‘Khalifa’ director Vysakh shares BTS video showing him braving Dubai heat; says ‘Passion burns hotter than the heat!’

Chennai, June 16 (IANS) Director Vysakh, who is directing the eagerly awaited revenge thriller ‘Khalifa’, featuring actor Prithviraj in the lead, has now shared a BTS video showing him braving the Dubai desert heat for the sake of the film.

For the unaware, the unit of ‘Khalifa’ is currently in Dubai to shoot some important sequences in the film.

Taking to his Instagram page on Tuesday, Vysakh shared a video that showed him walking on the desert with a hat, even as a hot gust of air kept blowing in his face. He wrote, “Passion burns hotter than the heat. Khalifa @dubai.”

The film is among the most eagerly awaited action entertainers of the year. Some days ago, the film had hit the headlines when Prithviraj had shared a younger looking picture of himself in the film on Instagram. He had written, “AAMIR – The story that was…! #KHALIFA.”

The film has triggered huge expectations among fans and film buffs for a number of reasons.

The makers of the film had in January this year welcomed Bollywood actor Neil Nitin Mukesh to the Malayalam industry and their unit.

Prithviraj plays a character called Aamir Ali in the film. Th actor had shared a glimpse video of Khalifa on his birthday last year.

He had then said, “A revenge forged by a lineage that spans generations! Next Onam.. Aamir Ali will write his vengeance in gold! #KHALIFA – The Ruler.”

The Khalifa Glimpse that he shared begins with a voice on a news bulletin announcing that police and customs officials had unearthed a multi million dollar gold smuggling racket operating out of the middle east. The racket, we are told, is being carried out through networks in London, Nepal and Kerala.

We then see an old man being interrogated by a customs official called Panicker, who tells the person being questioned that his colleague Aamir is finished and that he can be hauled to jail wherever he sets foot in India. Panicker tries to intimidate the person being questioned, by citing the COFEPOSA act.

The glimpse video then shows the interrogated person replying, “Do you know how the COFEPOSA came into being?” We are then treated to some scintillating action scenes of which Prithviraj is a part.The interrogated person then goes onto explain how the COFEPOSA act came into being. “Up north, there was Sukur Naren Bakhia and Haji Mastan.Down south, it was Mudaliar and Mambaraykkal Ahmed Ali. The four of them were a nightmare for Mrs Gandhi.That is what led her to pass the COFEPOSA Act in Parliament in 1974. And even then, using the COFEPOSA, she couldn’t keep Ahmed Ali behind bars for even half an hour. Aamir is the grandson of that very same Ahmed Ali.” He then, in a challenging tone, asks the official to nab Aamir, saying that it is then that he’ll witness the real fireworks like the one in the Uroos festival at the Mambaram mosque.

The video discloses that the film will be a gripping thriller with some edge-of-seat chase and stunt seqeunces in it.

Actor Prithviraj Sukumaran had completed shooting for his portions in the UK-schedule of the film and had returned to India in August last year.

At the time of commencing the project, Vysakh, in a post on his Instagram timeline, had said, “The journey of #Khalifa officially begins! Our pooja ceremony for this ambitious film, starring the incredible @therealprithvi, happened today. I’m beyond thrilled to be collaborating with Prithviraj after 15 long years!”

He then went on to add,”Gearing up for an exhilarating journey, with our first schedule rolling out from London on August 6th. This project brings together a powerhouse team – Penned by Jinu Abraham, Jomon T John’s visual magic, Music by the current music sensation Jakes Bejoy, Cuts by Chaman Chacko, Styled by Mashar Hamza and Action to be directed by Yannick Ben. Seeking all your blessings and good wishes for this venture.”

The film was first announced in the year 2022. However, it went on floors only in 2025. The film, when initially announced, was expected to be shot in Dubai, Nepal and Kerala. Now, the film has been shot in the UK and Dubai.

This is Prithviraj’s second film in over 15 years with Vysakh after their superhit collaboration ‘Pokkiri Raja’ and will be his next with writer Jinu V Abraham, who had scripted ‘Kaduva’.

–IANS

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