Asif Ali and Jis Joy are reuniting for Kottayam Belt, their sixth film together. The project was formally launched in Kochi on Wednesday with a traditional pooja ceremony attended by the cast and crew, a day after the title was officially announced. The actor-director duo has previously worked together on Bicycle Thieves, Sunday Holiday, Vijay Superum Pournamiyum, Innale Vare and Thalavan. Notably, Asif has featured in every film helmed by Jis to date, including a cameo appearance as himself in Mohan Kumar Fans.
Kottayam Belt is described as a family thriller set against the backdrop of a Christian community in the eastern high ranges of Kerala. The story revolves around the lives of four brothers whose influence, wealth and determination make them formidable figures in their locality. The film is written by Suresh Gopalan, with creative contributions from acclaimed screenwriting duo Bobby-Sanjay. Apart from Asif, the ensemble cast includes Vijayaraghavan, Jagadish, Shine Tom Chacko, Vishnu Agasthya, Bobby Kurian, Ashokan, Prem Prakash, Farhaan Faasil, Shruti Ramachandran, Srikant Murali, Alencier, Jinu Joseph, Chembil Ashokan, Vineeth, Sandra Chandran, Renjith Shekhar, Eika Dev and Nithin Prasanna.
On the technical front, Kottayam Belt has cinematography by Binendra Menon, editing by Sooraj E S and music by Govind Vasantha. The film is jointly produced by T R Shamsudheen and Venu Gopalakrishnan under the banners of Dreamkatcher Productions and Kaalish Productions. Principal photography commenced on Wednesday and will take place across Thodupuzha, Kochi, Kottayam and Thrissur.
Meanwhile, Asif will next be seen in the action entertainer Tiki Taka, reuniting him with director Rohith V S after Adventures of Omanakuttan and Iblis. He also has Khalid Rahman's Mattancherry Mafia, led by Mammootty and co-starring Naslen, as well as Prajesh Sen's Houdini: The King of Magic, in the pipeline.