Joju George replaces Biju Menon in Malik

‘Take Off’, director Mahesh Narayanan is currently working on ‘Malik’, a big-scale film that has Fahadh Faasil in the lead. Anto Joseph Film Company is producing the film, which is being made on a huge budget of around Rs 25 crores. Shoot is currently under progress. During its official announcement, the film’s cast also had Biju Menon Nimisha Sajayan, Dileesh Pothan, Vinay Forrt and yesteryear actress Jalaja in major roles.

However, Biju Menon has opted out of the film due to date issues. He has been replaced by the hot and happening Joju George. After the success of ‘Joseph’ and ‘Porinju Mariam Jose’, Joju is much in demand and has multiple projects lined up. His character in ‘Malik’ is expected to be a prominent, performance-oriented one.

Director Mahesh himself has scripted ‘Malik’. It is based on a real-life incident that occurred few years back in Kerala. The film is conceived as a political thriller that is centred around a sensitive coastal area where there was a resistance against the constant threat of displacement of a minority community. The focus will be on the evolution of the coastal area from the 60s to present age.

Besides directing and scripting, Mahesh Narayanan is also editing the film. Sanu John Varughese is the DOP, Sushin Shyam, the composer and sound department will be handled by Vishnu Govind and Sree Sankar. National award winner Santosh Raman is in charge of the production design. The makers are eyeing an April release next year.