ZEE5 has locked in the streaming date for Mask, the Tamil crime thriller headlined by Kavin and Andrea Jeremiah. The platform confirmed on Wednesday that the film will start streaming from January 09, 2026, bringing the neo noir drama to home audiences after its theatrical release earlier this year.
Written and directed by Vikarnan Ashok, Mask centres on Velu, a private detective played by Kavin, who projects the image of a morally upright investigator while secretly navigating the grey zones of legality. What begins as a familiar procedural soon spirals into something far more personal when a shadowy gang, covert power brokers hiding behind charitable fronts and buried secrets begin to close in on him. As Velu digs deeper, he is forced to reckon not only with the truth behind the crimes he is probing but also with the long trail of his own questionable choices.
A detective story that peels off its layers
Mask was positioned as a thriller that uses the conventions of the genre to explore ethical decay. Velu is not the righteous hero often associated with screen detectives. He is compromised, conflicted and driven by impulses that do not always align with justice. The arrival of a mysterious gang and the slow unveiling of their ties to apparently benevolent institutions shift the film from a personal investigation to a larger commentary on how power can hide in plain sight.
The screenplay treats the investigation as a mirror to Velu’s inner life. Each revelation chips away at the façade he has built around himself, pushing him toward a confrontation with the cost of living a double life. The narrative unfolds in stages, with the threat escalating not only in terms of physical danger but also emotional stakes.
Kavin, who has steadily built a reputation for choosing roles that test his range, described the film’s OTT release as a new beginning. “Mask has already had its journey with audiences, and it’s great that the film is now reaching a much wider set of viewers through Tamil ZEE5. Velu is a layered character, and I’m glad more people will get to experience the film and its intensity on the platform.”
The actor’s words underline the nature of the project. Mask was never conceived as a mass spectacle. It is more intimate, often uncomfortable and rooted in character study, which perhaps explains why its OTT debut is expected to give it a second life among viewers who favour moody thrillers.
Andrea’s double role and Vetri Maaran’s stamp
Apart from playing the female lead, Andrea Jeremiah also produced Mask under her banner The Show Must Go On in association with SP Chokkalingam’s Black Madras Films. The film was presented by Vetri Maaran through Grass Root Film Company, a name that has come to be associated with socially grounded cinema in Tamil.
Vetri Maaran believes the film’s concerns go beyond its initial theatrical footprint. “The film deals with themes that remain relevant beyond its theatrical release. With Mask streaming on Tamil ZEE5, the story now can travel further and connect with audiences who may be discovering it for the first time.”
On the technical front, Mask brings together an experienced crew. GV Prakash Kumar’s background score leans into unease rather than bombast, using restraint to amplify tension. RD Rajasekhar’s cinematography cloaks the narrative in shadow, framing Chennai in a way that feels both familiar and threatening. Editor Ramar keeps the pacing taut, ensuring the film never strays too far from Velu’s psychological descent.
According to industry tracker Sacnilk, Mask collected over Rs 8 crore at the Indian box office. While not a blockbuster, the numbers point to a respectable run for a film of its scale and genre. The OTT release is now poised to expand that reach, especially among viewers who have come to associate ZEE5 with Tamil thrillers that favour atmosphere over formula.
With its streaming date set, Mask enters the crowded January slate at a time when audiences are increasingly open to discovering theatrical releases they may have missed. For Kavin and Andrea, the ZEE5 premiere offers a chance to introduce Velu’s morally tangled world to a new audience, one that might appreciate the film’s slow burn intensity far more in the solitude of home screens.
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