The dark comedy thriller ‘Marana Mass’, starring Basil Joseph, has hit a roadblock ahead of its theatrical release. The film has reportedly been banned in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait due to the inclusion of a transgender person in its cast.
Director Sivaprasad shared the update, saying, “Currently, ‘Marana Mass’ cannot be released in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait. The information received from the Saudi censor board is that the film cannot be released there because of a transgender person in the cast. We also have received a directive from Kuwait asking us to remove the transgender scenes in the film. They say that if their parts are removed, it can be released. But the film cannot be released in Saudi Arabia.”
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The film has secured a U/A certificate from the Indian censor board and is set to hit cinemas on 10 April. The trailer hints at a quirky mix of dark comedy and thriller elements, with Basil Joseph in the lead.
Marana Mass marks the directorial debut of Sivaprasad, who also co-wrote the script with ‘Romancham’-fame actor Siju Sunny. The story is based on an idea by Siju himself.
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The film brings together a talented cast, including Siju Sunny, Anishma, Rajesh Madhavan, Suresh Krishna, and Babu Antony. On the technical front, the visuals are handled by Neeraj Revi, with editing by Chaman Chakko and music by Jay Unnithan, known for Thrishanku.
Produced by Tovino Thomas, Tingston Thomas, Thanseer Salam, and Raphael Pozholiparampil, the film comes from Tovino Thomas Productions in association with Worldwide Films.
Before Marana Mass, Basil Joseph was seen in Ponman, the directorial debut of production designer Jothish Shankar. The film, based on GR Indugopan’s novel Nalanchu Cheruppakkar, released on 30 January and received critical acclaim for its storytelling and performances.