Thiagarajan Kumararaja has started shooting his third feature film. In the 15 years since his debut Aaranya Kaandam, the director has completed exactly one other movie, the multi-narrative Super Deluxe in 2019. That’s a pace that would test any producer’s patience, but both films have aged into cult favourites, and the pieces Kumararaja has assembled for Pocket Novel suggest the wait may again be worthwhile.
The film reunites Kumararaja with Vijay Sethupathi, who played the transgender character Manickam in Super Deluxe, one of the defining performances of his career. Joining them are Malavika Mohanan, Raj B. Shetty and Kishore. The story and screenplay come from Andrew Louis, the director behind the thriller Kolaigaran and the acclaimed web series Vadandhi.
Raj B. Shetty’s casting stands out. The Kannada actor-filmmaker, celebrated for writing and directing Garuda Gamana Vrishabha Vahana and for his role in Rishab Shetty’s Kantara, makes his Tamil debut with Pocket Novel, reportedly in a villainous role. It’s sharp casting that adds an unpredictable element to an already formidable ensemble.
Kumararaja is not prolific, but his two completed features have left a disproportionate mark. Aaranya Kaandam, a Tamil neo-noir that was held up by censorship issues before its 2011 release, is now regarded as one of Indian cinema’s finest genre films. Super Deluxe, with its intersecting narratives about identity, morality and desire, was both a commercial success and one of the most talked-about Tamil films of its year. Andrew Louis scripting Pocket Novel hints at something in the thriller space, though Kumararaja has never been one to stay within genre lines.
The technical crew matches the ambition. Ilaiyaraaja is composing the score. Nirav Shah is on cinematography. Yugabharathi has penned the lyrics. Sathyaraj Natarajan, who doubles as executive producer, handles the editing. V. Shanmuga Raja is on production design, and S.D. Ezhilmathy, who co-produces alongside Kumararaja under the Tyler Durden and Kino Fist (TDKF) banner, has designed the costumes.
Pocket Novel is being made simultaneously in Tamil, Telugu, Kannada and Hindi. Think Music holds the audio rights, and OTT discussions are underway. The film is targeting a theatrical release by the end of 2026.