Virus

Set in Kerala, Virus dramatises the Nipah outbreak that struck the state and the coordinated effort by health workers, officials and ordinary people to stop it from spreading further. The story follows doctors and others drawn into the crisis as they identify the threat, trace how it passes between people and try to keep the disease contained. Their work unfolds against the wider fear and disruption the outbreak causes in the community.

Aashiq Abu directed the film, which he also produced with Rima Kallingal. The screenplay was written by Sharfuddeen, Suhas and Muhsin Parari. It sits between 5 Sundarikal (2013) and Rifle Club (2024) in Abu's directing career. The large ensemble, credited at 46 performers, includes Kunchacko Boban as Dr. Suresh Rajan, Tovino Thomas as Paul V Abraham, Asif Ali as Vishnu, Madonna Sebastian as Dr. Sara Yakub, Parvathy Thiruvothu as Dr. Annu and Sreenath Bhasi as Dr. Abid Rahman. Running 152 minutes, it blends drama and thriller elements.

The film was released in June 2019. On IMDb it holds a rating of 7.7 from around 5,900 votes, while on TMDB it stands at 7.4 from roughly 64 votes. The two audience scores are close, indicating broadly positive viewer responses, with the much larger IMDb sample giving the more substantial picture.