After introducing originals in Hindi, Tamil, and Telugu, Sony LIV is venturing into Malayalam with Jai Mahendran, a political drama starring Saiju Kurup as the lead. The show has Rahul Riji Nair as the writer, producer and showrunner, while his former assistant Srikanth Mohan will direct it.
Saiju Kurup plays Mahendran, a corrupt deputy Tehsildar corrupt officer who believes in getting things done through powerplay and using his influence within the system. However, his freedom within the office comes to a halt and his ideologies get challenged, as he becomes the victim of the same powerplay. The show focuses on how he plans to sabotage an entire system in an attempt to safeguard his job and restore his reputation. Suhasini Mani Ratnam, Miya George, Suresh Krishna, Maniyanpilla Raju, Balachandran Chullikad, Rahul Riji Nair, Vishnu Govindan, and Sidhartha Siva are also part of the cast.
Elaborating more on the show, Rahul Riji Nair, who has directed acclaimed films like Ottamuri Velicham and Kalla Nottam, says, "Our goal with Jai Mahendran is to provide a balanced portrayal of the life of an officer from various viewpoints. The system can be exceedingly complicated with various regulations and powerplay at different levels. Through the show, we aspire to illuminate a topic that is both relatable and entertaining."
Meanwhile, Rahul Riji Nair is also part of Disney + Hotstar's first Malayalam web series, Kerala Crime Files. He is producing the show, and June-fame Ahammed Khabeer is directing it. Lal and Aju Varghese play the leads in it.
