Sesham Mikeil Fathima () is an upcoming Indian Malayalam-language comedy-drama film written and directed by Manu C. Kumar in his directorial debut. The film stars Kalyani Priyadarshan in the title role. The film is about a young Malabar-based Muslim woman who desires to become a football commentator.
The film was officially announced in September 2022. Principal photography began in the same month and wrapped up in November 2022. The music was composed by Hesham Abdul Wahab. The cinematography and editing were handled by Santhana Krishnan Ravichandran and Kiran Das.
Sesham Mikeil Fathima is scheduled to be released on 17 November 2023.
Cast
Production
Development
The film marks the directorial debut of Manu C. Kumar, who was a former journalist. Sudhan Sundaram and Jagadish Palanisamy jointly produced the film under the banners of Passion Studios and The Route. Santhana Krishnan Ravichandran and Kiran Das were recruited as the cinematographer and editor, respectively.
Casting
After Thallumaala (2022), Kalyani Priyadarshan signed to play the lead role in the film as a football commentator based in Malappuram. The film also marks her second appearance as a Malabar-based character after Thallumaala. She also trained in Malappuram slang and dubbed herself in the film. Shaheen Siddique will reportedly appear in an extended cameo role.
Filming
The film was officially announced by the makers on 11 September 2022 with a customary puja ceremony. Principal photography began on 14 September 2022. The first schedule was completed on 5 October 2022. Malappuram was set as the film's main location. The filming wrapped up on 2 November 2022.
As part of the promotions, Kalyani Priyadarshan made a football commentary during a match between Kerala Blasters FC and Odisha FC at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium on 28 October 2023.
Music
The music and background score were composed by Hesham Abdul Wahab. The first single "Tatta Tattara" was released on 27 May 2023. It is the first Malayalam song sung by Anirudh Ravichander, with lyrics written by Suhail Koya in Malappuram dialect.
Release
The film was originally scheduled to be released on 3 November 2023. It was later postponed, and on 30 October 2023, a new release date was announced by the makers. The film is set to be released in theatres on 17 November 2023. The worldwide theatrical distribution rights were acquired by Sree Gokulam Movies of Gokulam Gopalan, and Dream Big Films will distribute the film in Kerala. The post-theatrical digital distribution rights were sold to Netflix. It was also reported that the makers initially planned the film as a direct OTT release instead of a theatrical release.