Kamal Haasan’s upcoming film with director SU Arun Kumar has finally received its official title.
Previously known by its working title KH237, the project has been named Sandiyar. The makers announced the title on Friday, 6 November, along with a new poster featuring the veteran actor in an intense and rugged look.
The poster offers a glimpse of what appears to be a violent revenge story. It shows in a blood-stained setting, holding a gun, with the tagline, “Revenge can only be settled in blood”. The announcement has also drawn attention because Sandiyar was the original title planned for the actor’s 2004 film, which was eventually released as Virumaandi.
The upcoming film marks the first collaboration between Kamal Haasan and director SU Arun Kumar, known for films such as Pannaiyarum Padminiyum, Sethupathi, Chithha and .
The title has a history in Kamal Haasan’s film career. In 2003, the actor had announced Sandiyar as the title of his film that was later released as Virumaandi. However, the name faced objections from political groups, including Puthiya Tamizhagam, led by K Krishnasamy.
The group objected to the title, arguing that it could be seen as glorifying -based violence and the culture of . The controversy led to protests and disruptions to the film’s production plans. Kamal Haasan eventually agreed to change the name following discussions with the then Tamil Nadu Chief Minister .
The film was subsequently renamed Virumaandi and released in 2004. It went on to become one of the notable films in Kamal Haasan’s career, with the actor also directing the project.
The word Sandiyar is commonly translated as a rowdy, thug or . Its earlier controversy makes the decision to use the same title for his new film particularly notable. However, the new Sandiyar is a separate project and is not being presented as a sequel to Virumaandi.
Sandiyar is directed by SU Arun Kumar and produced by Kamal Haasan and R Mahendran under the banner of Raaj Kamal Films International. S Disney is the co-producer.
The technical team includes as the music composer, Sunil KS as cinematographer and CS Balachander as production designer. Action choreography is being handled by the duo Anbariv, while Amritha Ram is the costume designer.
The film marks another major project for Arun Kumar, who has built his reputation through character-driven films. His earlier works include the Vijay Sethupathi-starrer Pannaiyarum Padminiyum and Sethupathi, Siddharth’s Chithha and Vikram’s Veera Dheera Sooran.
While the first-look poster points towards an action drama centred on revenge, the makers have not yet revealed the complete storyline or announced the full cast. Details about the film’s shooting schedule and theatrical release date are also awaited.
For now, the title announcement has brought attention back to a name that once sparked a major debate in Tamil cinema. More than two decades after dropping it for Virumaandi, Kamal Haasan has brought Sandiyar back for his latest collaboration with SU Arun Kumar.
