Now Reading: Kamal Haasan unveils Sandiyar poster, shooting begins on 72nd birthday
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Kamal Haasan unveils Sandiyar poster, shooting begins on 72nd birthday
Kamal Haasan unveils Sandiyar poster, shooting begins on 72nd birthday
The Story in Brief
Kamal Haasan marked his 72nd birthday on 7 November by unveiling the first-look poster of his upcoming film Sandiyar, directed by SU Arun Kumar. The makers announced that shooting commenced on the same day. The title was originally used for Haasan's 2004 film Virumaandi but was dropped after protests by the political party Puthiya Tamizhagam, which alleged it glorified caste-based violence.
The poster shows Haasan in a rugged avatar leaning against a car with blood near the door handle. Cinema Express reports the poster features Haasan wielding a pistol, with the caption '6 ROUNDS, ZERO MERCY. Revenge does give satisfaction, but…' The film is described as a rural revenge action drama set in Madurai, with music by Anirudh Ravichander and action choreography by Anbariv. It is produced under Raaj Kamal Films International and expected for release in 2027.
Update, 7 November 2026: Deccan Chronicle reports that filmmaker Lenin Bharathi has criticised Sandiyar's promotional messaging around revenge and bloodshed, questioning the glorification of violence in cinema. The other three outlets report the same poster reveal and shoot start without mentioning this criticism.
Indian Opinion Analysis
Three outlets report Sandiyar's announcement as a routine film update, covering the poster, shoot start and production team. Deccan Chronicle alone leads with criticism from filmmaker Lenin Bharathi, who questioned glorifying violence in cinema, framing the launch as controversial. That outlet omits the title history that Economic Times and Cinema Express detail. The uniform coverage elsewhere suggests the controversy is a single dissenting voice rather than a broad backlash, the film remains on schedule for a 2027 release.
Coverage: 4 sources, 3 neutral, 1 sensationalist
Sources (4): economictimes.indiatimes.com (neutral report), cinemaexpress.com (neutral report), bollywoodhungama.com (neutral report), deccanchronicle.com (sensationalist)
This brief was synthesised by AI from the 4 sources linked above, so one read covers every framing they carry. Methodology and corrections.
