The makers of Pulavar have locked a worldwide theatrical date: September 25, 2026. The confirmation arrived Monday through the film’s teaser, which also offers the first extended taste of Bharathiraja’s final big-screen appearance.
Written and directed by Murukaiya, Pulavar casts the late Bharathiraja — who passed away on June 10, 2026, at 84 — as an investigator drawn into a murder case. The teaser leans into that mystery with a lightly wry tone: a character asks why a murder happened, Bharathiraja’s lead presses “Why was it done? Who asked for it to be done?”, and the cut closes on his vow that “the investigation will go on until the end.” One beat even shows him holding someone at gunpoint, though the overall mood stays closer to intrigue than hard thriller.
The ensemble, as described by the makers, includes Raichal Rabecca, Hello Kandasamy, Ravichandran, Vetrivel Raja, Poobalam Sandhil, Chaplin Sundar and Jintha, among others. Dialogues are by Poobalam Senthil. On the technical side, Ajmal Khan scores the film, with cinematography by RV Saran, editing by Dhanasekar and art direction by A Arunkumar. Sameer Bharat Ram and Kasi Viswanathan produce under Super Talkies and White Nights Entertainment.
For Tamil cinema, the date carries extra weight. Bharathiraja directed more than 40 films and acted in about 30, earning six National Awards and six Tamil Nadu State Film Awards while helping shift the industry toward realistic, village-rooted storytelling outside the old studio system. His last directorial credit was the Modern Love Chennai episode Paravai Kootil Vaazhum Maangal; before Pulavar, he appeared in Desiya Thalaivar (October 2025). Reports frame Pulavar as his final acting role on the big screen.
With the teaser out and September 25 locked, attention turns to how audiences will receive this last chapter — a murder-investigation drama that also doubles as a farewell bow from one of Kollywood’s defining voices.
