The Third Murder OTT: Saiju Kurup thriller on ManoramaMAX from November 13

The Third Murder, a Malayalam crime thriller directed by Sunil Ibrahim, will stream on ManoramaMAX from Friday, 13 November 2026. The platform announced the date with a poster showing Saiju Kurup as DYSP Christy, the police officer at the centre of the story. The film, which also stars Indrans and Vinay Forrt, reaches streaming after a cinema run that, according to listings, began on Friday, 2 October 2026. Viewers outside India are expected to be able to watch it through the Simply South service, according to a Kerala entertainment listing.

Crime thrillers are a familiar staple of Malayalam cinema on streaming services, and a murder investigation needs little cultural explanation, so such films can reach viewers outside Kerala through subtitles. The Third Murder belongs to this wave, though on a smaller scale than the big star films that dominate the week's release lists.

The choice of platform also matters. ManoramaMAX, a Malayalam streaming service, has been adding mid-budget Malayalam films to its library. Saiju Kurup has worked with the service before: his mystery thriller Gu began streaming there on 19 June 2026. For an actor who has moved from comic supporting roles to leading parts, a steady presence on one platform builds a regular audience.

The film's story leans on two older men set against each other in temperament. Christy is the working officer under pressure to solve a case. Swami, played by Indrans, is a retired policeman who has withdrawn from society and is drawn back in. Vinay Forrt's character, Vinayan, is described as a timid man with a strained relationship with his son, and he becomes part of the puzzle. Reviewers who were unhappy with the film's slow pace still singled out these two performances.

For viewers, a streaming release offers a second chance for a film that did not draw large crowds in cinemas. Slow-burning thrillers often find a more patient audience at home, where viewers can pause, rewind and catch small clues. Whether The Third Murder gains that second life will depend on word of mouth in its first weekend online.

Peepals calculation: from the cinema release on 2 October to the streaming date of 13 November is 42 days (29 days left in October plus 13 in November), or exactly six weeks between the two releases. The review score of 1.8 out of 5 is 36% of the maximum (1.8 ÷ 5 = 0.36). Our calculation from the reported figures.

Short-term: The film joins a crowded streaming week in South India, where Jailer 2 and Ranabaali are expected to take most of the attention. A smaller thriller on a regional platform has to rely on Malayalam viewers and fans of the genre to be noticed.

Long-term: Releases like this show how regional platforms fill their libraries with mid-budget films soon after their cinema run, giving producers a second source of income and viewers more choice in their own language.

Who is affected: ManoramaMAX subscribers, fans of Malayalam crime thrillers, and viewers of Saiju Kurup, Indrans and Vinay Forrt who missed the film in cinemas.

What to watch next: The film begins streaming on ManoramaMAX on Friday, 13 November 2026.

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