Mammootty, Meena team up for Ajai Vasudev’s Shylock

After working in films such as Rakshasa Rajavu, Karutha Pakshikal and Balyakaalasakhi, Mammootty and Meena will share screen space in Ajai Vasudev’s upcoming movie titled

Shylock

: The Moneylender.

The film, which had its pooja in Kochi on Tuesday, is a “mass action, family drama”, reveals the director, who had previously helmed Mammootty-starrers RajadhiRaja and Masterpiece. With the film being titled Shylock, ask Ajai if Mammootty plays a loan shark in it and all he says is: “People call Mammukka’s character Shylock in the film. His role will have grey shades too.”

Apart from Mammootty and Meena collaborating after five years, the film also has veteran Tamil actor Rajkiran acting in a Malayalam movie for the first time. Mammootty’s ‘mass’ films in the last few years have paid way for the Mollywood debut of several Tamil actors including Shaam in The Great Father and Jai in MadhuraRaja.

On how different the film will be from Ajai’s previous movie Masterpiece, the filmmaker says, “We have brought in a completely new technical team with Ranadive as the cinematographer. The movie has elements to keep the family audience happy as well.”

Bibin George, Baiju Santosh, Siddique, Kalabhavan Shajohn, Harish Kanaran and John Vijay are part of the supporting cast of the film, which is scripted by Aneesh Hameed and Bibin Mohan. The team will begin shooting the movie in August in Ernakulam. Coimbatore is the other main location.