Mumbai-based production house Junglee Pictures, known for backing critically acclaimed films such as Badhaai Ho, Talvar and Raazi, is making their Malayalam debut with Ronth ('Night Patrol'), directed by Shahi Kabir, the national award-winning screenwriter behind Nayattu and Joseph.
The film, led by Dileesh Pothan and Roshan Mathew, marks Kabir's second directorial after Ela Veezha Poonchira. Kabir also wrote the script.
According to a report in Variety, Ronth revolves around "two cops whose night patrol shift becomes a pressure cooker of professional challenges and personal conflicts."
Additional cast members include Sudhi Koppa, Arun Cherukavil, Lakshmi Menon, Krisha Kurup and Nandanunni.
Junglee Pictures' Vineet Jain is co-producing the film with Malayalam filmmaker Rathish Ambat (Kammara Sambavam, Theerpu), Renith EVM and Jojo Jose.
A policeman-cum-screenwriter, Shahi Kabir made his mark in Malayalam cinema with his hard-hitting subjects centred mostly on police officers with traumatic pasts. Kabir's latest writing effort Officer on Duty is currently running in theatres. It was released on Friday.
Manesh Madhavan, who worked with Kabir on Ela Veezha Poonchira and Joseph, is the director of photography, with Praveen Mangalath handling editing and Anil Johnson, the music.
Roshan Mathew's last Malayalam film was Paradise, directed by Prasanna Vithanage. He recently appeared in the Hindi film Ulajh alongside Janhvi Kapoor and Gulshan Devaiah.
Meanwhile, Dileesh Pothan, who is also a trailblazing filmmaker known for Maheshinte Prathikaram, Thondimuthalum Driksakshiyum, and Joji, was last seen in the Malayalam thriller Rifle Club, co-starring Anurag Kashyap.
Interestingly, the latter is producing an upcoming Kannada film titled Tiger's Pond with Pothan as one of the leads. It is directed by Natesh Hegde, one of the cast members of Rifle Club.