Malayalam actor Naslen K. Gafoor has humbly addressed comparisons being made between him and veteran actor Dileep.

Speaking at a press meet following the release of his latest film Alappuzha Gymkhana, Naslen made it clear that he doesn't see himself as someone who could replace Dileep.

"I can never be like Dileepettan. We all know the calibre and the kind of characters he portrayed. I don’t think I’m someone who should be compared to him. I didn’t enter the industry with dreams of becoming a superstar. My goal has always been to take on roles and films that I truly love," Naslen said when asked about being seen as a potential successor to Dileep in comic roles.

The actor also shared his excitement about the current crop of Malayalam films in theatres and expressed his interest in catching up on Mammootty’s Bazooka and Basil Joseph’s Maranamass once he's done with promotional duties.

When the young actor was asked whether he had to give up an opportunity to work with Thala Ajith Kumar while shooting for Alappuzha Gymkhana, Naslen spilled the beans by revealing that he was indeed supposed to be part of Thala’s Good Bad Ugly, directed by Adhik Ravichandran, which is currently running in theatres.

“Yes, what you heard is right. I was approached to be a part of Good Bad Ugly, but at that time, I was shooting for Gymkhana. The Adhik directorial was a huge project involving big actors and spanned over two schedules. But I couldn’t accept the role because of my other commitments!”

Directed by Khalid Rahman and co-written by Sreeni Saseendran, Alappuzha Gymkhana is a sports-based comedy-drama that features Naslen alongside Lukman Avaran, Ganapathi S. Poduval, Sandeep Pradeep, and others. The film was released in theatres on April 10, 2025.

Box Office

Alappuzha Gymkhana has had a solid start at the box office, collecting a total of Rs 10.21 crore India net in its first four days. The film opened with a decent Rs 2.65 crore on Thursday and saw a gradual rise over the weekend, earning Rs 2.8 crore on Friday and peaking with Rs 3.51 crore on Saturday. Sunday saw a dip with collections at Rs 1.25 crore, but the overall momentum remains positive.

Despite clashing with major Malayalam releases like Bazooka and Maranamass, the film has managed to hold its own, buoyed by strong word of mouth and Naslen’s growing popularity.