Tamil director Ram's long-awaited film 'Yezhu Kadal Yezhu Malai', starring Nivin Pauly, Soori, and Anjali in the lead roles, has been cleared for theatrical release by the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) with a U/A certificate. The film is set to hit screens on 1 October 2026, ending a wait of over four years since production began.

Official Certification Announcement

Production house V Pictures confirmed the clearance on social media, writing: 'Director Ram's #YezhuKadalYezhuMalai is Censored U/A. Watch it in theatres from Oct 1, 2026!' The post also credited the film's core crew, including composer Yuvan Shankar Raja, whose musical score has been a major point of anticipation for fans.

The film was shot in Rameshwaram's Dhanushkodi beginning in 2021 and wrapped production in April 2022, making it one of Tamil cinema's more unusually prolonged post-production journeys before arriving at a release date.

What the Trailer Reveals

A release trailer dropped alongside the announcement has amplified fan excitement considerably. The trailer establishes that Nivin Pauly's character is 8,822 years old — a revelation delivered in a deadpan exchange with Soori, whose character is 32 years old by contrast. The moment sets the film's unusual tonal blend of mythology, drama, and comedy in sharp relief.

The trailer opens with Soori travelling on a train, calling a friend to say he has spotted someone unsettling in the first reserved compartment. The subsequent conversation between the two lead characters — where Nivin Pauly matter-of-factly announces his age — draws an immediate contrast between the ancient and the everyday. A line heard in the trailer underscores the film's emotional ambition: 'When 50 to 60 years of memories itself can burden a human, imagine how a man who has lived for 8,000 years will feel.'

Humour at the Heart of the Film

The trailer also signals that 'Yezhu Kadal Yezhu Malai' carries a strong comic streak, largely delivered through Soori's character. In one sequence, Soori challenges Nivin Pauly to a duel — and loses. When Nivin Pauly follows up by asking, 'Where were you in 1441?', Soori's confused counter — 'Is it 1441 BC or 1441 AD?' — plays as one of the trailer's standout moments. Another comic beat has someone threateningly asking Soori whether he was 'in the Amazon forests,' to which Soori retorts: 'Sir, I haven't even ordered anything from Amazon.'

The blend of mythological scale and grounded comedy is a hallmark of director Ram's storytelling sensibility, seen in earlier works such as 'Thanga Meengal' and 'Taramani'.

Crew and Background

The film's visuals are handled by cinematographer Ekhambharam, while the soundtrack is composed by Yuvan Shankar Raja, whose association with the project has been another draw for audiences. V Pictures, produced by Suresh Kamatchi, is behind the film. Director Ram is widely regarded as one of Tamil cinema's most distinctive auteurs, known for deeply humanistic narratives that blend social realism with spiritual undertones — making 'Yezhu Kadal Yezhu Malai' a significant creative departure into mythological territory.

With CBFC clearance now in hand and a confirmed release date of 1 October 2026, all eyes turn to how the film performs at the box office in its opening weekend.