Madhu to be first Marakkar, Priyadarshan seeking for big names for Kunjali Marakkar

Veteran actor Madhu has been drafted to play the first Marakkar in Priyadarshan’s upcoming big-budget epic ‘Kunjali Marakkar: Arabikadallinte Simham’ which will have Mohanlal playing the lead role.

Madhu’s character will be Kuttyali Marakkar, the first from the Marakkar lineage. According to history, there were four navy commanders from the Marakkar lineage, of which Priyadarshan’s movie will focus on the last one- Kunjali Marakkar, played by Mohanlal. According to rumors, the casting for second and third Marakkar is going on vigorously, and top actors from Hollywood and Tollywood have been approached by the director for the roles.

Kunjali Marakkar, according to history was a highly trained navy commando who organised impeccable fleet formations to defend Portuguese invasion through sea.

Meanwhile, another movie based on the story of Kunjali Marakkar is being made simultaneously in Malayalam by Santhosh Sivan which will have Mammootty in the lead.

A movie named ‘Kunjali Marakkar’ was made in Malayalam in the year 1967 in which Kottarakkar Sreedharan Nair played the role of Kunjali Marakkar, while Prem Nazir played an important character.