On Monday, Naslen’s upcoming film Mollywood Times was launched with a traditional pooja and switch-on ceremony in Kochi, attended by its cast and crew. As previously updated by the makers, shooting is scheduled to commence on August 1. Produced by Ashiq Usman under his namesake banner, it marks the second directorial venture of editor-turned-filmmaker Abhinav Sunder Nayak, who made a striking debut with the Vineeth Sreenivasan-starrer Mukundan Unni Associates in 2022.
The pooja function of Mollywood Times was also graced by the presence of several prominent film personalities, including actor-producer Fahadh Faasil, actor-director Althaf Salim, Thudarum director Tharun Moorthy, actor-writer Binu Pappu and actor-director Austin Dan Thomas. All of the aforementioned are associated with Ashiq’s other upcoming projects, such as Odum Kuthira Chaadum Kuthira, Torpedo, and the tentatively titled Mohanlal-starrer L 365.
Scripted by Rekhachithram co-writer Ramu Sunil, Mollywood Times was announced in 2024 with the tagline 'A Hate Letter to Cinema,' suggesting a backdrop focused on the Malayalam cinema industry. However, the makers have not yet disclosed details about the film’s plot, genre or extended cast. Its music is composed by Jakes Bejoy, who is enjoying a golden run following the hat-trick success of Officer On Duty, Thudarum and Narivetta.