameOtta, which he wanted to initially produce, but later decided to direct by himself.[4] The film's script is written by Kiron Prabhakar,[5] based on a book titledRunaway Children by S. Hariharan, a social worker.[6]
The film, along with Resul Pookutty's production company, Resul Pookutty Productions, was officially announced on 13 April 2022 at theCrowne Plaza hotel inKochi.[7] S. Hariharan's Children Reunited LLP co-produced the film with Resul Pookutty Productions.[8][9] Arun Varma and Zian Sreekanth were recruited as the cinematographer and editor, respectively.[10]
In an interview with an online media in April 2022, Resul Pookutty said that his film will haveShobana,Asif Ali,Indrans,Arjun Ashokan,Sathyaraj,Rohini,Shyamaprasad,Renji Panicker,Adil Hussain, andDivya Dutta appearing in prominent roles.[11] Shobana, who was taking a break after her previous film,Varane Avashyamund (2020), was approached to play a role, which she agreed to after hearing the story.[12][13] Adil Hussain was chosen to play the role of a policeman.[14] Resul Pookutty approached Divya Dutta to play the role of aPunjabi.[15] The film also marks her debut in aMalayalam film.[16] Devi Nair, daughter of actressJalaja, was cast to play an important role.[12] Resul Pookutty's brother, Baiju Pookutty, was also included in the cast.[12]
The crew beganprincipal photography on 25 April 2022.[17][18] Initial filming took place at aNālukettu in Kannankulangara, nearNorth Paravur.[12] On the fourth day of the shoot, Resul Pookutty was admitted to the hospital for 45 days after suffering fromdengue.[4] InChennai, a kilometer-long stretch was used to build aset to recreate the looks of the 1990s and the period scenes were shot with cameras from the era.[14] Filming was also done with still cameras andiPhones.[14]
| Otta | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Soundtrack album by | ||||
| Released | 2023 (2023) | |||
| Venue | Kochi,Mumbai,Chennai | |||
| Studio |
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| Genre | Feature film soundtrack | |||
| Length | 21:39 | |||
| Language | Malayalam, Tamil | |||
| Label | Children Reunited LLP | |||
| M. Jayachandran chronology | ||||
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The film's soundtrack album consists of five songs composed byM. Jayachandran, while the lyrics are written byRafeeq Ahamed andVairamuthu.[19] The vocals are given byShankar Mahadevan,Shreya Ghoshal,P. Jayachandran,Jassie Gift,Alphons Joseph andBenny Dayal.[20] On 24 October 2023, the first song "Peyneer Poley" was released.[19]
| No. | Title | Lyrics | Singer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "En Kaadal Nadiye" (Tamil) | Vairamuthu | Shankar Mahadevan,Shreya Ghoshal, Sreeraj Sahajan | 3:51 |
| 2. | "Parakkum Parava Poley" | Rafeeq Ahamed | Jassie Gift,Alphons Joseph, Yazin Nizar Malathy,Swetha Ashok | 3:49 |
| 3. | "Peyneer Poley" | Rafeeq Ahamed | Shreya Ghoshal,Benny Dayal | 3:49 |
| 4. | "Peyneer Poley" (Male vocals) | Rafeeq Ahamed | P. Jayachandran, Benny Dayal | 3:49 |
| 5. | "Paral" | Rafeeq Ahamed | Benny Dayal, Unni Elayaraja, M. Jayachandran | 3:34 |
| 6. | "Ottaykkoru Mutham" | Rafeeq Ahamed | Lekshmi Jayan | 2:47 |
The film was initially scheduled to release on 15 September 2023 and later postponed due to unfinishedpost-production work.[13][5] The film was released in theatres on 27 October 2023.[22] It was distributed inKerala by Century Films.[23]
The film grossedUS$2,489 in theUnited Kingdom andUS$6,929 in theUnited Arab Emirates, bringing its total international earnings toUS$9,418.[24][25]
S. R. Praveen ofThe Hindu wrote "Despite an ensemble cast, only some of them get characters having enough to do to even register in our minds in Asif Ali and Arjun Ashokan's 'Otta'."[26] Anandu Suresh ofThe Indian Express gave 1 out of 5 stars and wrote "Otta demonstrates that even with a team of brilliant technicians and actors, a film is destined to collapse without a strong foundation comprising a well-developed story and script."[27] Cris ofThe News Minute gave 2 out of 5 stars and wrote "It is not thatOtta is not relatable. Resul has tried to give a faithful account of Hariharan's story, depicted the realities that a runaway can end up in, and kept the flow. Only, the superficial treatment has weakened the effort."[28]
Subhash K. Jha ofTimes Now gave 4.5 out of 5 stars and wrote "This is not the place for sidelining the fringe people in our society.Otta celebrates the have-nots without patronizing them. It is a superbly paced drama that deals a resounding blow in our guts. Arun Verma's enriching cinematography, Zian Sreekanth's seamless editing, and Cyril Kurivila's invisible art direction make this the film of the year and one you won't forget for a very long time."[29] Sajin Shrijith ofCinema Express gave 3.5 out of 5 stars and wrote "Otta may not make you feel good, but in this age when we have to make appointments to meet our loved ones, perhaps a film like this is needed to give one the necessary jolt."[30] Swathi P. Ajith ofOnmanorama wrote "'Otta' is undeniably a fantastic movie, aside from the occasional slow moments. It's guaranteed to take the audience on an emotional rollercoaster, with many scenes that are truly heart-wrenching."[31]
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