Malaikottai Vaaliban teaser: Mohanlal promises a 'true' spectacle in underwhelming glimpse from Lijo Jose Pellissery’s film

Malayalam superstar Mohanlal said that the team of Malaikottai Vaaliban had pulled off something that no one has seen in Indian cinema, and the latest teaser of the Lijo Jose Pellissery promised more of the same.

The first teaser of the movie was already much-anticipated but given what the audience got to see - it’s safe to say that many would feel a bit underwhelmed from what the makers chose to reveal about Mohanlal’s character or the movie. 

The teaser had Mohanlal’s character, saying, “What the eyes have seen is real, and what they haven’t are lies. But what you have seen so far are lies and what you will see is real.” A highlight of the teaser though was Mohanlal's character, who is expected to be a globe-trotting Sikh wrestler, speaks in Malayalam mixed with Tamil - clearly hinting that it's a film that would appeal to audiences across South India.

Malaikottai Vaaliban cast and release date

The movie, which is scripted by PS Rafeeque, had wrapped up shooting earlier this year – with Rajasthan, Pondicherry and Chennai being its main locations. The team had announced its release date in September 2023, while also unveiling the first look of Mohanlal’s character of a Sikh wrestler from the movie.

Also read: Mohanlal on Malaikottai Vaaliban: 'We've created something unseen in Indian cinema' 

Apart from Mohanlal, the movie also has Marathi actress Sonalee Kulkarni, Kannada comedian Danish Sait, Bangla actress Katha Nandi and Hareesh Peradi as part of the movie. Lijo’s previous directorial, Nanpakal Nerathu Mayakkam, had Mammootty in the lead and was among the most critically-acclaimed Malayalam movies this year.

Can Fighter dethrone Malaikottai Vaaliban in Kerala?

Malaikottai Vaaliban is scheduled to hit theatres worldwide on January 25, which coincidentally is also when Hrithik Roshan and Deepika Padukone’s much-anticipated movie Fighter is set to release. The makers of the film will be going aggressive about the film’s release – considering it has a subject that has potential to appeal to audiences across India. Malaikottai Vaaliban will also be released in Tamil, Telugu, Kannada and Hindi.

Also read: Malaikottai Vaaliban, Barroz, L2 Empuraan and more - Mohanlal films to watch out for in 2024 

This year, apart from 2018: Everyone Is A Hero, no other big Malayalam movies were able to stave off competition from Bollywood superhits such as Jawan and Pathaan that went on to rank higher than most Malayalam superstar-driven films in terms of box office numbers.

Malaikottai Vaaliban to kick off a busy year for Mohanlal

Next year also promises to be an important one for Mohanlal, with the actor gearing up for a comeback of sorts after a lull at the box office. Mohanlal himself was gung-ho about the movie and had earlier said that he is proud of what the team has achieved. “We have created something that’s never seen before in Indian cinema,” said the actor, explaining that the team had aced various challenges especially during its climax sequence.

Soon after Malaikottai Vaaliban hits theatres, the actor will have his directorial debut Barroz releasing. Fans are already hopeful that Jeethu Joseph’s Neru, which will hit theatres on December 21, will kick off the success run for Mohanlal.

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