NEW DELHI : Kamal Haasan and director S Shankar’s Indian 3 is finally back on track. The third instalment of the Indian franchise, which was feared to have been shelved following the underwhelming theatrical performance of Indian 2, is now moving into post-production, with Haasan set to reprise his role in the vigilante saga.
The makers have confirmed that work on Indian 3 has begun, putting an end to months of uncertainty surrounding the project. Shankar has written and directed the film, while Kamal Haasan returns in the lead. A release date is yet to be announced.
The makers made the announcement regarding Indian 3’s status on social media, writing in the caption, “Senapathy is back with zero tolerance. The resurgence begins in Indian 3: War Mode.” They shared a poster featuring what seems to be three different characters played by Kamal Haasan, with one of them being Senapathy.
The uncertainty around Indian 3 was understandable. The film was originally conceived as a direct continuation of Indian 2, with portions of the two films shot simultaneously. In fact, Indian 2 ended with a glimpse of the third instalment, teasing the backstory of Senapathy and introducing Veerasekaran Balram, his father.
However, Indian 2, released in July 2024, failed to live up to the enormous expectations surrounding it. The film, which reportedly had a budget of around Rs 250 crore, received largely negative reviews for its screenplay and execution. It was also among the major big-budget disappointments of 2024, with reports putting its worldwide gross at around Rs 148-151 crore.
The film’s box-office trajectory only intensified concerns. Indian 2 opened strongly but saw a sharp drop in collections soon after its release. On its first Monday, the film reportedly collected just Rs 3.15 crore nett (gross minus taxes) in India, following an opening of Rs 25.6 crore on Friday.
About the Indian franchise
The Indian franchise began in 1996, when Kamal Haasan and Shankar came together for a vigilante drama that became a major success. Haasan played dual roles as Senapathy, a former freedom fighter and martial arts expert who takes the law into his own hands, and his corrupt son Chandru. The film combined Shankar’s large-scale commercial filmmaking with a story rooted in corruption and social accountability. It went on to win multiple National Film Awards, including Best Actor for Haasan.
Nearly three decades later, Indian 2 brought Senapathy back. The story once again centred on his fight against corruption, this time in a world shaped by social media and public outrage. Siddharth, Kajal Aggarwal, Priya Bhavani Shankar, Bobby Simha and SJ Suryah were among the prominent members of the cast.
The sequel’s ending, however, made it clear that Senapathy’s story was far from over.
Indian 3 will shift the timeline significantly as it explores Veerasekaran Balram, Senapathy’s father. Haasan will play the freedom fighter, adding a historical dimension to the franchise while continuing the story established in Indian 2.
The third film will also bring back Siddharth, Kajal Aggarwal, Priya Bhavani Shankar, Bobby Simha and SJ Suryah in their respective roles. Anirudh Ravichander is the composer, Ravi Varman is the cinematographer and Muthuraj Thangavel is the production designer. Subaskaran and GKM Tamil Kumaran are producing the film under the Lyca Productions banner.
