THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: “Forests must be protected, and wildlife must be conserved. But above all that, there lies a greater responsibility, and that is the protection of human lives… I used to believe wild animals possessed the ultimate cruelty. I was wrong… It is these people we actually need to fear.” These thought-provoking dialogue snippets from the newly released trailer of director M.A. Nishad’s upcoming film ‘Lurk’ have sparked heavy discussions across digital spaces, indicating that the forest ecosystem, wildlife, and human survival are central to the core plot.
For the past several months, the escalating crisis of wild animal attacks has stood out as one of the most burning social issues in Kerala. Unprecedented wildlife incursions have led to multiple human casualties, triggering widespread public anger and massive protests at the grassroots level. Despite administrative bodies stepping in with stringent mitigation measures, these tragic conflicts continue to repeat. The movie aims to reflect upon this harsh reality, analyzing the societal imbalance where animal lives often get weighed heavily over humans, while addressing how certain groups exploit these situations as a shield for personal gain.
Scheduled to hit theaters on July 24, 2026, the official trailer has been released as a major part of the film’s promotional campaign. Highlighting its major trade appeal, the trailer was officially launched and presented to the public by Mammootty Kampany, the acclaimed production house spearheaded by Malayalam megastar Mammootty.
The struggle against wild beasts is as old as the history of human evolution. Explored through a contemporary cinematic lens, ‘Lurk’ aims to answer why this primitive survival struggle remains aggressively active even in the 21st century. The emotional narrative mapping the friction between human settlers and wild animals is bankrolled by R. Harikumar under the stable banner of Kerala Talkies.
The film features a massive star-studded line-up of acting talents including Saiju Kurup, Aju Varghese, Prasant Alexander, T.G. Ravi, Anumol, Manju Pillai, Saritha Kukku, Jaffer Idukki, Sudheer Karamana, Prasanth Murali, Biju Sopanam, Sohan Seenulal, Saji Soman, Vijay Menon, Kumar Sunil, Vinod Kedamangalam, Reju Shivadas, Biju Kasim, Firoz Abdullah, Sminu Sijo, Muthumani, Bindu Pradeep, Ramya Panicker, Neetha Manoj, and Sheeja Vakkappadi. Notably, director M.A. Nishad himself steps in front of the camera to play a highly critical character role. The theatrical distribution of the movie will be steered by Maan Media.
The multi-disciplinary behind-the-scenes technical team includes: Story & Direction: M.A. Nishad; Screenplay & Dialogues: Jubin Jacob; Cinematography: Rajeesh Raman; Film Editing: Vipin Mannoor; Makeup Art: Saji Kattakkada; Costume Design: Irshad Cherukunnu; Art Direction: Tyagu Thavanoor; Background Score: Prakash Alex; Sound Recording: Jubin Raj; Sound Mixing: Ganesh Marar.
ലഘു വിവരണം
എം.എ. നിഷാദ് രചനയും സംവിധാനവും നിർവ്വഹിക്കുന്ന ‘ലർക്ക്’ എന്ന ചിത്രത്തിന്റെ ഔദ്യോഗിക ട്രെയിലർ മമ്മൂട്ടി കമ്പനി പുറത്തുവിട്ടു. കേരളത്തിൽ നിരന്തരം ചർച്ചയാകുന്ന വന്യജീവി ആക്രമണങ്ങളും മനുഷ്യരുടെ നിലനിൽപ്പും പ്രമേയമാകുന്ന ഈ ചിത്രം ജൂലൈ 24-ന് തിയേറ്ററുകളിൽ എത്തും. കേരളാ ടാക്കീസിന്റെ ബാനറിൽ ആർ. ഹരികുമാർ നിർമ്മിക്കുന്ന ചിത്രത്തിൽ സൈജു കുറുപ്പ്, അജു വർഗീസ്, പ്രശാന്ത് അലക്സാണ്ടർ, അനുമോൾ തുടങ്ങി വലിയൊരു താരനിര അണിനിരക്കുന്നുണ്ട്. മാൻ മീഡിയയാണ് ചിത്രം വിതരണത്തിന് എത്തിക്കുന്നത്.
(With inputs from Vazhoor Jose)
For more details: Navamalayalam.com