Malayalam film ‘Maharaja Hostel’ puts two content creators in lead roles

Popular content creators Akhil Sha and Akhil NRD are stepping into lead roles with the upcoming Malayalam film ‘Maharaja Hostel’, directed by Telangana filmmaker Charu Wakan.

While the duo have appeared in films in minor roles before, this marks their first major outing on the big screen. The film comes at a time when more content creators are transitioning to cinema, raising both expectations and pressure.

Both Akhils started creating content well before it became mainstream. Akhil NRD began on TikTok around 2015. Akhil Sha started posting videos in 2018 as “time pass” while studying engineering. Their journey changed during the COVID-19 pandemic, when content creation boomed and their videos gained traction. Akhil NRD eventually quit his job in the Merchant Navy to pursue content creation full-time.

With Maharaja Hostel, the two creators say they are navigating the difference between acting in short Reels and performing for a feature film, as they take on their biggest acting challenge yet.