Tanzanian social media sensation Kili Paul, fondly known among Malayalis as their very own Unniyettan, is set to make his debut in Malayalam cinema. Widely recognised for his viral lip-sync and dance videos to Malayalam songs on Instagram Reels, Kili Paul will be stepping into the industry with the film Innocent. Following this, he is also slated to play the lead in Masai Warrior, a film inspired by his own life.

A poster for Masai Warrior, which comes with the tagline ‘A Tanzanian Cinematic Journey’, has already been released. Both films are being helmed by director Satheesh Thanvi.

Masai Warrior is set to be a multilingual production, featuring dialogues in over 25 languages, including Malayalam, Masai, English, Sinhala, French, Polish, Spanish, German, Arabic, Uzbek, Hindi, Kannada, Tamil, Telugu, Bengali, Urdu, Japanese, Sindhi, Balochi, Punjabi. Produced under the banners of Martini Prime Productions and Theatre Stories, the film is backed by Priyadarshini P M and Najmudeen. Cinematography is handled by Nikhil S Praveen, and the screenplay is written by P V Shajikumar.

Kili Paul received a grand reception from Malayalam audiences during the title launch of Innocent held at Lulu Mall in Kochi. Grateful for the warm welcome, he expressed his heartfelt thanks and even revealed a personal wish — to marry a Malayali girl and settle down in Kerala. His statement was met with resounding applause from the crowd.

At the event, he also spoke about his favourite actors in Malayalam cinema, saying, “My favourite actress is Shobhana. Among the actors, I love Mohanlal, Mammootty, Fahadh Faasil and Unni Mukundan.” Fulfilling a popular request from fans, he even performed the song “Aaru Paranju, Aaru Paranju...” from Pulival Kalyanam on stage.

Kili Paul became a viral Instagram figure by carefully studying trending Malayalam songs and posting near-perfect lip-sync reels. As his Malayalam fanbase grew, he began prioritising content featuring Malayalam tracks. His immense affection for the language has endeared him to Malayalis, who affectionately bestowed upon him the nickname Unniyettan — a term of endearment in Kerala. Kili embraced the title, and now signs off many of his Malayalam posts with it.

It reportedly takes him up to four days to learn the lyrics and pronunciation of a Malayalam song. He uses the internet to understand the meanings of words, which helps him deliver accurate and expressive videos. This dedication has helped his content resonate deeply with Malayalam audiences.

When Kili hinted on Instagram that he would be visiting Kerala, his followers were filled with excitement. That very excitement turned into a massive turnout at the title launch event, where fans braved the rain to catch a glimpse of their beloved viral star. True to form, he entertained the audience with his signature blend of singing and dancing.

Meanwhile, Innocent also marks the on-screen reunion of actors Altaf and Annaarkali Marakkar after their appearance in Mandakini. The film will also feature Jomon Jyothir, Azees Nedumangad and Anna Prasad in key roles. The first-look poster of the film was also unveiled at the event.

Innocent is being produced by M Sriraj A K D under the banner of Elements of Cinema, marking the studio’s debut production. The story is penned by Shihab Karunagappally, with the screenplay and dialogues crafted collaboratively by Shihab, Sarji Vijayan and Satheesh Thanvi.