Chennai, July 18
The makers of director Unni Sivalingam's upcoming Malayalam sports action drama 'Balti', featuring actor Shane Nigam in the lead, have now announced that the film would hit screens worldwide on August 29 for Onam this year.
Taking to his Instagram page, actor Shane Nigam shared the announcement. He wrote, "From August 29, Balti Onam in theatres.#baltiOnam #BaltiMovie releasing worldwide on August 29, 2025. An @abhyankkar musical."
The film has triggered huge interest among fans and film buffs as Shane Nigam plays a Kabaddi player called Udhayan in the film. The sports drama, that will revolve around the sport of Kabaddi, will showcase Shane Nigam as a fearless raider, who strikes terror in the hearts of the defence of the opposing teams. Interestingly, this film will be an important landmark in Shane Nigam's film career as it is his 25th film.
Apart from Shane Nigam, the film will feature actors Preethi Asrani and Shanthanu Baghyaraj in pivotal roles. More significantly, it will have director Alphonse Puthren, best known for having directed the blockbuster Premam, playing the role of a cold-blooded gangster called Soda Babu.
Written and directed by Unni Sivalingam, the film is being produced by Santhosh T Kuruvilla and Binu George Alexander under the banners of STK Frames and Binu George Alexander Productions respectively.
Cinematography for the film is by Alex J Pulickal while art direction is by Ashik S. More significantly, the movie has music by young music sensation from Tamil Sai Abhyankkar.
When welcoming Sai on board the film, director Unni Sivalingam had said, "It has always been an inspiration working with you Buddy. It’s no longer just a professional bond — it’s something deeper. Can’t wait to see our Magic hit the screen. Welcome to Malayalam cinema Buddy...."
Editing for the film is by Shivkumar V.Panicker while costumes have been designed by Melwy J. The film, which will be high on action, has two stunt masters -- Action Sandhosh and Vicky.
— IANS
Reader Comments
The combination of Shane Nigam and Alphonse Puthren (even as an actor!) has me intrigued. But I hope the story doesn't get lost in all the hype. Recent Malayalam films have set such high standards for content-driven cinema. Fingers crossed this delivers both entertainment and substance 🤞
Perfect Onam release! Our family always goes for a movie during the festival. Last year it was RDX, this year hopefully Balti will give us that same adrenaline rush. The action sequences with two stunt masters should be lit 🔥
As someone new to Malayalam cinema, I'm excited to see how they blend sports and local culture. The music by Sai Abhyankkar is an interesting choice - his Tamil work has been brilliant. Hope this gets a wider release with subtitles!
Not sure about the title 'Balti' though... sounds more like a kitchen utensil than a sports drama 😅 But Shane has been choosing interesting scripts lately, so I'll definitely give it a watch. The Kabaddi angle is fresh for Indian cinema!
So happy to see more women in key crew positions - Melwy J for costumes and Preethi Asrani acting! Malayalam cinema is changing for the better. Hope the female characters get proper screen time and not just be eye candy like in some sports movies ðŸ™
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