Kamal Haasan’s next film announced as Sandiyar

Raaj Kamal Films International announced on November 6 that Kamal Haasan’s upcoming film with director S U Arun Kumar is titled Sandiyar, unveiling a first-look poster. The announcement revives the title originally chosen for Haasan’s 2004 film Virumaandi, which was changed after objections over its perceived caste associations, according to reports about the earlier controversy.

The new film will feature music by Anirudh Ravichander. The poster shows Haasan in a rugged look beside a vehicle marked with blood, imagery that has drawn attention to the project’s violent promotional tone. The filmmakers have not announced the full cast, storyline or a confirmed release date.

Filmmaker Lenin Bharathi criticized the promotion, saying it appeared to present bloodshed and revenge as answers to conflict. His comments addressed messaging shared by the production house ahead of the title announcement. The available reporting does not establish the film’s plot, so the poster and promotion do not confirm what its story will depict.

Sandiyar was the original title of Virumaandi, released in 2004. In 2003, Puthiya Tamilagam founder K. Krishnasamy objected to the title, arguing that it valorized...