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Aashiq Abu

Aashiq Abu

Director, producer and cinematographer · Born April 12, 1978 (48) · Edappally. Kerala. India

Aashiq Abu (born 12 April 1978) is an Indian film director, producer, actor, and distributor, who works in Malayalam cinema. He is best known for his films such as Daddy Cool (2009), Salt N' Pepper (2011), 22 Female Kottayam (2012), Idukki Gold (2013), Mayaanadhi (2017) and Virus (2019).Aashiq Abu is often known for his collaboration with screenwriters Syam Pushkaran and Dileesh Nair. Aashiq Abu produces and distributes under the banner OPM and OPM Dream Mill Cinemas. OPM produced Dileesh Pothan's directional debut Maheshinte Prathikaaram (2016), which won the National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Malayalam.

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
April 12, 1978 (48)
From
Edappally. Kerala. India
Works as
Director, producer and cinematographer
Titles
7 on MovieCove · 26 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 38 days to Oct 27Down 20% in 30 days

What are Aashiq Abu's films like?

Across their 7 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Society and Bonds.

Genres

Drama4 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 52nd percentile
: browse their Drama movies
Comedy2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 53rd percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Comedy movies

Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.

Themes

share of theme weight
Society
40%
Bonds
21%
Morality
17%
Self
11%
Survival
5%
Ideas
5%
Community4 titles, browse their movies with this themeDeception2 titles, browse their movies with this themeRomantic love2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 7 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Grounded: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their grounded movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

Grounded 4 · Stylized 3 · Heightened 0

Charged: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their charged movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

A split, not a type: Gentle 3 · Charged 1 · Intense 3

Steady: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their steady movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

Steady 4 · Shifting 3 · Whiplash 0

Some laughs: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their some laughs movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

A split, not a type: Straight-faced 5 · Some laughs 0 · Funny 2

Even-paced: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their even-paced movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

A split, not a type: Slow burn 4 · Even-paced 3 · Relentless 0

Engaged: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their engaged movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

Casual 3 · Engaged 3 · Full focus 1

Resolved: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their resolved movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

Resolved 4 · Open-ended 3 · Ambiguous 0

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
3
Warm
3
Dread
2
Contemplative
2
Joyful
1
Other
7

How their films linger

Feel-good2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteRousing2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteWistful2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end

  • Happy2
  • Bittersweet5

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch Aashiq Abu's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 6 of their 7 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Prime Video (4).

Subscription and free streaming for Aashiq Abu's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

26 credits, 7 with a MovieCove page; 1 appearance as themselves is hidden until asked for.

  • Lovely (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2025)

    Cinematographer

  • Rifle Club(2024)

    Director · Cinematographer · Producer

    Midcredits score: 82nd percentile of all films

  • Neelavelicham(2023)

    Director · Producer

    Midcredits score: 53rd percentile of all films

  • Naradan(2022)

    Director · Producer

    Midcredits score: 51st percentile of all films

  • Bheemante Vazhi(2021)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 55th percentile of all films

  • Aarkkariyam (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2021)

    Producer

  • Aanum Pennum(2021)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 35th percentile of all films

  • Halal Love Story(2020)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 51st percentile of all films

  • Virus(2019)

    Director · Producer

    Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all films

  • Ee.Ma.Yau. (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2018)

    Producer

  • Mayaanadhi (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2017)

    Director · Producer

  • Parava (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2017)

    as Police Officer

  • Maheshinte Prathikaaram (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2016)

    Producer

  • Rani Padmini (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2015)

    Director

  • Iyobinte Pusthakam (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2014)

    as PJ Antony

  • Gangster (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2014)

    Director · Producer

  • Idukki Gold (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2013)

    Director

  • 5 Sundarikal (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2013)

    Director

  • Annayum Rasoolum (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2013)

    as Hyder

  • Da Thadiya (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2012)

    Director

  • 22 Female Kottayam (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2012)

    Director

  • Salt N' Pepper (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2011)

    Director

  • Daddy Cool (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2009)

    Director · Writer

  • Rappakal (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2005)

    as Photographer

  • Perumazhakkalam (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2004)

    Assistant Director

  • Aja : Sundari (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Cinematographer · Producer

Career shape

A full career of 26 titles, 25 of them dated from 2004 to 2025.

Biggest box office

Rifle Club (2024)

$652K worldwide

Highest rated

Virus (2019)

Midcredits 96th

Film career

  • 2013Screen debut· Annayum Rasoolum

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting4 of 26: 4 only acting, 0 with another roleDirecting14 of 26: 7 only directing, 7 with another role · typical Midcredits score53rdWriting1 of 26: 0 only writing, 1 with another roleProducing12 of 26: 5 only producing, 7 with another role · typical Midcredits score54thCinematography3 of 26: 1 only cinematography, 2 with another roleOther crew1 of 26: 1 only other crew, 0 with another role

26 titles, 8 with more than one role — directing and producing overlap on 6 of them.

By decade

2000s3 · 1 acting · 2 crew2010s14 · 3 acting · 11 crew2020s8 · crew

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored.

How do Aashiq Abu's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 53rd percentile, the median of all 7; across their 7 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 47th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

47thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 7

Approval · how many liked their films

61stpercentile
Typical film, the median of 7

Reach · how many have seen their films

58thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 7

Midcredits score across 7 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up2
  • 50th to 74th4
  • 25th to 49th1

Shape of the crowd

2 of their 7 titles are Cult Classics.

  • Universally Loved1
  • Cult Classic2
  • Crowd Pleaser2
  • Mixed2

Most divisive · producer

Halal Love Story (2020)

89th percentile spread · 26% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · director, producer

Virus (2019)

Midcredits 96th · 86% liked

Reviewers score the atmosphere 73/100 and the pacing 42/100 in their films, across 7 reviewed titles. The element that speaks to their work as a director.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Who does Aashiq Abu work with?

People who share at least 2 of Aashiq Abu's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Abid Abu shares the most, 5.

Writers

Actors

Composers and editors

Producers