Naslen K. Gafoor (born 11 June 2000), known mononymously as Naslen, is an Indian actor who appears in Malayalam films.[1][2] He is known for his roles in the films Thanneer Mathan Dinangal (2019), Kuruthi (2021), Home (2021), Super Sharanya (2022), Jo and Jo (2022), Neymar (2023), Premalu (2024) and Lokah Chapter 1: Chandra (2025). The latter emerged as the highest-grossing Malayalam film of all time.[3]
Education
Naslen studied at St. Joseph’s School, Mathilakam. He completed his higher secondary education (+2).[4][5]
Career
Early Work (2019-2023)
In 2019, Naslen has acted as a junior artist in Madhura Raja. [6] His first credited role was in the movie Thanneer Mathan Dinangal in the role of Melvin. He was praised for the timely comedies and witty counter dialogues in that film.[7] In 2021, Naslen played Rasool, a fiery teenager in the film Kuruthi which was released in Amazon Prime.[8] In the same year he did the role of Charles Oliver Twist in the film Home which was also released in Amazon Prime.[9][10] He then appeared in the comedy movie, Keshu Ee Veedinte Nadhan which was released in Disney+ Hotstar.[11][12] Anna Mathews of Times Of India wrote about his performance in the film, “The young actor Naslen, as usual, even in a small role, he manages to stand out and be goofily loveable.”[13]
In 2022, he appeared in four films, including a prominent role opposite Nikhila Vimal in Jo & Jo, along with Melvin G Babu and Mathew Thomas, the latter playing one of the titular roles. The year 2023 saw him play his first solo lead role as Akhil in Journey of Love 18+. He had six releases that year and also played one of the leads, along with Mathew Thomas, in Neymar earlier in the year.
Career Breakthrough and Box Office Success (2024-present)
In 2024, he played Sachin Santhosh in the movie Premalu, directed by Girish A. D. and produced by Dileesh Pothan, Fahadh Faasil and Syam Pushkaran. The movie was among highest-grossing Malayalam films of all time, with total ₹136 crore box office collections worldwide.[14] The same year, he starred in I Am Kathalan, directed by Girish A. D., which was a moderate success.
In the 2025 movie Alappuzha Gymkhana, he played the role of a boxer, and the film became a blockbuster, grossing over ₹50 crore. His next release was the superheroine movie Lokah Chapter 1: Chandra, in which he played the male lead opposite Kalyani Priyadarshan. The film became the highest-grossing Malayalam films of all time, grossing over ₹300 crore.
Filmography
| † | Denotes films that have not yet been released |
Films
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | Madhura Raja | Background crowd member | Uncredited role | [15] |
| Thanneer Mathan Dinangal | Melvin Mathew | Debut film | ||
| 2020 | Varane Avashyamund | Young Bibeesh | ||
| 2021 | Kuruthi | Rasool | [16] | |
| Home | Charles Oliver Twist | [17] | ||
| Keshu Ee Veedinte Nadhan | Umesh | [18] | ||
| 2022 | Super Sharanya | Sangeeth | [19] | |
| Pathrosinte Padappukal | Boney Pathrose | [20] | ||
| Makal | Rohit / Rabindra Chathopadhyay | [21] | ||
| Jo and Jo | Manoj Sundaran | [22] | ||
| 2023 | Poovan | Jikku | Cameo appearance | |
| Ayalvaashi | Pachu | [23] | ||
| Pachuvum Athbutha Vilakkum | Ashwin’s elder brother | Cameo appearance | [24] | |
| Neymar | Shinto Chakola | [25] | ||
| Journey of Love 18+ | Akhil | [26] | ||
| 2024 | Premalu | Sachin Santhosh | [27] | |
| I Am Kathalan | Vishnu “Kathalan” | [28] | ||
| 2025 | Alappuzha Gymkhana | Jojo Johnson | [29] [30] | |
| Lokah Chapter 1: Chandra | Sunny Kurien / Michael Joseph | [31] | ||
| 2026 | Mollywood Times | Vineeth Madhavan | [32] | |
| Torpedo † | TBA | Filming | [33] [34] | |
| Tiki Taka † | Gatsby | [32] | ||
| 2027 | Suriya 47 † | TBA | Tamil film; filming | [35] |
Voice actor
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Valatty | Tippu (voice) | [36] |
Awards
| Year | Award | Category | Film | Result | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 10th South Indian International Movie Awards | SIIMA Award for Best Comedian – Malayalam | Home | Won | [37] |
| 2024 | Mazhavil Entertainment Awards | The Entertainer of the Year (Pair with Mamitha Baiju) | Premalu | Won | [38] |
References
- ^ “‘ബുദ്ധി മെയ്ന്’ ആയ മെല്വിനില് നിന്ന് റസൂല് വഴി ചാള്സ് ഒലിവര് ട്വിസ്റ്റിലേക്ക്;നസ്ലിന് അഭിമുഖം”. Mathurbhumi News. 20 August 2021. Retrieved 2 September 2021.
- ^ “ഈ ചൂടില് തന്നെ ഒരെണ്ണം കൂടി പോയാലോ? ‘ഹോമി’ലെ നസ്ലന്റെ ഡബ്ബിംഗ്, വീഡിയോ”. Asianet News. 26 August 2021. Retrieved 3 September 2021.
- ^ “Manjummel Boys box office collections: Approaches 150Cr in India, Worldwide tops 214Cr”. Pinkvilla. 25 March 2024.
- ^ “Naslen K. Gafoor”. Filmy Focus. Retrieved 11 April 2025.
- ^ “‘Thanneermathan Dinangal’ actor Naslen on his dream debut”. Onmanorama. 2 August 2019. Retrieved 12 April 2025.
- ^ “Just to see Mammootty up close I became a junior artiste: Naslen”. Just to see Mammootty up close I became a junior artiste: Naslen. Retrieved 26 November 2025.
- ^ “Just to see Mammootty up close I became a junior artiste: Naslen”. Manorama News. 2 August 2019. Retrieved 3 September 2021.
- ^ “‘അഭിനയമാണ് സാറേ ഇവന്റെ മെയിന്’; കുരുതിയില് കലിപ്പനായി നസ്ലന്”. Dool News. Retrieved 3 September 2021.
- ^ “യുവതാരങ്ങളില് ഏറ്റവും ഭാവിയുള്ള നടന്മാരിലൊരാള്; നസ്ലനെ പുകഴ്ത്തി വിജയ് ബാബു”. Dool News. 24 August 2021. Retrieved 3 September 2021.
- ^ “‘#Home’ Malayalam movie review: A relatable, light-hearted tale”. The Hindu. 19 August 2021. Retrieved 3 September 2021.
- ^ “Dileep back to makeover stunts: Appears as hilarious, 65-year-old Keshu in trailer”. OnManorama. 15 December 2021. Retrieved 31 December 2021.
- ^ “Dileep In His 60’s”. The Prime Time. 28 February 2020. Retrieved 3 September 2021.
- ^ “Keshu Ee Veedinte Nadhan review: Fortune favours the good”. The Times Of India. 31 December 2021. Retrieved 31 December 2021.
- ^ “Premalu might hit a ton soon at the box office”. Moneycontrol. 7 March 2024. Retrieved 8 March 2024.
- ^ “Just to see Mammootty up close I became a junior artiste: Naslen”. Just to see Mammootty up close I became a junior artiste: Naslen. Retrieved 26 November 2025.
- ^ “Kuruthi review : An uninspired take on hatred and pitfalls of religions”. The Week. 11 August 2021. Retrieved 3 September 2021.
- ^ “Home Review, Makes a heart-warming connection”. The Times Of India. 19 August 2021. Retrieved 3 September 2021.
- ^ “‘തണ്ണീർ മത്തനി’ലെ മെൽവിൻ ഇനി ‘കേശു’വിന്റെ മകൻ”. Samayam News. 29 January 2020. Retrieved 31 December 2021.
- ^ “Trail of lovers, hilarious banters: Trailer reveals glimpses of ‘Super Sharanya’“. OnManorama. 28 December 2021. Retrieved 31 December 2021.
- ^ “Sharafudheen, Grace Antony’s next ‘Pathrosinte Padappukal’ is a comedy”. New Indian Express. 17 February 2021. Retrieved 3 September 2021.
- ^ “Jayaram – Sathyan Anthikad film ‘Magal’ reached the final leg of shooting”. The Times Of India. 12 December 2021. Retrieved 31 December 2021.
- ^ “‘ജോ ആൻഡ് ജോയുമായി’ മാത്യു, നസ്ലൻ, നിഖില വിമൽ”. News18 Malayalam. 23 September 2021. Retrieved 2 October 2021.
- ^ “Soubin Shahir’s Ayalvaashi gets a release date”. Cinema Express. 21 February 2023. Retrieved 15 March 2023.
- ^ “Pachuvum Athbutha Vilakkum on OTT: Ahaana Krishna to Naslen, catch these cameos in the Fahadh Faasil-starrer”. OTTplay. Retrieved 25 May 2023.
- ^ “Mathew Thomas-Naslen Starrer Neymar’s Teaser Promises A PAW-Some Comedy Drama”. News18. 6 April 2023. Retrieved 13 April 2023.
- ^ “It’s a wrap for 18 Plus”. Cinema Express. 27 February 2023. Retrieved 13 April 2023.
- ^ “Naslen, Mamitha Baiju to star in Girish A D’s Premalu; motion poster is out”. Cinema Express. December 2023. Retrieved 2 December 2023.
- ^ “It’s a wrap for Girish AD-Naslen film I Am Kathalan”. Cinema Express. 23 December 2022. Retrieved 13 April 2023.
- ^ nithya. “അടുത്ത 100കോടി തൂക്കാൻ നസ്ലെൻ; ‘തല്ലുമാല’ക്ക് ശേഷം ഖാലിദ് റഹ്മാൻ, ചിത്രത്തിന് പേരായി”. Asianet News Network Pvt Ltd (in Malayalam). Retrieved 17 October 2024.
- ^ “Khalid Rahman’s next, starring Naslen and Lukman Avaran, titled ‘Alappuzha Gymkhana’“. The Hindu. 2 October 2024. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 17 October 2024.
- ^ “Kalyani Priyadarshan and Naslen team up for new film”. Cinema Express. 12 September 2024. Retrieved 17 October 2024.
- ^ a b “Naslen’s Mollywood Times to start rolling on this date”. Cinema Express. 4 July 2025. Retrieved 4 July 2025.
- ^ “After ‘Thudarum’, Tharun Moorthy dives into ‘Torpedo’ with Fahadh Faasil, Naslen, and Arjun Das”. The Times of India. 1 May 2025. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 17 June 2025.
- ^ “Tharun Moorthy’s next titled ‘Torpedo’; to star Fahadh Faasil and Naslen”. The South First. 1 May 2025. Retrieved 17 June 2025.
- ^ “Nazriya and Naslen officially join ‘Suriya 47’ directed by ‘Aavesham’ fame Jithu Madhavan – Reports”. The Times of India. 7 December 2025. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 7 December 2025.
- ^ “‘Valatty’ director opens up about hardships he faced while making film, posts emotional video”. OnManorama. Retrieved 2 December 2023.
- ^ Jyothi, Y. Krishna (20 August 2022). “SIIMA 2022: Full list of nominees announced, voting begins”. The South First | News, Politics, Sports, Entertainment & Live Updates. Retrieved 13 September 2025.
- ^ “Mazhavil Entertainment Awards 2024: Jagathy is ultimate entertainer; Urvashi, Sathyan Anthikad honoured”. Mazhavil Entertainment Awards 2024: Jagathy is ultimate entertainer; Urvashi, Sathyan Anthikad honoured. Retrieved 10 September 2025.