Malayalam vampire action thriller Half, directed by Samjad and written with Praveen Viswanath, will have its world premiere in TIFF 2026’s Midnight Madness section. Starring Ranjith Sajeev, Aiswarya Raj, Abbas and Amala Paul, the film follows two half-blooded vampires on a revenge-fuelled quest. Excel Entertainment and AA Films will present the Hindi version across North India.
Half, a Malayalam vampire action thriller directed by Samjad, has been selected for the Midnight Madness section at the Toronto International Film Festival 2026, where it will have its world premiere this September. Excel Entertainment and AA Films have come on board to present and distribute the film in Hindi across North India, marking Excel Entertainment's first collaboration with a Malayalam production.
Directed by Samjad and written by Praveen Viswanath and Samjad, the film is produced by Anne Sajeev and Sajeev P.K. Starring Ranjith Sajeev, Aiswarya Raj, Abbas and Amala Paul in pivotal roles, the action-revenge film is a vampire mythology story about two half-blooded vampires seeking blood.
Discussing the film's festival selection, director and co-writer Samjad shared,"It’s an absolute honor to be selected for TIFF, and I’m deeply proud to represent Indian cinema on a global stage with Fragrant Nature Film Creations and my producers Anne Sajeev and Sajeev P K, who built this project alongside me. We are really happy to give audiences this experience on the big screen together with Excel Entertainment who is presenting the film for us in India.”
Producer Anne Sajeev opened up about the hope behind the film and what it was like to see it grow. “Every film begins with a dream, but only a few are fortunate enough to find an audience beyond where they were born. From the moment we believed in Half, we knew we were backing a bold new world — one that felt fresh, unexpected and full of possibilities. Seeing it evolve into a film now premiering on the world stage at TIFF is both deeply rewarding and humbling. I am especially happy to see our director, Samjad, make his debut on the global stage through this film."
Speaking about the joining the project, Excel Entertainment co-founders Farhan Akhtar and Ritesh Sidhwani both cited the film's raw intensity and its willingness to take creative risks as reasons for coming on board, with Ritesh Sidhwani explaining, "I've always been excited by films that dare to be different, and Half stood out from the very first viewing. It has a unique cinematic voice & a strong creative vision. I'm delighted to support its theatrical journey and look forward to audiences discovering this remarkable film on the big screen.”
Co-Founder of Excel Entertainment Farhan Akhtar, said, “There’s something raw and visceral in Samjad’s presentation that really got my attention. It grabs you by the intestines and just doesn’t let go. Absolutely thrilled to be on board and take this film to the audience.”
Half is the second collaboration between Fragrant Nature Film Creations, Samjad and Praveen Viswanath, following Golam (2024), a Malayalam whodunnit mystery starring Ranjith Sajeev and Dileesh Pothan. Fragrant Nature Film Creations, which made its debut with the Mohanlal-led Pranayam, has in recent years also expanded into acquiring international films for Indian theatrical release, including the 2026 Sundance winner Josephine and Oscar-nominated Little Amélie or the Character of Rain.
Half is being planned for release in Malayalam, Tamil, Telugu, Hindi and Kannada. Domestic and international theatrical release dates are yet to be announced.