'They must’ve been shocked': Asif Ali shares hilarious wedding photo gone wrong moment

Kochi: During promotions for his upcoming film Abhyanthara Kuttavali, actor Asif Ali shared a humourous anecdote about a photo blunder that nearly derailed his wedding proposal. While speaking to Mathrubhumi, Asif recalled how a quirky still from his film Ordinary, featuring his character's famously "weird smile," was sent to his now-wife Zama’s family during the marriage proposal stage.

“Someone sent that photo to her father, who was in Qatar at the time. He had rarely watched any Malayalam movies... that image of mine must have been quite a shock,” said Asif, laughing. He added that Zama’s family, like in the teaser of Abhyanthara Kuttavali, may have hoped for a groom who was well-groomed, responsible, and presentable. “Instead, they first saw my picture with that strange smile from 'Ordinary'. When they finally met me in person, they probably thought, ‘Well, he's at least a little better than the photo!’” he joked.

Co-star Anand Manmadhan couldn’t resist teasing Asif during the conversation, suggesting that the photo might have been shared intentionally by someone to make a dig at him.

The team of Abhyanthara Kuttavali, including debut director Sethunath Padmakumar, shared insights about the film’s theme and making. Asif plays Sahadevan, a man facing trial for allegedly abusing his wife over dowry, a subject the actor describes as deeply relevant. “It’s a film that points fingers at society. We hear about domestic violence cases almost every day. But no one talks about the trauma an innocent man might go through if wrongly accused,” said Asif and Anand.

Anand Manmadhan also revealed exciting news about his Bollywood debut. He is set to appear alongside Sidharth Malhotra and Janhvi Kapoor in an upcoming Hindi film, which is being shot predominantly in Kerala. “Working in Bollywood is a different experience altogether,” he noted.

The bond between Anand and Asif dates back to the days of Ritu, Asif’s debut film. Anand chuckled, 'The day before Ritu released, I was out distributing posters for Rs. 500.' To which Asif jokingly responded, 'So, you were my film’s distributor?' Anand laughed and recalled watching the movie with his girlfriend on the first day and attending the celebratory cake-cutting ceremony. When asked if he saw Asif that day, he cheekily dodged the question. Asif then leaned in and quipped, 'At least tell me you saw the movie.' Anand, with a grin, replied, 'Yes, I did.'

Abhyanthara Kuttavali is written and directed by Sethunath Padmakumar and produced by Naisam Salam. The film stars Asif Ali, newcomer Thulasi, Jagadish, Harisree Ashokan, Prem Kumar, Sidharth Bharathan, and Anand Manmadhan, among others. The music is composed by Bijibal, Muthu, and Christy Joby, with cinematography by Ajay David Kachappilly and editing by Sobin K Soman.

The film is expected to spark conversations around legal systems and the societal perception of domestic violence cases.