Urvashi and Joju George are teaming up for the first time on screen in Aasha. The makers of the film, which will release in theatres on September 11, unveiled the trailer on Monday.

The trailer builds on the sense of mystery that the film’s promotions have cultivated for months through a series of poster reveals, including a title-look poster, a first-look poster, and later a second-look poster featuring Urvashi and Joju with deliberately unsettling expressions. The trailer follows through on that setup, showing the two actors in direct confrontation as characters described as intense and hard to predict. Going by the visuals, the plot appears to center on an accident and the events that unfold in its wake, though the makers have kept most of the story under wraps.

Joining the leads is Aishwarya Lekshmi, who plays Urvashi’s daughter, giving the film a mother-daughter dynamic alongside the Urvashi-Joju George standoff. Veteran actor Vijayaraghavan features in another significant role, and Ramesh Girija, who drew attention for his part in Pani, rounds out the principal cast. Aasha is being released in five languages, a sign of the wider reach the makers are aiming for beyond a straightforward Malayalam release.

The film marks the directorial debut of Safar Sanal, who has also written the original story. He shares screenplay and dialogue credit with Joju George and Ramesh Girija, meaning two of the film’s lead actors have also shaped its writing.

Aasha is produced by Vinayaka Ajith under the Ajith Vinayaka Films banner, a production house with a recent run of notable Malayalam titles including Ponman, Gaganachari, Bandra, Madanolsavam and Sarkeet. On the technical side, Madhu Neelakandan handles cinematography and Shan Muhammed edits the film. Govind Vasantha composes the music, while Ajayan Adat is credited with sound design and sync sound. The crew also includes production designer Vivek Kalathil, make-up artist Shameer Sham, costume designer Sujith C.S., and stunt choreographer Dinesh Subbarayan.