Toby Malayalam trailer: Raj B Shetty’s presents new cut, but is it as good as the Kannada original?

The trailer of the Malayalam version of Raj B Shetty’s Toby was released a little while ago by actor Dulquer Salmaan, who will present the film in Kerala under his Wayfarer Films. The trailer, interestingly, is not entirely the same as the Kannada original that came in early August, with Raj presenting a new cut for Malayalam audiences. The highlight of the original trailer was, no doubt, Raj in his Maari avatar effecting a jumping kick, which, strangely enough, has been omitted in the version for Malayalam audiences, although, the opening sequence mentions that the ‘Maari’ ought not be allowed to return to the village.

Is the Malayalam trailer of Toby better then? Well, if we are being entirely honest, not really. The Kannada original was a lot more impactful than this new one. But then, the rationale behind this change perhaps stems from the fact that the first trailer and Raj’s promotional interviews gave audiences the impression that Toby was going to be a hardcore massy, commercial film. While the film had a few action blocks, at its core, Toby was an emotionally charged tale of a father and daughter, leading into a revenge saga. The general perception of audiences after the release of the Kannada original was disappointment at being misled, but they were appreciative of the superlative performances on display.

Read our review: Toby movie review: Raj B Shetty presents a heart-achingly beautiful and tragic tale

Toby, which Raj wrote based on a short story by filmmaker TK Dayanand, was directed by the actor-filmmaker’s long-time associate Basil Alcha lakkal. The film’s principal cast included Chaithra J Achar, Gopalkrishna Deshpande, Raj Deepak Shetty, Samyukta Hornad, Bharath GB and Yogi Bankeshwar, among others. The film’s music is by Midhun Mukundan, who Malayali audiences may know for films like Rorschach, Poovan and the recent Ramachandra Boss and Co. Cinematography is by Pravin Shriyan. Toby will be out in theatres on September 22.

Read: Exclusive! Midhun Mukundan: The music of Toby is situational and important to take the narrative ahead