Keni is the title of the upcoming Malayalam film written and directed by actor Ashkar Mohammedali.
Ashkar, who has acted in character roles in films like Role Models, 2 Countries, Sherlock Holmes, and Ayyappanum Koshyuim, marks his directorial debut with Keni. He has previously worked as an assistant director for the Malayalam films Russia and Marutha, and has directed a couple of short films as well.
Producer NM Badusha, and actors Bineesh Bastin and Sudheer Sufi released the upcoming film’s title poster through their respective social media handles on Sunday.
Speaking to Silverscreen India, the film’s PRO Jipson said that Keni, which translates to ‘Trap’, is a thriller. “The film revolves around the abduction of a girl and the story unfolds with a series of twists which create a trap for the kidnappers,” he added.
One of the main roles in Keni is played by actor Sudheer Sufi, who is known for his performance in the films Anjaam Pathira and Operation Java. “The rest of the cast are newcomers. The makers hand-picked a bunch of new artists and selected the cast after screen tests,” said Jipson.
Keni is produced by Ashkar along with the film’s cinematographer Dhanil Dharmaraj, editor Anshaf Mohammedali, Kurian Thomas, and KR Ajayi.
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“It took over two years for Ashkar to lock the final script after a series of enhancements. Later, after trying to pitch the story to some big production houses, Ashkar and his friends decided to produce it themselves,” Jipson added.
The PRO noted that the film was shot over 35 days in Kattappana earlier this year. While the majority of the film was shot in a single location inside a house, some portions were also filmed in outdoor locations.
“Currently, Keni is in the final stage of post production. The makers of the film are looking for a direct-to-OTT release considering the prevailing conditions. Discussions are on with a few OTT platforms and TV channels. However, the final decision is yet to be made,” said Jipson.