Latest news with #Althaf
Indian Express
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Indian Express
Odum Kuthira Chadum Kuthira trailer: Fahadh Faasil goes full Ranbir ‘kaput' in Althaf Salim's potential laugh riot
Odum Kuthira Chadum Kuthira trailer: Although he has helmed only one film thus far — and that too about eight years ago — the impact Althaf Salim created with his directorial debut, the Nivin Pauly-starrer Njandukalude Nattil Oridavela, was so powerful that Malayalam movie enthusiasts have since been rooting for his comeback. Despite never truly disappearing from the public eye and remaining active, winning hearts as a comedy actor known for his impactful one-liners, audiences had long been waiting for Althaf to don the director's hat again. Hence, ever since reports emerged that he is working on his sophomore venture, expectations have naturally been high. These expectations soared even further after it was revealed that the movie, Odum Kuthira Chadum Kuthira, is headlined by Fahadh Faasil. Now, the makers have unveiled the film's official trailer, setting the ball in motion for the film's release. Although the promo doesn't play spoilsport by revealing too much about the movie, Althaf has ensured that it's cleverly packed with crisp and fun-filled, albeit somewhat disjointed, moments, offering a sneak peek into the chaotic world of Odum Kuthira Chadum Kuthira. The 2.36-minute trailer opens by showing Kalyani Priyadarshan's character telling her boyfriend, Aby (Fahadh), about a dream that she has been having for quite some time now. 'A horse that looked like a piece of white, plump halwa! It was so dreamy,' she recalls. From that moment on, we see Aby's relentless efforts to find such a horse for their wedding, as per her wishes. But the task proves to be far from easy. 'She isn't just a little crazy; she's completely nuts,' one of his friends warns Aby. But everything is fair in war and love, right? Or is it just a senseless adage that people use to justify their erratic behaviour in those situations? 'Is madness contagious?' we soon hear Aby asking another one of his friends. As the trailer progresses, it offers more glimpses of things spiralling out of control and Aby's mostly futile efforts to resolve things. Much like Njandukalude Nattil Oridavela, Althaf has liberally used references from the actors' personal and professional lives here as well, evoking humour at every juncture. Intriguingly enough, we see actor Lal playing a character that appears to have heavy shades of his iconic role as the mad genius Harinarayanan in One Man Show (2001). Similarly, in one moment, Fahadh is shown asking, 'Don't I look just like Ranbir Kapoor right now?' While this reflects the mutual respect Fahadh and Ranbir have always publicly expressed, Althaf turns this moment also into a joke when Aby's friend replies, 'You look more like Ranbir kaput.' The director has played around with fans' obsession with Fahadh's expressive eyes too, as Lal's character points out towards the end of the promo, 'From now on, your eyes get no rest, Aby.' Interestingly, the title translates literally to 'running horse, jumping horse' and is part of a popular Malayalam riddle. However, in the trailer's closed captions on YouTube, Odum Kuthira Chadum Kuthira is humorously translated to 'Who let the horse out?' — inspired by Baha Men's iconic track 'Who Let the Dogs Out' — suggesting that the film will thrive on chaos comedy. The promo also promises a blend of drama and intense and thrilling moments to keep the audience engaged throughout. Besides Fahadh Faasil and a decade younger Kalyani Priyadarshan as the lead pair, the movie also features Revathi Pillai and Vinay Forrt in key roles. Odum Kuthira Chadum Kuthira will hit the screens on August 29, coinciding with the Onam season, during which it will clash at the box office with Sathyan Anthikad's Mohanlal-starrer Hridayapoorvam.
Time of India
06-05-2025
- Time of India
Two men held for violating Kaapa norms
Kochi: Police arrested two men, on separate occasions, for allegedly violating restrictions imposed on them under Kerala Anti-Social Activities (Prevention) Act (Kaapa).Fort Kochi police on Tuesday arrested a 28-year-old for violating an order prohibiting him from entering the city police limits. The arrested person, identified as Althaf alias Pollachi Appu, was externed under Kaapa for his involvement in multiple criminal cases. He was produced in court and remanded in judicial another incident, a 24-year-old man was arrested by police for allegedly violating an order issued against him under Kaapa. The arrested person was identified as Alister Xavier of Mulavukad. Based on a report filed by Mulavukad police, he was externed under Kaapa by city police commissioner on Nov 15, order required him to appear before the Ernakulam central assistant police commissioner every Saturday at 11:00am for a year and prohibited him from engaging in any criminal activities during this period. However, violating the order, he got involved in a crime registered at Mulavukad police station. Subsequently, a team led by Mulavukad police station SHO Shyamkumar VS and SI Thomas KX arrested him and presented him in court, which remanded him to Ernakulam sub-jail.
Zawya
22-04-2025
- Business
- Zawya
LuLu IPO to drive active expansion, says top executive
The initial public offering (IPO) of LuLu Retail Holdings in November 2024 is seen to catalyse significant growth and expansion, according to a top official. According to Dr Mohamed Althaf, director, LuLu Group International, LuLu's milestone move at the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange (ADX) has cemented regional trust in LuLu, while empowering the retail giant 'to pursue a bolder, more ambitious trajectory'. 'Our company went public. At some point in our business, we realised that it's time we should share our growth and prosperity with the region that has contributed and enabled our growth,' Dr Althaf told Gulf Times, describing the IPO as 'wonderful' and underscored its success in attracting major sovereign investors from across the region. According to Dr Althaf, the IPO provides LuLu with enhanced opportunities for active expansion, while maintaining its core business model. 'Structurally, fundamentally, our business model is not going to change,' he emphasised, adding that 'what will happen with the IPO is that maybe our expansions will become even more active. We believe that because we have a growth story to meet'. Dr Althaf further noted that the IPO is expected to introduce a shift in the company's governance structure, making it 'far more accountable and transparent'. This accountability and transparency, as well as the financial freedom brought by the IPO, will enable LuLu to expand its footprint into new markets while reinforcing its commitment to Qatar and the region, Dr Althaf pointed out. 'The IPO gives us the freedom and the responsibility that we should continue to invest in our business, stay focused, expand our footprint to markets, and stay committed to countries like Qatar in the region,' Dr Althaf further explained, stressing that LuLu remains deeply aligned with its host nation's development goals. Furthermore, Dr Althaf connected the IPO to LuLu's broader vision of innovation and sustainability. He noted that the company is actively leveraging digital transformation, cloud-based technologies, and AI tools to boost efficiency and achieve sustainability goals. He cited advancements in areas like cold chain management, energy reduction, and e-commerce as examples of LuLu's commitment to progress. 'We will continue to invest in Qatar. We will continue to expand in Qatar. We will do experiments and move ahead,' emphasised Dr Althaf, who reaffirmed the company's dedication to its host nation and the region. Dr Althaf further pointed out that the IPO marks a transformative phase for LuLu Retail, paving the way for active expansions, greater accountability, and a bold vision for sustained growth. On its website, LuLu Retail announced that the 'IPO raised gross proceeds of AED6.32bn making it the largest offering in the UAE in 2024 to date. The offering saw aggregate demand of over AED135bn from local, regional, and international investors, a record for a non-government UAE IPO over the past 10 years, and an oversubscription level of more than 25 times across all tranches (excluding Cornerstone Investors). Cornerstone investors included leading sovereign and institutional investors from across the GCC and beyond'. © Gulf Times Newspaper 2022 Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. (
