Ushaaraakk: A Malayalam Web Series Worth Finishing…Only With Your Help

The Team of Ushaaraakku

In an industry where stories are often chosen based on who’s starring in them, a group of young Malayalam filmmakers has decided to take a different route. Their Malayalam web series, Ushaaraakk, isn’t backed by a production house or a celebrity name. What it does have is something rarer: a beating heart, a belief in its story, and a team willing to bet everything on it.

The team behind Ushaaraakk, led by Najjah Abdul Kareem, has already completed 60 days of shooting with nearly 30 days to go, involving over 200 crew members, most of them newcomers. What they’re missing now is the money to finish what they started. While the cast is working for free, the team needs ₹27.8 lakhs to fund post-production, dubbing, sound work, and pay for the shoot that has been done so far. So far, they’ve managed to raise a little over ₹2.2 lakhs through a public crowdfunding campaign.

The plan is simple: if they reach their target, the 10-episode series will be released for free on YouTube and potentially other streaming platforms on August 15, 2025.

A Story Rooted in Everyday Life

Ushaaraakku: A Story Worth Finishing...Only With Your Help

At the centre of Ushaaraakk is a face you probably know, even if you haven’t seen him on screen before: a college student who starts a small lighting business from scratch. The business takes off, but things unravel during the pandemic. The series then follows his attempt to rebuild, piecing together a new life while juggling part-time jobs and personal setbacks.

It’s a familiar story for many in today’s world: the highs of building something on your own, and the quiet, painful process of starting over when life throws curveballs. It’s the kind of story you would want to see on-screen.

But when the creators took Ushaaraakk to producers, they were initially met with a lot of interest. But 6 days before the shoot was scheduled to start, the producers asked if the shoot could be pushed ahead by 4 months. Since there was no assurance, Najjah decided to take matters into his own hands. He sought help from friends and family, and took out loans to start the shoot.

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Why Crowdfunding?

Najjah’s no stranger to the scene. His previous work includes short films like Melodrama and Aaneki Sambaavana Hein, and he has acted in 7-8 videos and was the Chief Associate Director for 2 videos in the popular YouTube channel Karikku. But when it came to telling his own story, the usual paths didn’t open up.

Rather than reworking the web series to fit industry expectations, the team decided to move forward on their own terms. They finished primary filming independently and launched a crowdfunding campaign, asking the audience to help them complete their project.

The Budget: Where the Money Will Go

Ushaaraakku: A Story Worth Finishing...Only With Your Help

Unlike many campaigns that are vague about costs, Ushaaraakk’s team has published a line-by-line budget on their website. The funds will be used for:

  • Editing and colour grading
  • Music recording and mixing
  • Multi-language dubbing (Tamil, Hindi, Kannada)
  • Marketing and distribution
  • Paying fair wages to the crew

“We’re not cutting corners,” Najjah says. “If we’re asking for support, we want to be clear about where every rupee goes.” So far, they’ve crowdfunded ₹2.2 lakhs. Now, they’re hoping people who care about good stories, people like you, will help finish the journey.

Must Check Out: ‘I was born to love loud colours’: Amala Ajithkumar Parammal’s Journey of Finding Herself

What Do Supporters Get?

Nijjah emphasises that this is not an investment, as no promised returns are guaranteed. However, the team offers small tokens of gratitude based on the contribution amount. These include:

  • ₹100–₹500: Supporting Producer credit (1 episode) + goodies
  • ₹1,000: Supporting Producer credit (2 episodes) + goodies
  • ₹2,000: Supporting Producer credit (3 episodes) + more episodes unlocked
  • ₹5,000: Co-Producer credit (1 episode)
  • ₹10,000: Producer credit (1 episode) + profit sharing (25%)
  • ₹30,000: Producer credit (4 episodes) + profit sharing (25%)

Every supporter, regardless of the amount, is credited as part of the team that made the release possible because this story doesn’t get told without you.

Why This Project Matters

Ushaaraakku: A Story Worth Finishing...Only With Your Help

In recent years, Malayalam cinema and web content have earned a reputation for fresh, grounded storytelling. But behind every successful indie project is a long list of ones that never made it, often because they didn’t have the ‘right’ faces or enough Instagram followers.

Ushaaraakk isn’t claiming to be revolutionary. It’s just real. And real stories, especially those told by new voices, need space to breathe. This campaign is about community support for people who are building something from scratch. Whether or not it reaches its goal depends on how many people are willing to believe in a story before it becomes a hit.

If you believe stories like this deserve a shot, now’s the time to help.

To Know More or Support the Project

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