Prime Video, India’s most loved entertainment destination, today premiered the first episode of its highly-anticipated Tamil Original series The Village, at the ongoing 54th edition of International Film Festival of India (IFFI). Asia’s oldest and India’s most iconic international film festival. The event kicked off with the series’ team, including Arya, Divya Pillai, Milind Rau and Aparna Purohit, Prime Video’s Head of Originals – India and Southeast Asia, ruling the red carpet, along with Shri Prithul Kumar, Director, IFFI, MD, NFDC Ltd., Joint Secretary (Films), Ministry of Information & Broadcasting, Govt. of India. This was followed by Aparna opening the session with a special thanks to the organizers at IFFI for creating a wonderful platform for Indian stories and storytellers to showcase their talent and body of work, and giving a brief introduction about the show to the audience.
The thrilling and racy trailer set the tone for the evening and the roaring applause after the episode concluded was a strong testament to the fact that the sneak peek into The Village had left horror aficionados in the audience craving for more!
Building the fervor even further, the series’ team engaged in a highly insightful conversation, sharing interesting anecdotes about the challenges and experiences of working on a creature horror series that has not been attempted in the streaming space so far in India, and much more! The team was then felicitated by Ankita Mishra, IAS and CEO of Entertainment Society of Goa.
“The Village transcends typical horror show tropes, creating a world beyond reality with immersive world-building, a compelling narrative, an outstanding soundtrack and unparalleled performances!.” said Aparna Purohit, head of Originals, India and Southeast Asia, Prime Video."Milind Rau is a true visionary. Collaborating with him to bring the script to life has been an exceptional experience. Adding to the excitement is Arya, showcasing his talent in his long-form Original series debut, alongside a diverse and stellar ensemble cast from the Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Kannada entertainment industries. Grateful to IFFI for the opportunity to premiere our inaugural Tamil Original horror series, The Village, in front of an inspiring audience of cinephiles from across the world. We're confident our customers will savor this unique horror series that we, at Prime Video, are excited to bring to you all!"
Popular Tamil actor Arya, who is making his debut in original streaming with The Village, said, “I am honoured to be making my longform OTT debut with the series, working alongside the exceptionally talented Milind Rau and the team at Prime Video. The Village is more than just a series to me. Playing the role of Gautham has allowed me to explore a new genre and work with a magnificent cast and crew. The series has moments that will make one jump in fright, but it also has emotional depth and an underlying social message. As an actor, we are often fortunate to be a part of stories that transcend boundaries, connect with people and create lasting memories. It is a show we are all incredibly proud of and I hope you enjoy watching the series when it premieres, as much as we have enjoyed making it.”
Actor Divya Pillai, who plays the lead alongside Arya opened up about her experience while working on the series “I am absolutely thrilled to be part of this project alongside the talented Arya and guided by director Milind Rau. The Village holds a special place in my heart. This project has allowed us to explore the nuances of storytelling to delve into rich, layered, and profoundly human characters. I cannot say enough about our director, Milind Rau. His vision and passion for this project have been truly inspiring. He has led us with grace and unwavering dedication, making each day on set an opportunity for us to push the boundaries of our craft. It gives me great pride to be a part of The Village and to see it premiere here at the 54th International Film Festival of India. I cannot wait for audiences across the world to watch it on 24th November.”
“I feel a tremendous sense of pride and gratitude to bring this unique story to the world. The Village is a creature horror series – a genre that is rarely explored in India,” shared Milind Rau, director, speaking about what drew him to The Village. He added, “The series takes place over the course of a horrifying night as a father strives to save his family from untold horrors. It is this premise that drew me to the story and I realized it lent itself to long-format storytelling which allows for immersive world building and a nuanced narrative. Of course, none of this would be possible without the support of Prime Video and Studio Shakthi who have backed my vision from day one, and the incredibly talented cast who have given their all to their characters. We are all truly excited to bring this show to audiences and humbled to be able premiere the first episode here at the 54th International Film Festival of India.”
The Village is set to premiere exclusively on Prime Video in India and across more than 240 countries and territories worldwide on November 24 in Tamil, dubbed in Telugu, Malayalam, Kannada, and Hindi with subtitles in English
Prime Video’s participation at IFFI is a testament of the pivotal role, the video streaming sector is playing in enabling the growth of India’s creative economy, and acting as a robust platform to showcase Indian stories, talent, and creators in the global arena.
Produced by B.S. Radhakrishnan’s Studio Shakthi; directed and created by Milind Rau, The Village, a horror series that explores a never-before-seen side of the horror genre in the Indian streaming space. The Village marks the Original series streaming debut of popular Tamil actor Arya, and boasts of an ensemble cast of Divya Pillai, Aazhiya, Aadukalam Naren, George M, Poo Ram, Muthukumar, Kalai Raani, John Kokken, Pooja, Jayaprakash, Arjun, and Thalaivasal Vijay.
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