52 Blue
Director: Ali El Arabi Starring: Neha Dhupia, Adil Hussain, Yadav Shashidhar Run time: 91 mins | Recommended Certificate: 12A Language: Malayalam, Hindi, English with English subtitles | Year: 2025 | Country: India, Egypt, USA
Award-winning director Ali El Arabi (Captains of Zaatari) poignant and heart-warming coming of age drama tells the story of Ashish, a reclusive young man, who dreams big, wanting to meet his idol, Messi, at the Football World Cup in Qatar. When he lies to his family, pretending that he was chosen as India’s representative for the Football World Cup, he embarks on a journey that leads him from the peaceful and sheltered bubble of his idyllic Kerala home and doting parents (Adil Hussain & Neha Dhupia) to a stadium worker job backstage, where he learns to face both himself and the world for the first time.
Q&A with Ali El Arabi, Neha Dhupia, Yadav Shahidhar and Arya Appukattan. Broadcaster, Film, TV and Culture Critic Ashanti Omkar is moderating the Q&A
Director
Ali El Arabi
Ali El Arabi is an award-winning filmmaker and producer. His debut feature documentary, Captains of Zaatari, premiered at Sundance 2021. His upcoming project, 52 Blue, is a sports drama filmed during the FIFA World Cup in Qatar.
Ali was one of the producers of Goodbye Julia, which premiered at Cannes 2023 and was Sudan’s official submission for the 96th Academy Awards. He is the executive producer of Arze, which premiered Tribeca Film Festival 2024 and became Lebanon's primary Oscar submission. He also produced Life After Siham which premiered in the ACID section at Cannes in 2025.
In 2016, Ali founded Ambient Light, an international film production company based in Cairo and Los Angeles. The company is dedicated to producing socially impactful films and international co-productions, with projects including Captains of Zaatari, Goodbye Julia, and Arze.
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