'Khalifa: The Bloodline': Prithviraj Sukumaran's Crime Thriller Locks August Release

Prithviraj Sukumaran, along with other cast and crew members of Khalifa: The Bloodline, confirmed the release of their big-budget mass movie on Monday. The film, which is set predominantly in Dubai against the backdrop of gold smuggling, will release on August 20.

The announcement was made along with a new poster of the film featuring Prithviraj walking with an entourage on what appears to be a helipad. The backdrop shows several iconic images of the Dubai skyline, and interestingly, the superstar can be seen sporting a pendant in the shape of the African continent. It also adds to the gold smuggling plot of the film, which is written by Jinu Abraham. Vysakh has directed the film and the tagline of the film reads, ‘Vengeance Will Be Written In Gold.’ 

Khalifa is the first of three high-profile films to release for this Onam season. Nivin Pauly’s Bethlehem Kudumba Unit will release on August 21 and Dulquer Salman’s I’m Game shares the August 20 release date with Khalifa. 

The film marks another collaboration between Vysakh and Prithviraj after Pokkiri Raja (2010). The film is written and produced under his Jiinu Abraham Innovation banner, continuing a partnership that includes Kaapa, Adam Joan, and Kaduva.

Prithiviraj’s most recent release was I, Nobody, which opened to mixed reviews. The star will also be seen in SS Rajamouli’s upcoming epic Varanasi.

In an interview with the THR India, he  shared his admiration for how the director's passion shows through in his work ethic on set, noting, "I have not worked with a harder-working filmmaker." Recalling a typical day on the film’s set, he explained how Rajamouli consistently arrives on set well before the first shot is scheduled. "For the first shot at 7 am, by the time Mahesh [Babu], Priyanka [Chopra Jonas] and I reach there, he would have set up the Jimmy Jib (camera crane), done 12 rehearsals with his assistants, corrected everything, and be waiting for the actors."

When Prithviraj asked him what time he had arrived, Rajamouli told him he got there at 5:15 am! "I asked him if he wanted me to come earlier, but he asked me to stick to the schedule." Rajamouli is also the last one to leave the set every day, the actor observed. Lunch breaks on the set of Varanasi, Prithviraj noted with a laugh, are just about 20 minutes.