Saiju Kurup has unveiled the first look of Bafana United, the second film from the team behind Mahal: In the Name of Father. He shared the poster on Instagram on October 18: Saiju on a bike with two teenagers seated behind him, captioned "Coming soon #bafanaunited ❤️ #football #teenagers". The makers have not announced the rest of the cast, the plot or a release date.
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Film: Bafana United (Malayalam)
Lead: Saiju Kurup
Directors: Nazer Irimbiliyam and Dr Haris KT
Screenplay: Nazer Irimbiliyam, Dr Haris KT and Munvar Valanchery
Producers: Dr Arjun Parameswar and Thwayib Munavar (Imak Productions)
Cinematography: Sharon Sreenivas
Editing: Akhil Zonu
Music: Vishnu Shivashankar
Release: Not announced
The Mahal team returns
Mahal: In the Name of Father, released on May 1, 2025, was Nazer Irimbiliyam's first film as director. Dr Haris KT, a dentist from Valanchery, wrote and co-produced the father-son drama, and Dr Arjun Parameswar was among its producers under the Imak banner.
Shaheen Siddique, also seen in Saiju's Aaram, played the son, with Unni Nair as his father, who has dementia. Unni Nair won a special jury award at the 47th Kerala Film Critics Awards for the role.
This time Haris shares direction with Nazer, and the two have written the screenplay with Munvar Valanchery.
A football title from Malappuram
The team comes from Valanchery and Irimbiliyam in Malappuram, the district that is Kerala's football heartland. "Bafana Bafana" is the nickname of South Africa's national football team, and the hashtags on Saiju's post point to a story about football and teenagers.
Malappuram's love for the game was at the heart of Zakariya Mohammed's Sudani from Nigeria (2018), set around the district's sevens football circuit. Unni Nair, a Valanchery native, first came to notice through that film.
Saiju's line-up
Bafana United comes soon after Saiju wrapped Sagar's untitled detective comedy, produced by Arun Gopy. His other upcoming films include Rajesh Nair's Harivarasanam, PS Arjun's Saakshikal and Rasaleela, Krishnadas Murali's third Bharathanatyam film.
He is also in Aamir Pallikkal's campus film Prempatta, due in theatres on November 27.
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