Mohanlal-Tharun Moorthy film will have a new story, producer reveals why Austin Dan project was dropped
L365 was announced as the big Mohanlal film directed by Austin Dan. But on Monday, Tharun Moorthy announced his new project with Mohanlal that would also be backed by Ashiq Usman.
Last Updated: 04.39 PM, Dec 02, 2025
The big announcement in Malayalam film circles on December 1 was that director Tharun Moorthy would once again join hands with Malayalam superstar Mohanlal after the blockbuster success of Thudarum. However, this led to speculations that Austin Dan who was set to direct Mohanlal in L365 was replaced by Tharun. Now, producer Ashiq Usman has clarified that the recently announced project will have a new story and why the Austin Dan project was dropped.
Mohanlal’s L365 project
Mohanlal had announced his new project L365, helmed by Austin Dan in July this year, with the shoot scheduled to start in 2026. However, in a surprising turn of events, Tharun Moorthy announced his new project with Mohanlal that would also be backed by Ashiq Usman. As per a news article on the Malayalam channel Reporter Live, Ashiq Usman has said that the Mohanlal-Tharun Moorthy film is not one announced earlier with Austin Dan.
“This is a new story. We did not like the final draft of the script of the Austin Dan project. Then Ratheesh narrated another story and that's what has been announced as the new Mohanlal movie,” said Ashiq, who last backed the film Odum Kuthira Chaadum Kuthira. Despite having Fahadh Faasil in the lead along with Kalyani Priyadarshan, OKCK was a failure at the box office.
Ashiq is also backing another film of Tharun Moorthy, titled Torpedo, which will also see Fahadh in the lead role along with Naslen. Ashiq also clarified that they would work on Torpedo after the new Mohanlal movie. Shaji Kumar, who had also shot Thudarum, will once again be the cinematographer for the Mohanlal-Tharun film. Ratheesh Ravi, who was the writer of L365, will also script the new movie. L365 was rumoured to feature Mohanlal in a cop role after a hiatus.
On the other hand, some netizens were disappointed that Austin Dan's project with Mohanlal was not happening, that incidentally would have been his directorial debut. Mohanlal would be next seen in an extended cameo appearance in Dileep-led Bha Bha Ba, slated to hit theatres on December 18.
FAQs
Q. What happened to L365?
A. L365 was announced as Mohanlal's film with Austin Dan and backed by Ashiq Usman. However, Austin is no longer part of the film, with Tharun Moorthy set to direct Mohanlal in his next venture.
Q. Where to watch Thudarum?
A. You can watch Thudarum, starring Mohanlal and helmed by Tharun Moorthy, is available for streaming on JioHotstar via OTTplay Premium.