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 Every year as late summer approaches, Malayalis across the United Kingdom transform local town halls, school auditoriums and living rooms into vibrant spaces of cultural homecoming.

Onam—a ten-day harvest festival rooted in Kerala legend—celebrates the annual return of the legendary King Mahabali. Back home in South India, the festival is defined by lush tropical landscapes, sprawling floral carpets (pookalam), and grand boat races (Vallam Kali). Thousands of miles away, across British cities from London to Birmingham, Leicester, and Glasgow, the UK’s Keralite diaspora proves that distance does not dilute tradition; it deepens it.

Farhan Akhtar has come on board to present the Malayalam vampire action thriller Half, directed by Samjad, reuniting the filmmaker with actor and writer Ranjith Sajeev following the success of their 2024 thriller Golam. The film will be presented under Excel Entertainment, with Ritesh Sidhwani, Excel Entertainment and AA Films handling its distribution across North India.

Half stars Ranjith Sajeev and Aiswarya Raj as two half blooded vampires. The cast also includes Amala Paul and Abbas in pivotal roles. Samjad has co written the screenplay with Praveen Viswanath, his collaborator on Golam, while the film is produced by Anne Sajeev and Sajeev P.K. under the banner of Fragrant Nature Film Creations.