Mohanlal’s Malaikottai Vaaliban to get a Japanese version? Lijo Jose Pellissery shares update on release date

Shortly after sharing a still from Yojimbo, director Lijo Jose Pellissery took to his social media pages to announce that his Mohanlal-starrer Malaikottai Vaaliban will get a Japanese release in 2026

Japanese poster of Malaikottai Vaaliban and Lijo Jose Pellissery

Days after posting the iconic still of Japanese actor Toshiro Mifune from the Akira Kurosawa movie Yojimbo, Malayalam director Lijo Jose Pellissery shared an exciting update about his previous Mohanlal-starrer Malaikottai Vaaliban which is replete with inspirations from the late legendary filmmaker.

Lijo, took to this social media page, to share that his magnum opus, which hit theatres in January 2024, will now get a Japanese version that will release on January 17, 2026. The Jallikattu filmmaker did not reveal whether it would get a limited theatrical release in Japan or whether it would be screened at a film festival. He also shared a poster of the Japanese version, with the captions translating to “maximum visual poetry”.

Malaikottai Vaaliban Japanese version release date announced

Malaikottai Vaaliban was in the news recently after its producer Shibu Baby John had stated that the film was originally conceived as a single movie, but Lijo had a change of heart midway through the shoot and decided to make it into a two-part film. This didn’t please neither Mohanlal nor the producer, Shibu said.

Also read: Malaikottai Vaaliban movie review: Mohanlal, Lijo Jose Pellissery’s larger-than-life, indulgent tribute to Kurosawa films works wonders

Though the movie failed to create waves at the box office, it was still appreciated for Lijo’s vision of presenting larger-than-life heroes in the same vein of Mifune’s characters in Kurosawa’s film and Clint Eastwood’s in Sergio Leone’s spaghetti Western movies.

No sequel for Malaikottai Vaaliban: Producer

Mohanlal essayed the role of a vagabond warrior, who travels and picks fights to prove his supremacy. A duel, however, leads to a rivalry with an unlikely and wily foe. The movie also ends with a face-off with Vaaliban’s biggest adversary. This thread had many interested in the sequel of Malaikottai Vaaliban , but the film’s producer said that they will not be going ahead with the plan.

Meanwhile, Lijo is also gearing up for his next movie - a Bollywood project that will see him team up with composer AR Rahman and Hansal Mehta, who will be co-producing the film with the Malayalam filmmaker. The movie is reported to delve into the complexities of human relationships.

FAQs:

Q. When is Malaikottai Vaaliban's Japanese version releasing?

A. Director Lijo Jose Pellissery confirmed that the Japanese version of Malaikottai Vaaliban will be releasing on January 17, 2026.

Q. When is Malaikottai Vaaliban 2 releasing?

A. There might not be a sequel for Malaikottai Vaaliban as its producer Shibu Baby John said that the team has dropped all plans for part 2 of the Mohanlal-starrer.

Q. Where to watch Malaikottai Vaaliban on OTT?

A. Malaikottai Vaaliban is currently streaming on JioHotstar, accessible via OTTplay Premium.

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