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Bilal, Aaraattu 2, Minister Raja, and more - What happened to Malayalam cinema’s highly anticipated sequels?

Malayalam cinema has been witnessing an increase in the number of sequels that were announced, but never got made. Bilal, Minister Raja, and Aaraattu 2 are some of the most popular names in this list.

Akhila Menon

May 27, 2024

Mammootty in Bilal announcement poster, Mohanlal in Aaraattu

The Malayalam film industry has been going through an extraordinary phase, both creatively and commercially. In 2024, we witnessed some extremely well-made films performing exceptionally at the box office, thus pushing the boundaries of the industry. Notably, some of the most talked-about releases of this year, including Malaikottai Vaaliban Abraham Ozler Premalu, and Turbo, are also confirmed to have sequels very soon.

However, the Malayalam cinema audiences are still eagerly waiting for an update on the already-announced sequels including Bilal, Minister Raja, Aarattu 2, and many more. Even though these projects were announced officially and some of them even went on floors for a brief time, most of them vanished without trace.

Mammootty's Bilal - Here's what happened

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For the uninitiated, director Amal Neerad officially announced a sequel to his debut directorial venture Big B, in November 2017. It was also confirmed that Mammootty will return to play the iconic character Bilal John Kurissinkal in the much-awaited project, which has been titled Bilal. Even though the project started rolling briefly in March 2020, it was later delayed due to the pandemic, and major changes in the script. Even though both Mammootty and Amal Neerad suggest that the project is not shelved, there has been no official update for the last seven years.

Also Read: Turbo sequel update - Mammootty and Vysakh to reunite soon?

Minister Raja and Aaraattu 2

Both the Mammootty starrer and Mohanlal’s mass actioner had specially added tail-end scenes, which confirmed that sequels are on cards for the projects. The third part of the Raja franchise, which was supposed to mark the reunion of the megastar and director Vysakh, was titled Minister Raja. The sequel of Aaraattu, which is directed by B Unnikrishnan, was tentatively titled Mr. X.

Even though the first two installments of the Raja franchise were super hits, Minister Raja got shelved reportedly due to creative reasons. The Aaraattu sequel, on the other hand, was shelved due to the massive box office failure of the Mohanlal starrer. Notably, both the projects are penned by the leading scriptwriter, Udaya Krishna. However, the makers of both the sequels have not officially confirmed these reports, yet.

Also Read: Malayalam movies box office collection 2024 – Manjummel Boys, Aadujeevitham and other films together collect Rs. 1000 crore

L2 Empruaan, Aadu 3, and the sequels that are under production

However, many long-awaited sequel projects, including the second installment of Lucifer franchise, which has been titled L2 Empuraan and the third installment of the Aadu series, are currently under production. Director Prithviraj Sukumaran and leading man Mohanlal have reportedly completed over 50 percent of the filming of L2E, which is expected to hit the theatres in 2025. It is also confirmed that the actor-director duo will later team up for the third installment of the project, which has been planned as a trilogy.

Aadu 3, on the other hand, is expected to go on floors after leading man Jayasurya wraps up his ambitious project, Kathanar. The sequels of Anjaam Pathiraa, Premalu, Abraham Ozler, and many other projects are also expected to go on floors by the end of this year. Kannur Squad 2, the highly anticipated Part 2 of Mammootty’s blockbuster is expected to start rolling in 2025. Mohanlal and Jeethu Joseph duo’s Neru, on the other hand, is expected to get a spin-off next year.

Also Read: After Premalu, Bramayugam and Manjummel Boys, is Malayalam cinema ready to level up?