A scene from Hridayapoorvam's teaser, where Mohanlal’s character chats with a North Indian about Malayalam films, recently went viral for its humorous take on Fahadh Faasil’s growing recognition outside Kerala. The moment struck a chord with audiences, sparking memes and conversations online.
Now, the film’s leading lady, Malavika Mohanan, has weighed in, saying the scene reflects the reality she often encounters outside Kerala. Speaking to Ginger Media Entertainments in a promotional interview ahead of the film’s release, she said, “That scene is spot on. The very first day I read the script, I burst out laughing when I came across it, because I could relate to it. My friends in Bombay and others from the industry talk in exactly the same way. Once you go to Bombay, people working in Hindi cinema usually have only a very superficial understanding of Malayalam films. You can understand why that is.”
She added that Fahadh has become a cultural shorthand for Malayalam cinema among the non-Malayali crowd. “Saying that you like Malayalam films and that you like Fafaa is a trend now. It’s a cool thing. Like the recent trends ‘Labubu’ or ‘Matcha tea’, this is another one. We all love you, Fafaa. I mean it positively, but yes, saying ‘I love Fafaa’ has become a cool thing today.”
According to Malavika, the scene is a precise depiction of the conversations she hears between Malayalis and non-Malayalis. “Many people have told me, since I act in Malayalam, that I should do a film with Fafa. I always say, yes, yes, one day. There were so many memes that came out. I saw a lot of Malayalis sharing it with the caption, ‘Conversation with a non-Malayali friend’,” she said.
Slated to release on August 28, Hridayapoorvam marks the reunion of veteran director Sathyan Anthikad with Mohanlal after 10 years. The film also stars Sangeeth Prathap and Sangeetha in pivotal roles.
Interestingly, Fahadh is also part of the Onam line-up this year, with his latest film Odum Kuthira Chaadum Kuthira hitting theatres a day later, on August 29. The rom-com, co-starring Kalyani Priyadarshan and Revathi Pillai, comes with a satirical twist. As Kalyani described it, the film has a flavour reminiscent of Wes Anderson and Woody Allen’s works.
Meanwhile, Malavika's upcoming slate also includes the Telugu film The RajaSaab, headlined by Prabhas, and the Tamil film Sardar 2, starring Karthi in the lead.