Malayalam cinema’s legendary Mohanlal is set to portray Prithviraj Sukumaran’s grandfather, Mambarakkal Ahmed Ali, in the upcoming action thriller ‘Khalifa – The Bloodline’. The film, split into two parts, promises a violent narrative exploring the Mambarakkal family’s underworld dominance. The first installment, ‘The Intro’, will delve into the character’s bloody history, with a sequel focusing on his reign.
The makers of the upcoming Malayalam action thriller ‘Khalifa – The Bloodline’ have officially confirmed that Mohanlal will play Prithviraj Sukumaran’s grandfather in the film. The announcement came through a striking poster that does not reveal the Malayalam superstar’s look but confirms his role as Mambarakkal Ahmed Ali.Mohanlal and Prithviraj unveiled the reveal on Instagram with the caption, “Mambarakkal Ahmed Ali! Meet the legend in Part 1. Know his bloody history in Part 2. Khalifa Part 1 – In cinemas Onam 2026. Vengeance will be written in GOLD… But before GOLD… There was BLOOD.” The poster highlights the film’s two-phased narrative structure—Part 1: The Intro and Part 2: His Reign.
Poster symbolism
Mohanlal’s appearance remains hidden for now. The newly unveiled poster glimpse video offers important clues.A bloodstained hand holding a cigar lies beside stacked gold biscuits and a revolver is seen in the poster. The tagline “Before gold… there was blood” sets a violent and intense tone. It hints that the first part will showcase introduction of the Mambarakkal family empire. Mohanlal’s character will be central to Khalifa: Part 1 – The Intro, marking the first chapter of his blood-soaked history and his dominance within the underworld.
Teaser recap — Smuggling network, hunted bloodline
Earlier, the makers unveiled the teaser, which showed police and customs agencies tracking gold smuggling networks across Kerala, Nepal, the Middle East, and London. Indrans, playing Hamsa, is seen warning authorities that Aamir Ali (played by Prithviraj) will be assassinated if he steps into India due to the COFEPOSA Act. Hamsa then recounts the terrifying legacy of both Aamir and his grandfather Mambarakkal Ahmed Ali. The teaser then cut to several magnificent action set pieces that reminisce the look of Prithviraj’s underrated film ‘Ranam’.On the other hand, Prithviraj and Mohanlal’s last team up was for the movie ‘L2: Empuraan’.
