PremiumAlappuzha Gymkhana’s Naslen on life since Premalu: I get…
Malayalam actor Naslen’s 2024 romantic comedy Premalu was a massive box office hit and did phenomenally well after its OTT outing as well, giving the actor widespread recognition
Last Updated: 08.11 PM, Apr 01, 2025
Malayalam actor Naslen made himself a household name with his debut film Thaneermathan Dinangal way back in 2019, but his 2024 viral hit Premalu , put him on the national map. The Malayalam romantic comedy in which he was paired with Mamitha Baiju, struck a chord with young audiences. The film, which was reportedly made at a budget of Rs 3 crore only, made well over 40 times that, making it the fourth highest grosser of Mollywood in 2024.
Naslen on his new-found post-Premalu fame
The OTT outing on Disney+Hotstar (now JioHotstar), was also supremely successful and gave the actor national recognition. Naslen, who will be seen in the upcoming sports comedy Alappuzha Gymkhana spoke about this during the Pearle Maaney show, when she asked him about life since Premalu. On a personal note, Naslen doesn’t think his life is any different, but when out in public, he gets recognized, even in places like, say, Rajasthan.
What the actor finds interesting is that in places that he least expects, there’s always a spark of recognition. “I get recognized a lot more. Recently, when I went to Rajashthan, people came up to me and were like, ‘Pramaalu?’. I realize that I have reached a much-wider audience, but otherwise, life has been the same it was earlier too,” said Naslen.
But it’s not only the name of the film that gets butchered. Most audiences who’ve seen the film are also not sure of the actor’s name. Recounting the funniest encounters he’s had with fans, Naslen says that he’s been called ‘Nelsa’ (short for Nelson) and even ‘Taslim’, among others.
As for his next, Alappuzha Gymkhana, Naslen says that it is a feel-good film with a good amount of action. “It’s a light-hearted fun movie, but with some fights. It’s a sports comedy, focusing on the events happening between the characters, who are members of a sports club. It is very relatable and definitely a theatrical experience,” says the actor.