Vijay Sethupathi took to social media to mark Puri Jagannadh’s 26 years in cinema, calling their upcoming Slum Dog – 33 Temple Road a film he expects to remember fondly. The tribute landed as the project, which wrapped its shoot late last year, moved deeper into post-production across five languages.
“26 years in cinema is not just a milestone; it’s a legacy built with courage, conviction, and a fearless voice,” Sethupathi wrote. “Dear Puri sir, it was an absolute pleasure working with you on #SLUMDOG – 33 Temple Road. As actors, we always look for directors who trust us and push us beyond our comfort zones, and you do that effortlessly. I believe this will be remembered as a very special film for all of us involved.”
That reading tracks with the film’s first-look. Sethupathi has gone deeper into transformation than he has in recent years, with matted hair, a heavy beard, and layers of weathered cloth. Puri debuted as director in 2000 with Pawan Kalyan’s Badri, and has since built a career on Telugu-industry leading men in lean action thrillers. Slum Dog – 33 Temple Road is his first collaboration with a Tamil lead of Sethupathi’s sensibility, and the look suggests the film is leaning into that unfamiliarity rather than away from it.
Samyuktha plays the female lead, with Tabu and Duniya Vijay in pivotal roles, and Brahmaji and VTV Ganesh rounding out the cast. Harshavardhan Rameshwar, the composer behind the scores of Arjun Reddy and Animal, is handling music.
The film is being readied for release in Telugu, Tamil, Kannada, Malayalam, and Hindi. Promotions begin once the Tamil Nadu election cycle wraps.