Premalu 2 shelved? Naslen breaks silence on sequel to 2024 Malayalam hit: ‘Script did not achieve required perfection’

The original film, made on a ₹3 crore budget, grossed ₹136 crore, establishing it as one of the most successful Malayalam films of 2024.

The much-awaited sequel to the Malayalam hit Premalu has been put on hold, leaving fans disappointed. Actor Naslen K. Gafoor confirmed that Premalu 2 has been shelved for now as the makers were not fully satisfied with the script. The team decided to pause the project instead of moving ahead with a version that didn’t meet their expectations. While audiences were eager to see Sachin and Reenu return on screen, the makers have chosen to wait until they are confident about the story before proceeding.

Naslen and Mamitha Baiju in Premalu released in 2024. (Instagram)

Script concerns lead to delay in sequel

Speaking to Club FM, Naslen cleared up the rumours and confirmed that the sequel is on hold because the script just wasn't ready. “Premalu 2 has officially been cancelled,” Naslen said. “Dileesh ettan (brother) has already spoken about it. Due to certain technical reasons, the project did not reach a perfect landing. Maybe it could happen in the future. But as of now, it has been cancelled. The project was stopped because the script did not achieve the required perfection.”

The impact of Premalu and its success story

The original 2024 hit Premalu was backed by Bhavana Studios alongside the powerhouse creative trio of Fahadh Faasil, Dileesh Pothan, and Syam Pushkaran.

The romantic comedy followed Sachin (Naslen) and Reenu (Mamitha Baiju) as they navigated the ups and downs of love, friendship, and new careers after moving to Hyderabad. The film also starred Sangeeth Prathap as the loyal Amal Davis, Shyam Mohan as the hilariously insecure Aadhi, and Mathew Thomas as Thomas.

Premalu 2 was officially announced in 2024

The sequel was first announced in 2024 on Bhavana Studios' official Instagram page. The team shared new posters hinting that the story would leave Hyderabad behind, writing, “The Biggest RomCom blockbuster ever in Malayalam Cinema will be back in 2025! Let’s Premalu 2.”

The post also confirmed that actor Fahadh Faasil would return as a producer. Additionally, SS Rajamouli's son, Karthikeya, who handled the movie's successful Telugu release, announced he would back the sequel as well. Sharing his excitement, he stated that Premalu was a beautiful chapter in his life and thanked the Telugu audience and Bhavana Studios for their support, adding that he was excited and humbled to present Premalu 2 in Telugu with even more love.

Why the sequel was expected to be big

Expectations for the sequel were incredibly high because the original film was a massive financial success. Made on a modest budget of just ₹3 crore, the movie started small but quickly exploded in popularity thanks to great word-of-mouth. It ended up grossing around ₹136 crore at the box office, making it one of the most successful Malayalam films of 2024.