Following Mohanlal's Hridayapoorvam and Fahadh Faasil's Odum Kuthira Chadum Kuthira, Shane Nigam's Balti has also confirmed an Onam release on August 29. The film is directed by debutant Unni Sivalingam and produced by Santosh T Kuruvilla and Binu Alexander George.
A kabaddi-based sports action drama, Balti has Shane playing a kabaddi player named Udhayan. The film, shot in Malayalam and Tamil, features Preethi Asrani as the female lead. Filmmaker Alphonse Puthren plays the role of a ruthless gangster named Soda Babu. Tamil actor Shanthnu Bhagyaraj also essays a prominent role in the film, which also features many national and state-level kabaddi players.
Sai Abhyankkar, currently among the most sought-after composers in Tamil cinema, is making his Malayalam debut with Balti, handling both the film's music and background score. The makers have got Shivkumar V Panicker, best known for work in Kill and Uri: The Surgical Strike, to edit the film. Alex J Pulickal, who also shot Shane's RDX, is the cinematographer.
Besides Balti, Shane has a few other films with debutant directors lined up. Haal, a romantic drama directed by Veeraa, is expected to be released next. He also has El Clasico with Rosh Rasheed and a film with Jeethu Joseph's former assistant Martin Joseph.