Malayalam megastar Mammootty was on self-imposed isolation ever since the lockdown for containing COVID-19 was announced in March and recently ventured out with his close associates creating a sense of eagerness among his fans on what his next would be. For the uninitiated, Mammootty did not venture out of his Kochi residence for 275 days and his actor son Dulquer Salmaan reportedly said that his dad wanted to set a new record of staying home for the longest period.
According to reports, the megastar, in a new avatar, sporting a thick beard and pony-tailed hair, recently shot for a commercial for which he finally ventured out. On this, close associate, production manager Badhushah said in an interview to the Times of India, “It was the first time he stepped out since the pandemic lockdown. We took a round of the stadium and stopped for tea. The next day he also shot for an advertisement. Mammukka would be resuming shooting from January 2021 onwards but he hasn't decided which project he would be working on first.”
Prior to the lockdown, Mammootty had completed shooting for The Priest and it is in the post-production stage now. The film is directed by debutant Jofin T Chacko. It is a thriller that impressed the star so much that he allotted dates for it, pushing back other projects in the pipeline. Anto Joseph is bankrolling the film under his banner in association with filmmaker B Unnikrishnan’s RD Illuminations.
Manju Warrier has been roped in to play the female lead in it with Nikhila Vimal playing another prominent role. The others in the cast also include Sreenath Bhasi, Saniya Iyappan, Jagadish, Madhupal, Baby Monica and Venkitesh VP. The technical crew of The Priest comprises Jofin T Chacko for penning the story, Shyam Menon and Deepu Pradeep for screenplay, Rahul Raj for music, Akhil George for cinematography and Shameer Muhammed for editing.
The megastar’s other project in finishing stages is One in which he plays the Chief Minister of Kerala. One is a political drama and has actors Vishnu Unnikrishnan, Renji Panicker, Sreenivasan, Joju George, and Murali Gopy playing important roles. Ishaani Krishna is making her acting debut with this flick. One, directed by Santhosh Viswanath, is bankrolled by ICHAIS Productions.
Watch: Teaser of One
Mammootty has also reportedly agreed to work with debutante Ratheena Sharshad.
Also, the sequel to Mammootty’s Big B titled Bilal is under progress. Gopi Sundar has already begun composing the tunes and he confirmed it by posting a picture with director Amal Neerad on his social media page.
(Content provided by Digital Native)