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Malayalam film actor and producer Tovino Thomas is currently gearing up for his upcoming release Athiradi. The film also features his Minnal Murali co-star Basil Joseph. While talking about his upcoming movies recently, Tovino hinted towards Basil’s rumoured directorial with Allu Arjun. Here's what he said:

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It may still be speculation that Allu Arjun’s landmark 25th film will be with actor-director Basil Joseph, but recent reports suggest otherwise. In a conversation with The Hollywood Reporter India, Basil Joseph and Tovino Thomas talked about their upcoming movie Athiradi. During the conversation, some details about Basil’s rumoured directorial with Allu Arjun also spilled out.

Addressing the possibility of Minnal Murali 2, Basil said that he is focusing on another time-consuming project now. He said, “I’m not sure about Minnal Murali 2 right now. I’m working on something else at the moment, and that’s taking quite a bit of time.”

He attempted to keep details of his film with Allu Arjun under wraps by saying that it is still in discussion and planning stage. He said, “I can’t talk about it right now.”

In the same conversation, Tovino Thomas spoke about the possibility for Minnal Murali 2 and said that he will certainly come back to it.

The Pallichattambi joked, “We already had plans for parts two, three, four, and five. I’ve been getting this question everywhere. Give me five or six months… no, but seriously, I will definitely come back to Minnal Murali 2, even if it’s much later, like when he’s at retirement age!”

Tovino also hinted that audiences may get to see Basil helming a ‘pan-Indian film’. The actor said, “Maybe audiences won’t get the Malayalam director Basil Joseph very soon, but perhaps audiences across India will.”

For the unversed, there has been speculation that Basil Joseph will soon collaborate with Allu Arjun for the actor’s eagerly awaited 25th film to strengthen his fan base in Kerala. The film is rumoured to titled AA25 tentatively.

While it has not been officially confirmed, it is expected to go on floors after the Pushpa star wraps up Atlee’s Raaka and AA23 (LK07) with director Lokesh Kanagaraj.

On the other hand, Basil will be next seen in Athiradi, which will be released on May 14, 2026. Helmed by Arun Anirudhan, the film features Tovino Thomas, Basil Joseph, and Vineeth Sreenivasan in the lead roles. The film is based on a lively and free-spirited student who wants to revive a college festival that got banned years ago.

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