Ameen Aslam's Momo in Dubai is a children's film told from the point of view of a 6-year-old

Director Zakariya’s films have a gently-revealed, heartwarming feel about them and it looks like his screenwriting effort for the newly announced

Momo in Dubai

will have this signature quality. The film, set to be directed by longtime associate Ameen Aslam, is a family drama set in Dubai.

“It is a children’s movie about a lower middle class family, where the man, despite his financial hardships, brings his wife and children to live with him in the UAE. The film looks at their struggles, but is a mix of poignant and happy moments, and is definitely a feel-good story,” says the debut director.

Explaining what the title Momo in Dubai alludes to, Ameen, who used to work as a creative director in advertising, says, “Momo is a commonly used colloquial nickname for Mohammed in Malabar, and Momo is the youngest of the three children - two boys and a girl aged between 6 to 12 years - in the family. The story is told from Momo’s point of view.” Aneesh G Menon and Anu Sithara play their parents; the casting for the child artistes is ongoing. The film will have a north Kerala dialect, says Ameen.

The shoot is scheduled to start in February. The Dubai-based director says the region is very inviting of film crews, and apparently, there are five Malayalam films that have shoots in the UAE around this time.

Momo in Dubai, which is co-written by Ashif Kakkodi, has Aju Varghese and Hareesh Kanaran feature in prominent roles. Jimshi Khalid, who did cinematography for Kappela and Love, is the DoP. Music is by Jassie Gift and debutant Gafoor N Khayyam to lyrics by Muhsin Parari. “Since it is a film that the whole family will enjoy, we are aiming for a theatre release,” says Ameen.


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