Trailer for Malayalam film INSPECTOR DAWOOD IBRAHIM packs a punch!

IDI:  Inspector Dawood Ibrahim  is another debut film in Malayalam cinema, this time from first-time director Sajid Yahiya and writer Arouz Irfan -- both of whom have paid their dues in the industry, Yahiya as an actor (most notably in Bangalore Days and Double Barrel), Irfan as an assistant director (for films like Friday and Amen).

They were looking for an actor who hadn't really pitched his tent in the action category, and initially had cast Asif Ali -- but when he pulled out of the film, they approached Jayasurya to take on the role of a police inspector who perhaps is not quite as suited to that role as he should be -- the trailer certainly offers up some hints of this.

I have to confess:  when most people discover Malayalam cinema these days, they usually find themselves watching actors like Dulquer Salmaan, Nivin Pauly, or Fahadh Faasil -- all fine actors, all great places to start your introduction to this regional genre that has been undergoing something of an amazing renaissance in the last few years.  But I've been a Jayasurya fan every since I first saw him in a film (Classmates from 2006), and I've only grown to admire his acting more and more over the years.  Others have taken notice, too:  he recently won a Special Jury Mention at the 63rd National Film Awards for his performances in the films Lukka Chuppi and Su.. Su... Sudhi Vathmeekam.

IDI is a nice bit of word play on the Malayalam word "idi", meaning punch, and let's hope that the film delivers one.  The film releases in Kerala on August 12th, the same day as that other Jayasurya starring film, Pretham.

The IDI:  Inspector Dawood Ibrahim  trailer also gets bonus points for English subtitles!