Tamil cinema has had decades of looking at the Sri Lankan civil war through its own lens, from distant empathy to direct allegory. Anthony takes a different route. Set in the post-war years, it is about what life looks like after the guns go down, the particular texture of rehabilitation and survival in a fractured landscape. It arrives with Ilaiyaraaja’s music and a story that co-director Sukirthan Christhuraja describes as a coastal love epic rooted in Jaffna and its surrounding villages. The film is due for release in March 2026.
The Ilaiyaraaja connection is not incidental. The team visited the composer at his home to seek his blessings before the trailer was unveiled, and what came back was more than a soundtrack. Director Seenu Ramasamy, attending as a guest, was unequivocal: “I don’t call what Ilaiyaraaja did here composing music. My inner instinct tells me he has blessed this film. That is what I must say about it.” The trailer moved Ramasamy to tears. He said he came solely because the filmmakers were from Sri Lanka: “From a devastated nation, two young men have come here to make a film. That one reason alone brought me.”
Ramasamy didn’t stop at praise. He turned to lead actor Kayal Vincent directly and apologised. “I didn’t know you were this good an actor. I couldn’t cast you when I had the chance, and I’m sorry. From now on, you will be called Anthony Vincent, not Kayal Vincent.” Vincent, who was introduced to Tamil audiences by director Prabhu Solomon in Kayal and had earlier been in consideration for Neerparavai, plays what he describes as the story’s protagonist rather than a conventional hero. It is a distinction that says something about what kind of film Anthony aims to be.
Lead actress TJ Bhanu turned down a Telugu production reportedly offering 50 lakh rupees to be in this film. Film critic Baskaran, who regularly attends international film festivals, said after watching the trailer that Anthony stands comparison with world cinema standards. He compared Vincent’s screen presence to Rajkiran at his peak and described the heroine’s quality as reminiscent of Aswini from the classic Udhiri Pookkal, with what he called a Mona Lisa quality. He drew a parallel between the two co-directors and iconic Tamil director duos like Krishnan-Panju and Devaraj-Mohan.
The backstory of Anthony’s making is itself unusual. The film originated from a short film Sukirthan had made titled Mazhaikkala Iravukal (Rainy Night Stories), which impressed producer Ramanathas enough to commit to a feature. Funding came from investors in London, Switzerland, France, Norway, and Sri Lanka. Shooting began in March 2025, with the team carrying their own camera to the island rather than renting locally. The film is now ready in three languages.
Co-producer Vicky offered historical context: India and Sri Lanka had a tradition of joint film productions until 1980, and even Sinhala-language films held their launches in Chennai during that era. The civil war ended all of that. “After the war started, no Tamil organisation was involved in joint productions. In the digital era, we felt we should do something. That is how this came about.” Producer Ramanathas framed it in similar terms, calling it a film that Ilaiyaraaja’s presence has elevated to a milestone step on the journey toward world cinema.
Director Jenosan Rajeswar put it plainly: “We wanted to make a good film, not a routine one. This is a coastal love story set in Sri Lankan soil. We shot exactly as we envisioned.” Sukirthan, his co-director, offered a more lyrical description: “You don’t need to spend money and travel to Sri Lanka. Buy one ticket. You’ll land in Jaffna, travel through a beautiful village in a bus, listening to Ilaiyaraaja’s songs, sitting by a breezy window. That is the feeling this film will give you.”
Director Lenin Bharathi provided a different frame: “We have always seen the other shore from this side of the sea. Tamil cinema has always shown only our coast. This film shows theirs.” He expressed hope that Sri Lankan Tamil cinema eventually finds its own autonomous voice, independent of the Tamil Nadu industry’s gravitational pull.
Seenu Ramasamy also raised a pointed question, asking why the ban on the LTTE still remains when, as he put it, the Tigers no longer exist. He described the post-war condition bluntly: “After the war is declared over, what does life look like? It stays a question mark. You can be arrested at any time, by anyone, for any reason, without cause. That fear never leaves. The sound of bombs never leaves the memory of those who lived through it.” He described Anthony as an artistic expression from people who have faced psychological, economic, and political suppression. “A film is not made to forget, but to remember,” he said.
Akila Balumahendra, wife of the late cinematographer and director Balu Mahendra, attended the event. Balu Mahendra had long held a dream of making a film in Eelam, a dream that this production, in some sense, realises. Anthony releases in March 2026, with Rishi Selvam on cinematography, Suresh A Prasad editing, and Kala Mohan on art direction. The full cast includes Kayal Vincent, TJ Bhanu, Sudharshan Raveendran, Nizhalgal Ravi, Aruldas, and Shami.