Nearly a month after its theatrical release, the Fahadh Faasil-Vadivelu movie Maareesan will be having its digital premiere. Netflix has announced that they will be releasing the film on August 22.
Directed by Sudheesh Shankar, the film has Fahadh Faasil playing a thief, trying to siphon money off Vadivelu's character, a middle-aged man with memory issues and a complicated past. Fahadh and Vadivelu have previously worked together in Mari Selvaraj's Maamannan.
Fahadh's characterisation evokes the grey-shaded 'ordinary man' characters he played in Malayalam, most notably Thondimuthalum Driksakshiyum, Njan Prakashan, and Carbon. The film was released in theatres on July 25.
In its review of the film, THE WEEK said the film "reminds you that life is all about memories. It reminds you that life is pointless without memories. It reminds you that memories are what give life to... life. And when you have a strong performer like Vadivelu, all the above emotions are expressed in the most poignant way possible, without seeming artificial or overdone."
Though the promos created the impression of a relatively light-hearted entertainer with humorous elements, the film reveals an unexpected dimension post-interval. THE WEEK compared its behaviour with that of Mohanlal-starrer Thudarum, in that both films were cleverly marketed and their "true behaviour was revealed to us only when we saw the actual film."
Produced by R.B. Chaudhary's Super Good Films, Maareesan co-stars Kovai Sarala, Vivek Prasanna, and yesteryear Malayalam actress Sithara. The film has editing by Sreejith Sarang ("Por Thozhil") and music by Yuvan Shankar Raja.