Mamangam teaser: Mammootty makes a brief appearance in period drama; film to release on 21 November

The Hindi teaser of Mammootty’s upcoming historical drama, _Mamangam,_ was recently unveiled. Set in Kerala, the film tells the tale of Kalaripayattu, one of the oldest forms of martial arts in the world. Mamangam is a festival that took place every 12 years during the 17th century on the banks of Bharatapuzha, Thirunavaya in Malabar area of Kerala. The teaser showcases warriors, even a 12-year-old, readying for battle. A voiceover can be heard saying it is better to fight till the last breath rather than flee with one’s tail between one’s legs. Mammootty only makes a brief appearance as an unnamed, mysterious character. According to The New Indian Express, his character will be seen in three different get-ups across two time periods. [caption id=“attachment_7450231” align=“alignnone” width=“825”] Mammootty in a still from Mamangam. YouTube[/caption] For 280 years, fierce battles were waged by men against their mighty king during the Mamangam festival. The film will present two stories — one of a celebrated hero, and the other of an unknown champion. “Mamangam is a content-driven period drama. When the script came to me I was impressed with layers in my characterisation, something I have not done before. It is a beautiful script-oriented period drama, where I play this mysterious character, who sports various looks, and is multi-dimensional. The new generation should know about some of Kerala’s unsung heroes,” Mammootty has previously told Firstpost . Shankar Ramakrishnan has adapted the original screenplay and dialogues from Malayalam. The action sequences have been choreographed by Sham Kaushal. National Award winner M Jayachandran has composed the music, while Rafeeq Ahmed and Ajay Gopal have written the lyrics. Manoj Pillai is the cinematographer. Besides Mammootty, the film, directed by M Padmakumar, also stars Achutan, Sudev Nair, Siddique, Unni Mukundan, Sureshkrishna, and Manikkuttan. Venu Kunnappilly of Kavya Films has bankrolled this mega-budget project. Mamangam will make its way to cinemas on 21 November in Malayalam, Hindi, Tamil, and Telugu. Watch the teaser here.