Malayalam cinema is no longer defined by modest budgets and niche reach. Over the last few years, the industry has entered a new era of large-scale productions, with films crossing the Rs 200-crore mark and finding audiences far beyond Kerala. Success stories such as Manjummel Boys and Lokah have proven that Malayalam cinema can compete with the biggest industries in the country while retaining its unique identity.
I Am Game is arriving into this world. Starring Dulquer Salmaan in the lead, it is touted to be one of the most ambitious projects ever mounted in Mollywood. Shot across more than a hundred locations in South India, the film reflects the growing confidence of the industry to think bigger and aim higher. Its scale is huge. With music by Jakes Bejoy, it will head to theatres in Malayalam, Tamil, Telugu, Hindi, and Kannada.
The project also carries substantially high expectations because it features DQ in what is being promoted as his most stylish and mass-appeal avatar yet. I Am Game appears designed to capitalize on DQ's popularity while delivering a spectacle tailored for a wide audience. It is directed by Nahas Hidayath.
While Mollywood has surprised on the upside many times in the last 5 years, it has also brought out unexpected duds. I Am Game, one hopes, is not a conventional masala film but a story with a distinct voice of its own.
I Am Game will open in theatres on August 20.
