Friday afternoon, netizens went all gaga as the exciting news broke. Coming back to big screen was their favourite hero avatar of Mammooty – Bilal, the character who delivered one of the most-quoted dialogues in Malayalam – Kochi pazhaya Kochi allennariyam, pakshe Bilal pazhaya Bilala (I know that Kochi is not the same old Kochi. But Bilal is the same old Bilal). The character from the 2007 action-thriller Big B, the directorial debut of cinematographer Amal Neerad, is considered a cult classic for its theme, treatment, dialogues and making style. Bilal John Kurishingal, Mammootty’s stylish character of a gangster who is protective of his brothers, had earned quite a huge fan following after the movie hit the screens. Ten years after Big B, Amal has, on Friday, announced a sequel to Big B. He has also released on social media a poster of the movie, titled Bilal, featuring Mammootty.
Asked about the announcement, Amal says, “The movie will start only next year. All I can say is that Mammootty will be part of it. Nothing has been decided on the rest of the cast. I’m currently working on the cinematography of Anwar Rasheed’s Trance. Everything about Bilal will begin after wrapping up this project. Nothing else can be disclosed at this moment.” Dulquer Salmaan has also taken to Facebook to announce his excitement over the project. “One of my all time greatest films. The definition of style in Malayalam cinema Big B, is coming back!! I cannot wait for Bilal to return! (sic)” Big B had a stellar cast including the likes of Nafisa Ali, Mamta Mohandas, Pashupathy and Manoj K. Jayan.
