Apparently roaring out loud, Mohanlal is on his knees, dragging heavy ropes and wearing clothes of another era in a new poster of his film Malaikottai Vaaliban. Sharing it on his social media pages, the actor wrote, "And now, the wait has a face!" He must mean fans of Malayalam cinema, waiting to see the superstar come together with acclaimed director Lijo Jose Pellissery for the first time.
This photo, looking like a cover picture of one of the Arabian Nights tales, gives the first look of his character in the film, Mohanlal said in his post. "Keep cheering us on our journey to bring this movie to life," he added. There have been speculations that he plays a wrestler in this period film.
The film is written by PS Rafeeque, a short story writer who has scripted two of Lijo's early films — Nayakan and Amen. Lijo has a habit of teaming with writers of literature, as he did for Ee.Ma.Yau. with PF Mathews, Jallikattu with S Hareesh, and Churuli with Vinoy Thomas.
Hareesh and Lijo together scripted Nanpakal Nerathu Mayakkam, a film embraced by viewers for its captivating storytelling and memorable performances. Mammootty, the other big superstar in Malayalam, played the lead character in the film who falls asleep in a bus and wakes up believing he is another man. Kafkaesque, some called it.
Lijo had not cast big stars in his films until then. In his popular film Angamaly Diaries, he chose 80 and more new actors in the cast. Considered a maverick filmmaker whose films are eagerly awaited in festival circuits, Lijo's tie-up with the superstars has been an awaited affair. With the Mammootty film garnering rave reviews, Mohanlal's is eagerly looked forward to. It is expected to give the star a much needed break after a few disastrous ventures such as Monster and Alone.