Thiruvananthapuram, Jun 14 (IANS): With FIFA World Cup kicking off in Russia on Thursday, Malayalam star Prithviraj Sukumaran has unveiled "The Mallu Football Anthem" in an effort to capture the Malayalis' passion for football.

"As the ball starts rolling in the Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow, the whole world will be glued to the footballing action. Back home, here in God's Own Country, from the windy beaches of Calicut to the misty hills of the Nilgiris, supporters unite for the love of the beautiful game," Prithviraj said in a statement.

"This video is a tribute to us, the most passionate, die-hard fans of football. As football frenzy takes over Kerala, I'm happy to announce that Jamesh Kottakkal has a football-based feature film in his pipeline, titled, 'The Beautiful Game'. With the film's discussions entering the final stages, Jamesh has come up with a short film for all the crazy football fans," he added.

Equally excited with the launch of the "Mallu Football Anthem", Kottakkal said: "This video aims at showcasing the excitement of World Cup in Kerala. This offer of making a 'Mallu Football Anthem' really made me think of how much Kerala holds football in heart."

The anthem has been produced by StudioMojo, a regional video entertainment network.

"There was a time when I used to play football with my friends in Thiruvananthapuram. Those days, we used to play anywhere -- paddy fields or grounds. Whenever World Cup took place, there used to be heated arguments over the teams that we supported. This football anthem is a tribute to my friends and to all the Malayalis and their passion for football," said RadhaKrishnan Ramachandran, founder and CEO of StudioMojo.

The other key people who are behind the making of this track are singer Anna Katharina Valayil and cinematographer Prakash Velayudhan.