Fahadh Faasil-starrer 'Malik' to release on Amazon Prime Video in July

Crime drama "Malik", featuring Malayalam star Fahadh Faasil, is set to be released on Amazon Prime Video on July 15, the streaming platform announced on Thursday.

The development comes weeks after the makers of the Malayalam movie confirmed that "Malik", which was originally designed for a theatrical experience, will be heading to a digital platform in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Written and directed by Mahesh Narayanan, the film chronicles the journey of Sulaiman Malik (Faasil), a charismatic leader bestowed with unconditional love and loyalty from the people of his community who leads a revolution against authoritative forces that try to encroach on the lives of his people.

Spanning different time periods, "Malik" is a compelling story of a past ridden with crime, death and pain that is recounted to Freddy, a juvenile criminal, who has been assigned to eliminate his estranged uncle, Sulaiman, while behind bars.

Narayanan, who has previously worked with Faasil on "C U Soon" which also premiered on Amazon, said releasing "Malik" on the popular streaming service is a "huge opportunity" to showcase their work to a global audience.

"Malik is a story rooted in the Indian ethos with multiple nuances in its character as well as the emotions they portray, and I hope it resonates with the expectations of the audience," the director said in a statement.

Vijay Subramaniam, Director and Head, Content, Amazon Prime Video, India said the streamer is excited to bring an ambitious story like "Malik" to its audience.

"The successful global premieres of our recently released DTS (direct-to-service) movies reflect the customer's growing affinity towards Malayalam cinema across the country.

"With 'Malik' being a strong direct-to-service offering in the crime drama space, we are happy to expand our content selection with stories that help us reinstate our commitment of bringing exceptional narratives and superior cinematic experiences to our viewers within the comfort and safety of their homes," added Subramaniam.

"Malik" was initially supposed to have a theatrical release last year but was delayed due to the pandemic. It was then rescheduled to arrive in cinema halls in May but was postponed again with theatres shut in most parts of the country due to the second wave of the pandemic.

Produced by Anto Joseph, "Malik" also stars Nimisha Sajayan, Joju George, Vinay Fort, Dileesh Pothan, Jalaja, Salim Kumar, Indrans, Sanal Aman, Dinesh Prabhakar, Divya Prabha and Parvathy Krishna.

Faasil's recent films "Joji" and "Irul" also had their digital premieres on Amazon and Netflix, respectively.