With recent Kannada releases like Love Mocktail and Dia out on streaming platforms, many viewers have been expecting Shivaji Surathkal to soon follow suit. However, director Akash Srivatsa and the film’s producers have decided not to bring it to an OTT platform anytime soon.

“There has been very strong thinking between the producers and me that once the coronavirus threat subsidies, Shivaji Surathkal might have another theatrical run. Right now, it is only on pause and has not been stopped. Our film was running in 70 theatres when the city was locked down. Theatres owners want to resume the shows once they are allowed to reopen. Taking all these factors into consideration, we feel it’s too early to take Shivaji Surathkal to the OTT platform. Also, many people feel that they have had a good experience viewing it in theatre, and so we have decided to release the film on the streaming platform at a much later date,” said the director.

Shivaji sequel in the works

Meanwhile, the director, who is cooped up at home due to the coronavirus outbreak, is using this time to write the sequel. “This time, we are planning to bring in Shivaji Surathkal in three different timelines, and I am penning another complicated case that will be handled by the investigator (played by Ramesh Aravind)," says Akash. 

While the first part was set in Ranagiri, discussions are still on to decide where the second part will be set in. "The timelines we are planning to explore are Shivaji as a person, his parents, where he met Janani, what made him turn into a localised Sherlock Holmes, the secret behind his surname, what he was doing before handling his 101 cases and also, his personal side. All these will come together, and hopefully, make an interesting plot,” says Akash, adding, “By now, people know Shivaji's pattern of investigation, and so we have decided to add a surprise element in the sequel.”