We had previously reported that actor Pavel Navageethan, known for his playing many supporting roles in Tamil films is headlining the upcoming film Maria, directed by debutant Hari K Sudhan. The makers have now announced that the film is slated for release in August. An exact date is yet to be revealed.
The film, with Saishri Prabhakaran playing the titular role, was screened in the Maharaja Film Festival, Coliseum International Film Festival and Kalakari Film Festival.
In an earlier conversation with CE, director Hari said, "The film is about a woman, a nun, who encounters her natural sexual urges at a juncture. Out of her helplessness, she leaves the monastery to find refuge in a satanic cult. How a woman is buffeted around with such extreme ideologies will be explored in Maria."
He added that the film will not stray into the 'message zone'. "My film will lay out all the societal requirements for women how they suffer and where such pressures take them. I am not here to advocate for anything. I leave it to the audiences and let them decide the rights and wrongs themselves," he shared.
Pavel, who made his acting debut in a supporting role in Pa Ranjith's Madras (2014), also has to his credits Kuttram Kadithal (2015), Magalir Mattum (2017), Vada Chennai (2018), Peranbu (2019), the Inmai segment from Navarasa (2021), Valimai and Taanakkaran (2022), and both parts of Vetrimaaran's Viduthalai. He has also helmed a film, V1 Murder Case, starring Ram Arun Castro and Vishnupriya Pillai, in 2019.
The film's cast is rounded up by Sidhu Kumaresan, Vignesh Ravi and Sudha Pushpa. Cinematographer G Manishankar, editors K Kaamesh & Nishar Sharef, Aravind Gopalakrishnan (background score), Bharath Sudharshan and Adam (songs) are a part of the film's technical team. The film's entire first copy rights has now been taken by Uthraa Productions.