Can Joju George's ‘Varavu’ be Mollywood’s next OTT hit?

Malayalam ZEE5 is set for a fresh dose of high-octane drama as ‘Varavu’, a revenge action thriller starring Joju George, premieres exclusively on the platform from September 11, 2026.

Directed by veteran filmmaker Shaji Kailas and produced by Nicey Reji, the big-budget outing carries a screenplay by A.K. Sajan and it marks a long-awaited first-time collaboration between Kailas and George.

At the heart of ‘Varavu’ is Polachan, better known as Poly, played by Joju George. Poly returns to his hometown after completing a prison sentence to find himself pulled into a search for his younger brother Willy, who vanished years earlier without a trace.

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As Poly digs deeper, he stumbles upon a web of secrets tied to the town's most powerful and influential figures, secrets that set him on a collision course with the very people who destroyed his family.

Backing Joju George is a formidable lineup of talent, including Arjun Ashokan, Murali Gopy, Vani Viswanath, Saniya Iyappan, Deepak Parambol, Baiju Santhosh, Baburaj, Sukanya, Vincy Aloshious, Bobby Kurian, Azees Nedumangad, and more.

Two icons of mass cinema, finally together

What makes ‘Varavu’ noteworthy is the pairing itself. Shaji Kailas, known for defining an entire era of mass-oriented Malayalam cinema, is teaming up with Joju George for the first time.

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Interestingly, George has often recalled watching the shoot of Kailas' iconic ‘Valyettan’ from the sidelines as a junior artist making his current turn as the lead in a Kailas film feel like a full-circle privilege.

Shaji Kailas himself described the film as the story of an ordinary man and his family caught in extraordinary circumstances, adding that he wanted to push Joju George's action-star persona and his on-screen intensity.

‘Varavu’ premieres exclusively on ZEE5 starting September 11, 2026.