Malayalam cinema is gearing up for a sentimental milestone as Jayaram and his son Kalidas Jayaram return to the big screen together in the upcoming family entertainer “Aashakal Aayiram” (A Thousand Hopes), releasing on February 6, 2026. This marks their first full-length collaboration in 22 years, since the award-winning Ente Veedu Appuvinteyum (2003), where Kalidas won the National Film Award for Best Child Artist. Directed by G. Prajith (of Oru Vadakkan Selfie fame) and creatively spearheaded by Jude Anthany Joseph, the film has already cleared the censors with a clean ‘U’ certificate, signaling a perfect outing for family audiences.
The film’s plot centers on the relatable yet humorous friction between a middle-class father, Hariharan (Jayaram), and his carefree son, Ajeesh (Kalidas), a self-proclaimed social media “Junior Prince” with lofty dreams of movie stardom. The trailer highlights a “Gen Z vs. Boomer” dynamic, where the father attempts to ground his son in reality while the son seeks a “godfather” to launch his career. With a supporting cast including Asha Sharath, Sharaf U Dheen, and Ishaani Krishna, the movie is being billed as a heartwarming tribute to father-son bonds and the persistent nature of dreamers.
