Malaikottai Vaaliban first look: Mohanlal rocks an intense, combat-ready avatar in Lijo Jose Pellissery film

The makers of Mohanlal and Lijo Jose Pellissery’s Malaikottai Vaaliban promised a sneak peak into the world that the acclaimed filmmaker has reated and the poster, which was revealed through Mohanlal's social media page, has already caught the attention of the netizens. 

The first look poster of the movie has Mohanlal sporting an intense look, signifying the strength of his character. Sporting a Sikh-styled look complete with an iron kada around his neck and a strategically placed moon in the backdrop to show that the power of the man, the look has already got the fans raving about the movie. 

The team had wrapped up the first schedule of the period drama earlier this month after almost 100 days of shoot. Lijo and his team had begun the pre-production of the movie, which is reportedly made on a budget close to Priyadarshan’s magnum opus Marakkar: Arabikadalinte Simham, in the second half of last year and it’s been a monumental effort, erecting the sets of the film in Rajasthan.

Also read: Prithviraj spills the beans on Mohanlal, Lijo Jose Pellissery film: ‘It’s a challenging movie to make’ 

Lijo thanked the crew of the movie for managing to pull it off despite the multiple logistical and financial hurdles. The film, which also has Bengali actress Katha Nandi, Marathi actress Sonalee Kulkarni and Kannada actor-comedian Danish Sait, has Mohanlal essaying the role of a wrestler. The Malayalam superstar will be seen in multiple get-ups in the movie, which is scripted by Amen writer PS Rafeeque.

Also read: Mohanlal's Malaikottai Vaaliban has massive sequences that weren't easy to shoot: Lijo Jose Pellissery 

Malaikottai Vaaliban is also the biggest film in Lijo’s career. The filmmaker, who had previously helmed Jalikattu, Angamaly Diairies and most recently Nanpakal Nerathu Mayakkam, is regarded as one of the best in modern Malayalam cinema and his collaboration with Mohanlal also already got some of the top actors from the film industry excited.

Prithviraj Sukumaran, in an interview last year, said that Malaikottai Vaaliban will be a trademark “Lijo Jose Pellissery film”. “I know the subject and that’s why I am extremely excited about it. To be very frank, even though I am a Lalettan fan, as far as that film is concerned, the biggest excitement for me is that Lijo is directing it. Having said that, when Lijo is doing a movie with Lalettan, he will try to bring out a fresh perspective of the star and the actor,” he said.

Also read: Mohanlal adds a Range Rover to his collection, Dulquer Salmaan replaces his with a Maybach SUV 

The team of Malaikottai Vaaliban is expected to resume the next schedule of the movie on May 10 in Chennai. The makers are yet to announce the release date of the film, but it’s rumoured to hit theatres worldwide on Vishu 2024.