Rathna Kumar’s ‘29’: A Soul-Searching Love Story Set Before the Age of Dating Apps

Filmmaker Rathna Kumar is back with a new project titled 29, produced by Kaarthikeyan S under the Stone Bench banner, created by Karthik Subbaraj along with Lokesh Kanagaraj’s G Squad. The makers unveiled the title through a three-minute teaser introducing Vidhu (of Retro and Jigarthanda Double X fame) and Preethi Asrani as the lead pair.

The teaser begins with a woman asking several people a simple yet profound question: “Who are you?” While the people respond with their names and professions, she points out that none of them explain their real identity. The question eventually reaches Vidhu’s character, Sathya, who admits he doesn’t know, revealing his inner conflict. His life takes a turn when he meets Preethi Asrani’s character, and their intense gaze hints at the beginning of a tender romance. The film unfolds in a time before modern dating apps like Tinder and Bumble existed.

Sharing the teaser, the makers described Sathya as a 29-year-old who moves to Chennai in search of work but never manages to secure a stable job. He keeps returning to his hometown for festivals and elections, making him one among thousands of migrants trying to find their place in the city.

29 marks Rathna Kumar’s return to direction after Gulu Gulu (2022). He previously contributed dialogues for films like Master and Vikram. The cast also includes Master Mahendran, Avinash, Shenaz Fathima, and Premkumar.

The technical crew features music by Sean Roldan, cinematography by Madhesh Manickam, and editing by RS Sathish Kumar. The film will release in both Tamil and Telugu. The release date is yet to be announced.