Kattalan, the upcoming Malayalam action thriller from Cubes Entertainments, has made a notable change behind the scenes. Ravi Basrur, the composer behind KGF, Salaar, Marco, and Toxic, has officially replaced B. Ajaneesh Loknath as the film’s music director. For a film that is already positioning itself as one of the biggest Malayalam releases of the year, the switch to Basrur signals a clear intent to go louder.
Basrur’s work on the KGF films turned background scores into cultural events in themselves, with tracks that became inseparable from the imagery they accompanied. His more recent work on Marco and Toxic showed he could bring that same visceral energy to different kinds of stories. With Kattalan, he returns to Malayalam cinema after Marco, and the production seems designed to play to his strengths: high-octane action sequences choreographed by the Ong-Bak stunt team led by Kecha Khamphakdee, shot partly in Thailand.
The film stars Antony Varghese in the lead, with an ensemble that crosses regional lines. Telugu actor Sunil, Bollywood’s Kabir Duhan Singh and Parth Tiwari, and Malayalam veterans Jagadeesh and Siddique all have roles. Actress Thushara Vijayan makes her Malayalam debut as the female lead. Rapper Baby Jean and Hipster also feature in key parts. Even Pong, the elephant from the Ong-Bak series, shows up.
Directed by debutant Paul George, Kattalan is scripted by Joby Varghese, Paul George, and Jero Jacob, with dialogues by Unni R. The film has already secured significant pre-release deals: T-Series holds the music rights, Shemaroo handles digital and satellite distribution, and Phars Films is managing the overseas release.
Produced by Shareef Muhammed, Kattalan releases on May 14 in Malayalam, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, and Hindi.