Delighted with 'thunderous' response to Maalik, says director Mahesh Narayanan

Filmmaker Mahesh Narayanan is happy with the response his Malayalam film Maalik (2021) has been getting. Starring Fahadh Faasil, the film was released on Amazon Prime Video on 15 July to a critical welcome.

“I believe there couldn’t have been a better time and platform for the movie to be premiered for cinema lovers worldwide," the director said in a statement. "The pacey mystery drama had all the right ingredients to capture the audience's imagination and I am delighted to see the movie getting a thunderous response.”

Maalik revolves around the character of Ahammadali Sulaiman (Fahadh Faasil), a fatherless lad who grows up in poverty and takes to smuggling and whose stature and influence grow as he helps the people of his area and community. But those very aspects also make him some powerful enemies.

Before Maalik, Mahesh had helmed Take Off (2017) and C U Soon (2020), both starring Fahadh Faasil.

Despite having handled such challenging subjects earlier, Maalik wasn’t an easy film for him. “Maalik was one of the most challenging projects, and the audiences’ response is testament to our efforts being appreciated by the fans,” Mahesh said.

The filmmaker started his career as an editor and has over 50 films to his credit, including Nayattu (2021), an acclaimed cop drama by Martin Prakkat, that was released earlier this year.