Khalifa is a 2026 Indian Malayalam-language action thriller film directed by Vysakh and written by Jinu V. Abraham, who also co-produced the film along with Suraj Kumar. Intended as the first installment of a two-part series, it stars Prithviraj Sukumaran in title role alongside Neil Nitin Mukesh (in his Malayalam debut), Malvika Sharma, Shammi Thilakan and Indrans in supporting roles, alongside Mohanlal, Tovino Thomas and Soubin Shahir in cameo appearances.
Principal photography began in July 2025 and concluded by June 2026. Filming took place across Kerala, London, Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Nepal. The film's cinematography, editing, music, action and choreography are done by Jomon T. John, Chaman Chacko, Jakes Bejoy, Yannick Ben, Chethan D'Souza and Sandy respectively.
Khalifa was theatrically released on 20 August 2026, coinciding with Onam weekend. It received mixed to positive reviews from critics and audiences, with some criticizing its conventional gangster narrative reminiscent of films from the 1980s and 1990s, while Prithviraj's performance and action choreography received praise.
Plot Mambarakal Aamir Ali is a carefree youth in Koduvally, Kozhikode who runs a textile shop and lives with his father, Mambarakal Younus Ali, and mother, Noorjahan. Aamir eventually falls in love with and marries Fiza. Circumstances lead Aamir to join the smuggling racket and become a gold smuggler like his grandfather, Mambarakal Ahmed Ali alias Baba. His actions not only transform his life but also put his family in danger. He becomes a syndicate-level gold smuggler who values his smugglers and avenges his father's death.
Cast
Production Development The film along with the title was officially announced in October 2022. However, the shooting was delayed due to Prithviraj's prior commitments to Vilayath Buddha and L2: Empuraan alongside Vysakh's other directorial venture Turbo. The project marked the reunion of Prithviraj and director Vysakh after 15 years, with their last collaboration being Vysakh's debut film Pokkiri Raja (2010). The film was officially launched in July 2025. In December 2025, it was confirmed that Mohanlal would make a cameo appearance. It was also revealed that the film is intended to be the first of a two-part film series, with the second part set to focus on Mohanlal's character, Mambarakkal Ahmed Ali, in a full-fledged role. Neil Nitin Mukesh made his Malayalam debut with the film.
Filming Principal photography began in July 2025. The first schedule was filmed in London and was completed by August. The film was also shot in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Nepal. On 13 January 2026, Mohanlal completed his portion of the shoot in Kochi. The filming was wrapped on 22 June 2026. Dubbing was completed by the end of July 2026.
Soundtrack
The film's songs and background score were composed by Jakes Bejoy, thus marking his tenth collaboration with Prithviraj. The first single, "Asalayavale" sung by Sid Sriram and Mohammed Maqbool Mansoor, was released on 20 July 2026. The full album was released on 12 August 2026.
Release Theatrical Khalifa was released worldwide on 20 August 2026 in Malayalam original alongside Tamil, Telugu and Hindi languages, coinciding with Onam weekend and clashing with the Malayalam film Bethlehem Kudumba Unit.
Home media The Streaming rights of this movie were acquired by many platforms including Lionsgate Play, Amazon Prime Video, ManoramaMAX, Simply South, StarzPlay (outside MENA region) and Aha and it is released on 9 October 2026.
Reception Box office The film grossed ₹5.35 crore in India on its opening day and ₹13.2 crore worldwide. Malayalam-speaking regions were the main source of revenue for this film; the Tamil and Telugu versions sold poorly. On its fourth day of release, the film grossed approximately ₹27.68 crore worldwide. The film's box office dropped sharply on its opening day, but remained relatively stable over the weekend, with Sunday's box office almost matching Saturday's.
When the film reached its tenth day of release, its global box office was ₹40 crore. The film grossed ₹50 crore worldwide in its third weekend of release.
Critical response Khalifa received mixed to positive reviews from critics.
Anandu Suresh for The Indian Express rated the film 2/5, describing the film as a surface-level drama with shallow writing, although he praised the film's stunts and visuals.
S. R. Praveen for The Hindu called the film a shoddily written old-school smuggling drama which lacks the "intended emotional pull or the expected thrills".
Gayathri Kallukaran for the Eastern Eye praised the film's visuals, action choreography and background score, but described the film as "a predicable saga" which struggled to deliver a sense of surprise.
Sequel The second and final installment of the two-part series was announced as Khalifa: The Legacy, starring Mohanlal in the lead role alongside Prithviraj, Soubin Shahir and Tovino Thomas, who are all reprising their roles from the first installment. However, due to the lower-than-expected box office performance of Khalifa: The Ruler, the chances of a sequel are slim.
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