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Neil Nitin Mukesh Makes Malayalam Debut in Prithviraj's Khalifa

The casting adds fresh star power to Vysakh's thriller about a gold-smuggling underworld led by Prithviraj as Aamir Ali.

Overview

  • Producers announced Neil Nitin Mukesh’s addition on January 15 with a first-look poster shared on his 44th birthday.
  • Prithviraj welcomed him to Malayalam cinema on social media, while Neil confirmed the news with the caption, “Going for Gold.”
  • Khalifa follows a multi-million-dollar gold smuggling network linking the Middle East, London, Nepal and Kerala, with the teaser invoking the COFEPOSA Act.
  • The project was announced in 2022, began filming in 2025, and Prithviraj completed a UK schedule before returning to India in August last year.
  • The film reunites director Vysakh and Prithviraj with writer Jinu V Abraham; key crew include Jomon T John, Jakes Bejoy, Chaman Chacko and action director Yannick Ben, and coverage suggests an Onam 2026 release window without an official date.