‘Tiki Taka is my big-ticket tribute to Asif Ali’: Rohith VS confirms Onam clash with Prithviraj Sukumaran film | Exclusive

Can Malayalam star Asif Ali win two consecutive Onam big-ticket clashes? The stage seems to be set, just for that. After Kishkindha Kaandam in 2024, the actor’s Tiki Taka is all set to go up against Prithviraj Sukumaran’s Vilayath Buddha during Onam 2025.  

What makes this battle even more mouth-watering for the audiences is that Tiki Taka will be a big-budget action film that will have Asif doing a ‘mass’ role after ages. In an exclusive chat with OTTplay, its director Rohith VS, who had previously helmed Tovino Thomas’ Kala and Asif’s Adventures of Omanakuttan and Ibilis, tells us, “Tiki Taka will be an Onam release. It’s a big-ticket cinema and that’s why we want it to be a festive release.”

Rohith is one of the few directors with whom Asif has always been open to experimenting. “In a way, this film is my tribute to him,” says the filmmaker, who has stayed away from doing an all-out commercial venture till date.

Asif Ali’s Tiki Taka is an action entertainer: Rohith VS

“It’s not an intense action film per se,” he says. “It will be a different film, but not in the sense of its story or concept. I believe its presentation will be different, or at least that’s what I am trying to do. It’s also the first time that I am attempting something like this for the market. I hope it fits into the space of entertainers that have been getting a good reception of late. In the previous movies I have made, the concept was the priority, and I kept building up on that.”

At a time, when several big films come with the promise of a sequel even before the first instalment has been released, how does Tiki Taka, which also has Lukman Avaran, Naslen, Wamiqa Gabbi, Sanchana Natarajan and Harisree Ashokan as part of the cast, stack up?

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“We have thought of all these possibilities during the development of this film and the seeds have been planted,” reveals the director. “But all of it is dependent on its commercial success. We are planning to release it in the four South languages as well as Hindi. We didn’t do this because it’s an action film. The movie’s underlying layer is basic and that’s why we feel it can work anywhere.”

‘Asif Ali was confident about Tiki Taka’s pan-Indian potential’

Asif, who had built up his physique for the movie, had sustained a ligament injury during its first schedule. Post recovery, he had to go through the entire grind again and is now back in shape to resume shoot. “Performance-wise also, it’s the first time that the audience would see him in such a role. We started the film’s development over three years ago, and he was part of it from the beginning. His market has obviously improved over the past year, but this project was greenlit even before all of that because the production and the rest of the team believed that Tiki Taka has that potential,” adds Rohith.

Also read: 8 Asif Ali films on OTT that fans of Malayalam thrillers should watch 

Ask him how much Asif’s real-life confidence, because of the recent successes, adds to his character John Denver in the film, and the director says, “John Denver is an extremely confident person, but the movie also has his low moments. Coincidentally, we had shot for 10-12 days in the first schedule and a major part of that was the low points of his character’s life. Now, Asif’s confidence has also changed, and we are waiting to see what he can bring to the table.”

Meanwhile, Asif's next theatrical release will be debutant Sethunath Padmakumar's Abhyanthara Kuttavali, which is slotted to hit theatres on April 17. This will be followed by Thamar KV's Sarkeet on May 8. The actor has also wrapped up the shoot of Jeethu Joseph's Mirage, which will see him sharing screen space with Aparna Balamurali again.