Maheshum Marutiyum is a feel-good film about a man who loves his Maruti 800 deeply: Asif Ali

After a gap of almost a dozen years, Asif Ali and Mamta Mohandas will be sharing screen space again in director-scriptwriter Sethu’s movie Maheshum Marutiyum, which is set to release in theatres on March 10.

The movie, which has Asif in the titular character, had gone on floors soon after the pandemic lockdown restrictions were lifted two years ago, even though it was announced much earlier. In an recent interview, Asif, a car enthusiast himself, talked about the movie, which also has Prashanth Alexander, Kunchan, Maniyanpilla Raju and Vijay Babu in pivotal roles.

Also read: Exclusive! Mamta Mohandas: What drew me to Asif Ali’s Maheshum Marutiyum is the history of Maruti 800

“It’s a feel-good movie. The best way to summarise the film is through the dialogue of my character’s romantic interest Gauri, who says that if you look at how much Mahesh loves his car, that’s proof enough of how much he can love,” he said.

The family entertainer has Asif essaying the role of a youngster, whose father had bought home the first Maruti 800 in the village soon after the car was launched in the country. Since then, he had a deep connection with the car. How his love for the car affects his relationship with Gauri, essayed by Mamta Mohandas, forms the plot of the film, which is also scripted by Sethu.

Also read: Exclusive! Asif Ali on Jan.E.Man: Chidambaram never felt it needed a marketable star to work 

The Maruti car in the movie is an important character in the film, said Asif, adding that Maheshum Marutiyum is about a man “who loves cars” and is a movie that the family audience can watch in theatres.

In an earlier interview with us, Mamta said what drew her to the movie was also the car. “Just one week before (actor-producer Maniyanpilla) Raju chettan called me for the film, my dad and I were talking about the history of Ambassador, Maruti and the old cars,” she said, adding that the history of Maruti 800 that the film deals with was a major reason she took up the part.