# Mollywood Times
**Mollywood Times** (മോളിവുഡ് ടൈംസ്) is a 2026 Indian Malayalam-language dark comedy-drama film directed by Abhinav Sunder Nayak and written by Ramu Sunil, starring Naslen as Vineeth Madhavan, a teenager from Kuttikkanam who aspires to direct films[1](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt29959401/) • [2](https://in.bookmyshow.com/movies/puna/mollywood-times/ET00490973). It was released in Indian cinemas on 5 June 2026, after an earliest release in the [United Arab Emirates](https://www.edgepedia.org/united-arab-emirates) on 4 June, and streamed on JioHotstar from 3 July 2026[3](https://www.boxofficemojo.com/title/tt29959401/) • [4](https://www.filmibeat.com/malayalam/movies/mollywood-times/cast-crew.html). The film is a self-described "hate letter to cinema": rather than romanticizing the film industry, it follows its protagonist's obsessive ambition through a cynical, satirical portrait of Malayalam show business[5](https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/movie-review/mollywood-times-movie-review-naslens-hate-letter-to-cinema-is-a-misfired-masterpiece-10724770/).
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Director / writer | Abhinav Sunder Nayak (director and co-writer); Ramu Sunil (writer, screenplay, dialogue)[1](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt29959401/) • [2](https://in.bookmyshow.com/movies/puna/mollywood-times/ET00490973) |
| Lead cast | Naslen as Vineeth Madhavan; Sharafudheen, Sangeeth Prathap, Roshan Shanavas, Althaf Salim, Jagadish, Vineeth Sreenivasan, Basil Joseph, and Gopika Ramesh in supporting roles[1](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt29959401/) • [6](https://www.hoyts.com.au/movies/mollywood-times) |
| Release | 5 June 2026 (India); 4 June 2026 (United Arab Emirates); JioHotstar streaming from 3 July 2026[3](https://www.boxofficemojo.com/title/tt29959401/) • [4](https://www.filmibeat.com/malayalam/movies/mollywood-times/cast-crew.html) |
| Genre and certificate | Comedy, drama; certified UA16+ in India[7](https://www.district.in/movies/mollywood-times-movie-tickets-in-kalakad-MV213261) |
| Production | Ashiq Usman, under Ashiq Usman Productions[4](https://www.filmibeat.com/malayalam/movies/mollywood-times/cast-crew.html) |
| Technical crew | Music by Jakes Bejoy; cinematography by Viswajith Odukkathil; editing by Nidhin Raj Arol[2](https://in.bookmyshow.com/movies/puna/mollywood-times/ET00490973) |
| Reported gross | $439,657 worldwide per Box Office Mojo, all from international markets[3](https://www.boxofficemojo.com/title/tt29959401/) |
## Spoilers
### Plot and premise
The film follows Vineeth Madhavan, a teenager from Kuttikkanam in Kerala who dreams of becoming a film director[2](https://in.bookmyshow.com/movies/puna/mollywood-times/ET00490973). IMDb's synopsis describes a young aspiring filmmaker who dreams of becoming [Malayalam cinema](https://www.edgepedia.org/malayalam-cinema)'s greatest horror director, determined to "save" the industry despite his father's warnings about the limitations of their film world[1](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt29959401/). Vineeth is an ardent fan of filmmakers including [M. Night Shyamalan](https://www.edgepedia.org/m-night-shyamalan), Ram Gopal Varma, and Vinayan, and insists that his first film must be remembered forever[5](https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/movie-review/mollywood-times-movie-review-naslens-hate-letter-to-cinema-is-a-misfired-masterpiece-10724770/).
The film's promotional material and reviews frame it as an antithesis to the many "love letters to cinema" made since the beginning of film history; its tagline calls it "a hate letter to cinema"[2](https://in.bookmyshow.com/movies/puna/mollywood-times/ET00490973) • [5](https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/movie-review/mollywood-times-movie-review-naslens-hate-letter-to-cinema-is-a-misfired-masterpiece-10724770/). [The Indian Express](https://www.edgepedia.org/the-indian-express) review notes that the film exposes industry malpractices, including big-shot producers purposefully making flops solely to evade taxes, and has a producer declare, "This isn't anyone's life; it's just show business"[5](https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/movie-review/mollywood-times-movie-review-naslens-hate-letter-to-cinema-is-a-misfired-masterpiece-10724770/).
## Production and crew
The film was produced by Ashiq Usman under the Ashiq Usman Productions banner[4](https://www.filmibeat.com/malayalam/movies/mollywood-times/cast-crew.html). Jakes Bejoy composed the music, Viswajith Odukkathil handled cinematography, and Nidhin Raj Arol was the editor[2](https://in.bookmyshow.com/movies/puna/mollywood-times/ET00490973). According to Novo Cinemas, the film wrapped an 80-day shooting schedule in late 2025[8](https://uae.novocinemas.com/movies/11258/MOLLYWOOD-TIMES-MALAYALAM).
It was Abhinav Sunder Nayak's second film as director, after his 2022 debut *Mukundan Unni Associates*, a dark comedy about an unscrupulous lawyer that established him as a talent to watch in Malayalam cinema[9](https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/malayalam/movie-details/mollywood-times/movieshow/129091380.cms). Reviewers noted the continuity: both films center on obsessive, uncompromising protagonists[10](https://www.livemint.com/mint-lounge/art-and-culture/mollywood-times-review-malayalam-film-naslen-abhinav-sunder-nayak-11780767753009.html).
## Release and streaming
The film released in India on 5 June 2026 with a UA16+ certificate[7](https://www.district.in/movies/mollywood-times-movie-tickets-in-kalakad-MV213261). It reached streaming on JioHotstar on 3 July 2026[4](https://www.filmibeat.com/malayalam/movies/mollywood-times/cast-crew.html). It was dubbed into Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, and Kannada[11](https://www.gadgets360.com/entertainment/mollywood-times-movie-136521).
## Box office and reception
[Box Office Mojo](https://www.edgepedia.org/box-office-mojo) records a worldwide gross of $439,657, entirely from international markets, with the United Arab Emirates contributing $333,604 and the United Kingdom $73,807; it lists no domestic (Indian) gross[3](https://www.boxofficemojo.com/title/tt29959401/). On IMDb the film held a 7.2/10 rating from about 5,400 votes[1](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt29959401/), while [BookMyShow](https://www.edgepedia.org/bookmyshow) showed 8.1/10 from more than 15,900 votes[2](https://in.bookmyshow.com/movies/puna/mollywood-times/ET00490973).
**Critical response was divided.** The Indian Express rated it 2.5 out of 5, calling it a "misfired masterpiece" whose core ideas were spellbinding but whose 2.48-hour length felt excessive and whose focus on being one-of-a-kind cost the film its soul[5](https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/movie-review/mollywood-times-movie-review-naslens-hate-letter-to-cinema-is-a-misfired-masterpiece-10724770/). The Times of India gave 3.0 out of 5, finding the ideas compelling but the second half muddled[9](https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/malayalam/movie-details/mollywood-times/movieshow/129091380.cms). Onmanorama praised Naslen's committed performance as the film's biggest strength while judging that its most powerful moments stayed out of reach[12](https://www.onmanorama.com/entertainment/movie-reviews/2026/06/05/mollywood-times-movie-review-naslen-abhinav-sunder-nayak-sangeeth-pradeep.html). [The Week](https://www.edgepedia.org/the-week) called it a cynical and entertaining exposé of the Malayalam film industry that distinguishes itself from more optimistic stories about aspiring filmmakers[13](https://www.theweek.in/review/movies/2026/06/05/mollywood-times-review.html). Nowrunning summarized the response as sharply divided, with reviewers appreciating the ambitious critique of the industry while criticizing the execution[14](https://www.nowrunning.com/movie/31773/mollywood-times/).
Reviewers repeatedly compared the film to earlier Malayalam films about filmmaking, particularly *Udayananu Tharam* (2005), whose characters were driven by love of cinema, and placed *Mollywood Times* in the lineage of [K. G. George](https://www.edgepedia.org/k-g-george)'s *Lekhayude Maranam Oru Flashback* (1983) for its refusal to separate the art from the industry's rot[5](https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/movie-review/mollywood-times-movie-review-naslens-hate-letter-to-cinema-is-a-misfired-masterpiece-10724770/) • [12](https://www.onmanorama.com/entertainment/movie-reviews/2026/06/05/mollywood-times-movie-review-naslen-abhinav-sunder-nayak-sangeeth-pradeep.html).
## Runtime discrepancy
Sources disagree on the film's running time. BookMyShow, Cinépolis India, and The Times of India list 2 hours 48 minutes[2](https://in.bookmyshow.com/movies/puna/mollywood-times/ET00490973) • [15](https://cinepolisindia.com/movie-details/mollywood-times-HO00002000?cid=13) • [9](https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/malayalam/movie-details/mollywood-times/movieshow/129091380.cms); HOYTS Australia lists 176 minutes[6](https://www.hoyts.com.au/movies/mollywood-times); FilmiBeat lists 168 minutes[4](https://www.filmibeat.com/malayalam/movies/mollywood-times/cast-crew.html); and Box Office Mojo and IMDb list 2 hours 30 minutes[3](https://www.boxofficemojo.com/title/tt29959401/) • [1](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt29959401/). No single figure is confirmed across sources.
## References
1. [Mollywood Times (2026), IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt29959401/)
2. [Mollywood Times (2026), BookMyShow](https://in.bookmyshow.com/movies/puna/mollywood-times/ET00490973)
3. [Mollywood Times (2026), Box Office Mojo](https://www.boxofficemojo.com/title/tt29959401/)
4. [Mollywood Times Cast & Crew, FilmiBeat](https://www.filmibeat.com/malayalam/movies/mollywood-times/cast-crew.html)
5. [Mollywood Times movie review: Naslen's 'hate letter to cinema' is a misfired masterpiece, The Indian Express](https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/movie-review/mollywood-times-movie-review-naslens-hate-letter-to-cinema-is-a-misfired-masterpiece-10724770/)
6. [Mollywood Times (Malayalam, Eng Sub), HOYTS Cinemas](https://www.hoyts.com.au/movies/mollywood-times)
7. [Mollywood Times (2026), District](https://www.district.in/movies/mollywood-times-movie-tickets-in-kalakad-MV213261)
8. [Mollywood Times (Malayalam), Novo Cinemas](https://uae.novocinemas.com/movies/11258/MOLLYWOOD-TIMES-MALAYALAM)
9. [Mollywood Times, eTimes, The Times of India](https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/malayalam/movie-details/mollywood-times/movieshow/129091380.cms)
10. ['Mollywood Times' review: A cynical insider's view of the world of cinema, Mint Lounge](https://www.livemint.com/mint-lounge/art-and-culture/mollywood-times-review-malayalam-film-naslen-abhinav-sunder-nayak-11780767753009.html)
11. [Mollywood Times Movie (2026), Gadgets 360](https://www.gadgets360.com/entertainment/mollywood-times-movie-136521)
12. ['Mollywood Times': An ambitious movie on cinema that struggles to land its punch, Onmanorama](https://www.onmanorama.com/entertainment/movie-reviews/2026/06/05/mollywood-times-movie-review-naslen-abhinav-sunder-nayak-sangeeth-pradeep.html)
13. ['Mollywood Times' review, The Week](https://www.theweek.in/review/movies/2026/06/05/mollywood-times-review.html)
14. [Mollywood Times (2026), Nowrunning](https://www.nowrunning.com/movie/31773/mollywood-times/)
15. [MOLLYWOOD TIMES (MALAYALAM), Cinépolis India](https://cinepolisindia.com/movie-details/mollywood-times-HO00002000?cid=13)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Films and standalone screen works › Individual films by title and year › Indian films (individual works) › Malayalam films of the 2020s › Malayalam films of 2026*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 3, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 3, 2026; Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026; Nov 1, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license