Malayalam comedy film Maranamass, starring Basil Joseph in the lead role and co-produced by popular actor Tovino Thomas, has been in the news, but for all the wrong reasons. In an unfortunate turn of events, the Sivaprasad-directed film, which is hitting the theatres today, on April 10, is facing a ban in two countries. Maranamass has been banned in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait due to the presence of a queer actor in the cast. The makers took to social media to inform fans that they would be releasing the film after making some necessary cuts. They said, “Due to Kuwait’s censorship laws, some scenes in the first and second half of the film had to be cut. We hope that the edit will not ruin the mood of the movie. Everyone, get to the theatres and support this one.” The production has been informed of the ban and the need for censorship ahead of its release. On the other hand, Maranamass’ director Sivaprasad shared the update, informing fans that while the comedy film would be released after cuts, Saudi Arabia has totally banned the film. He said, “Currently, Maranamass 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.” The director continued, “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.” Sivaprasad, who is making his directorial debut with the film, commented on the ban in an interview with The News Minute, saying, “We did not look at the gender of the actors before casting them. On the other hand, we also wanted to normalise LGBTQIA+ in the society.” Maranamass, a Malayalam-language dark comedy, follows the story of a serial killer. Unexpectedly, the killer and his target end up in a bus with many others, and dramatic events unfold. Apart from Basil, the film features Rajesh Madhavan, Suresh Krishna, Babu Anthony, Siju Sunny, Anishma Anilkumar and others. It is being produced by Tovino alongside Raphael Pozholiparambil, Tingston Thomas and Thanzeer Salam. Maranamass secured a U/A certificate from the Indian Censor Board.