The second poster for HALF is out, and it makes clear that director Samjad is not interested in playing it safe for his sophomore film. After Golam, the tightly wound procedural thriller that marked a confident debut in 2024, Samjad is pivoting to something larger and stranger: a vampire thriller rooted in mythology, identity, and vengeance. The poster features Amala Paul, Ranjith Sajeev, and Aiswarya Raj alongside Abbas, who is returning to the screen after stepping away from cinema for over a decade.
HALF carries the tagline The Chronicles of Two Half-Blooded Vampires, which gives a fair idea of where this is headed. Ranjith Sajeev, who played the central role in Golam, reunites with Samjad as one of the two half-blooded protagonists. Aiswarya Raj takes the other lead. Amala Paul appears in what is described as a pivotal role, while Abbas adds veteran presence to the ensemble.
Abbas’s involvement is worth noting. The actor was a fixture of late-90s and early-2000s Tamil and Malayalam cinema, with a filmography that includes Kadhal Desam, Padayappa, Kandukondain Kandukondain, Minnale, and the Malayalam hit Kannezhuthi Pottum Thottu. He stepped away from the industry, moved to New Zealand, and worked entirely outside of films for years before gradually returning to Indian cinema. HALF marks a significant step in that comeback, placing him in a genre film with an ambitious pan-Indian scope.
The production is assembling serious technical firepower. Action choreography comes from Very Tri Yulisman, a Hollywood stunt coordinator whose credits span major international productions. Editing is handled by Mahesh Bhuvanend, a National Award winner for Aattam whose work on Vela and Madhuram has been widely recognised. Production designer Mohandas, known for his work on 2018, Ayyappanum Koshiyum, and Lucifer, is building the film’s visual world. Cinematographer Pappinu, who shot Matinee and Konthayum Poonoolum, is behind the camera.
Music comes from Midhun Mukundan, who made a strong impression with his scores for Rorschach and Abraham Ozler. Sound design is by Vishnu Govind, another National Award winner whose work on Malik, Unda, and Ishq has set a benchmark in Malayalam cinema. The screenplay is co-written by Samjad and Praveen Viswanath, the same writing partnership behind Golam.
Fragrant Nature Film Creations, the banner behind Golam, is producing HALF as well. The production house, run by Anne Sajeev and Sajeev PK, has a track record that includes Pranayam and Pariwar. With HALF, they are clearly aiming for a bigger canvas. The film is planned as a pan-Indian release across five languages: Malayalam, Tamil, Telugu, Hindi, and Kannada.
Vampire films remain rare territory in Indian cinema, and genre films of this scale are still a gamble. But the Golam team proved with their debut that they can build tension, handle a multi-layered narrative, and land an ending. Whether that translates to a mythology-driven action thriller with international-level stunt work is the question HALF will have to answer. For now, the poster sets a tone that is dark, atmospheric, and unapologetically ambitious.