Karthik Subbaraj announces 10th directorial 'Dorothy', starring Keerthy Suresh
Mumbai, August 5
Filmmaker Karthik Subbaraj has announced his 10th directorial venture, 'Dorothy', starring Keerthy Suresh. The film is slated for a worldwide theatrical release on September 25.
Sharing the announcement on social media, Subbaraj described Dorothy as a passion project that he had wanted to make for several years.
"My Tenth film is DOROTHY..Starring Keerthy Suresh, Sananth and Rishikanth..A Story that is very very close to my heart and a Film I wanted to make since many years is Finally made... and that too with Music by The Maestro Ilaiyaraaja sir..And It's Officially selected for World premiere in the Prestigious Toronto International Film Festival.. And... We are coming to Big screens Worldwide on 25th September 2026... Looking forward for Audience love and support as always... This Time a Bit more for our," the director wrote on X.
Karthik Subbaraj said in a statement, "'Dorothy' is a film I've carried with me for a long time. It comes from a world I know intimately, one where friendship becomes a refuge, where love survives in silence, and where tenderness exists even in the harshest of places. Through this story, I wanted to explore identity, caste, masculinity, and compassion, not through spectacle, but through deeply human characters. While it's rooted in the culture and landscape of Tamil Nadu, I believe its emotions are universal. We're proud that its journey begins on a global stage like TIFF."
Apart from Keerthy Suresh, the film also stars Sananth and Rishikanth in key roles. Veteran composer Ilaiyaraaja will compose the songs and background score. Further details about the project are yet to be revealed.
Writer-director Karthik Subbaraj's landmark 10th feature, Dorothy, is set to have its world premiere at the 2026 Toronto International Film Festival in the Centrepiece section.
The Tamil-language feature, with an original score by legendary composer Ilaiyaraaja in his milestone 1,540th film, is backed by Jio Studios and Sikhya Entertainment and joins TIFF's acclaimed international program, formerly known as Contemporary World Cinema, which showcases celebrated filmmakers, festival favourites and highly anticipated world premieres from across the globe, as per the press release.
Produced by Jyoti Deshpande, Guneet Monga Kapoor and Achin Jain in association with Dhammam Films, Dorothy stars Sananth, Rishikanth and Keerthy Suresh in pivotal roles and is slated for a theatrical release across India on September 25, 2026.
— ANI
Reader Comments
Ilaiyaraaja at 1,540th film! This man is a legend. His music alone will be worth the ticket price. But I do wish they'd reveal a bit more about the plot. The "tenderness exists even in harsh places" line has me curious though. September 2026 can't come soon enough!
Karthik Subbaraj doesn't miss. The combination of Ilaiyaraaja's music, TIFF premiere and Keerthy Suresh's powerful acting — this is going to be a masterpiece. Also great to see Guneet Monga backing this, she knows how to pick quality projects!
Something's special about this announcement. "A story close to my heart" — when directors say that, it's usually their best work. The Tamil Nadu setting with universal emotions, exploring caste and masculinity... sounds deep and meaningful. The cinematography and soundtrack will be stunning with Ilaiyaraaja. Count me in for the first show in Chennai! 🎥✨
Interesting to see a director's 10th film being selected for TIFF. That's huge validation for Karthik Subbaraj. Hope the Tamil film industry keeps producing such unique stories that represent our culture globally. All the best to the team!
My only concern: Why the long wait? 2026 seems far away. The teaser or a few glimpses would have been nice. But knowing Subbaraj's consistency, this will be worth the patience. At least we have the TIFF
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