Kamal Haasan’s Sandiyar began filming on 7 November 2026, coinciding with the actor’s 72nd birthday. Raaj Kamal Films International confirmed the start through its official X account and released new artwork for the film, directed by SU Arun Kumar.
The birthday poster presents Kamal Haasan in a dark close-up, with a grey beard, orange light cutting across his face and a revolver held in both hands. Scattered bullets surround the portrait, while the accompanying text announces the start of filming. The banner’s caption invokes revenge without revealing the storyline.
The artwork follows the title announcement on 6 November, which used a car-window setting. A subsequent first-day update showed Kamal Haasan wearing sunglasses beside a white vehicle, with a large Sandiyar backdrop behind him.
Arun Kumar reflects on the collaboration
In a signed Tamil letter circulated in published coverage, Arun Kumar described Kamal Haasan as a longstanding influence on his filmmaking. He said the actor’s work had shaped his earlier films, including in ways he had not always consciously recognised.
The director expressed gratitude for the opportunity to bring his script to the screen with Kamal Haasan and said he expected to learn while working with him. He also thanked producer R Mahendran and co-producer S Disney, promising the team’s full commitment to the project.
Published reports identify Sandiyar as the first collaboration between Kamal Haasan and Arun Kumar, presented by Raaj Kamal Films International with Turmeric Media.
The birthday poster credits Anirudh Ravichander with the music, Anbariv with action choreography and Sunil KS with cinematography. CS Balachander is the production designer, while Amritha Ram handles costume design.
Background
Sandiyar revives a title associated with an earlier Kamal Haasan film. The project eventually released as Virumaandi in 2004 had initially been launched under that name in Madurai on 18 April 2003.
Contemporary and retrospective reports document objections from Puthiya Tamizhagam founder K Krishnasamy, who argued that the title could provoke unrest. Protests followed, along with threats to disrupt filming in Theni district. Reporting published in December 2003 recorded Kamal Haasan’s decision to rename the film Virumaandi, after its central character.
That title history provides context for the new announcement; it does not establish a connection between the stories of the two films.
For Arun Kumar, Sandiyar follows five features. He began with Pannaiyarum Padminiyum in 2014 and reunited with Vijay Sethupathi for Sethupathi in 2016 and Sindhubaadh in 2019. Chithha, starring Siddharth, followed in 2023, before Veera Dheera Sooran with Vikram in 2025.
Anirudh’s involvement continues his collaborations with Kamal Haasan after Vikram and Indian 2. Earlier coverage traced the new project’s public announcement to 3 September 2026, when it was known as KH237. The Sandiyar title was unveiled a day before filming began.
