Kochi: The teaser of the upcoming Malayalam film Mollywood Times has been released, offering a quirky blend of filmmaking ambitions, humour and references to popular cinema culture. Featuring actor Naslen in the lead role, the film appears to present a self-aware narrative revolving around dreams of making a mark in the Malayalam film industry.
Directed by Abhinav Sunder Nayak, known for Mukundan Unni Associates, the upcoming project seems to combine comedy with an unconventional storyline centred around cinema and ambition. The teaser has already attracted attention for its playful references and dramatic moments.
The film is scheduled for a worldwide theatrical release on June 5.
Teaser follows a character chasing filmmaking ambitions
The teaser introduces Naslen as a young man with a strong ambition of becoming a renowned horror filmmaker.
One of the early scenes features a child expressing his dream of becoming a filmmaker similar to M. Night Shyamalan, whose films include The Sixth Sense and Signs.
The boy asks his father for a camera to pursue his filmmaking dream. However, the request is dismissed, with the ambition portrayed as too large for the relatively small world of Malayalam cinema.
Despite the initial rejection, the teaser suggests that the dream continues into adulthood and becomes the central theme of the story.
Film includes references to popular cinema moments
The teaser also incorporates visual references that cinema audiences may recognise.
In one scene, Naslen’s character dramatically announces his arrival with a statement about saving Malayalam cinema. The sequence appears to visually resemble a moment from Once Upon a Time in Hollywood featuring Leonardo DiCaprio.
The references appear to complement the film’s humorous and self-aware tone while presenting a playful take on the film industry.
Director Abhinav Sunder Nayak had previously spoken about including the Shyamalan reference due to the filmmaker’s Kerala roots.
Cast and technical team announced
Written by Ramu Sun, Mollywood Times also stars Sangeeth Prathap and Sharaf U Dheen in important roles.
The film also reunites Naslen and Sangeeth after their collaboration in Premalu.
Supporting roles are played by Prashanth Alexander, Chandu Salimkumar and Rajesh Madhavan.
The technical team includes cinematographer Viswajith Odukkathil, music composer Jakes Bejoy and sound designer Vishnu Govind.
The film is produced by Ashiq Usman under Ashiq Usman Productions and is set for theatrical release next month.