Overview

• Fahadh Faasil was filmed using a classic Vertu keypad handset at the Mollywood Times puja ceremony, deliberately forgoing smartphones and social media.
• Media outlets identified the device as the Ascent Retro Classic model, priced at $11,920 (₹10.2 lakh) and listed as out of stock on Vertu’s official site.
• Content creator Effin M suggested the phone could be the older Ascent Ti from 2008, originally launched at ₹5.54 lakh and now trading for around ₹1–1.5 lakh pre-owned.
• Vertu phones are handcrafted in the U.K. using materials such as titanium, sapphire crystal and leather, with some editions offering concierge services and prices reaching up to $500,000.
• The handset’s scarcity exemplifies a niche market for discontinued luxury devices and raises questions about value in bespoke technology.