Playback singer and vlogger Hanan Shaah, best known for his recent hit independent Malayalam track 'Chirapunji', has joined the cast of Antony Varghese’s upcoming film Kattalan. The makers announced on Sunday that it will mark his debut as an actor. Hailing from Malappuram, Hanan has built a strong following on social media with independent tracks such as 'Insaanile' and 'Kasavinaal', and is also known for his widely circulated cover versions of yesteryear hits like 'Parayathe Ariyathe' and 'Karimizhi Kuruviye'.

Kattalan, directed by debutant Paul George, is billed as a pan-Indian mass action thriller centred on ivory smuggling. The film’s cast also features Rajisha Vijayan, Kabir Singh Duhan, Jagadish, Telugu actor Sunil and rapper Baby Jean. The action sequences will be choreographed by Kecha Khamphakdee, who has worked on Ong-Bak 2, Baahubali 2 and Jawan.

Cinematographer Renadive, editor Shameer Muhammed and Kantara composer B Ajaneesh Loknath comprise the core technical team of Kattalan, with dialogues penned by Unni R. The film, which is yet to commence production, is planned for release in Malayalam, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada and Hindi. It is backed by Shareef Muhammed of Cubes Entertainments, who made his debut as a producer with Marco.