# 29 (film)
**29** is a 2026 Indian Tamil-language coming-of-age romantic drama directed and written by Rathna Kumar, starring Vidhu and Preethi Asrani as Sathya and Viji, a couple navigating a relationship as Sathya approaches his 30th birthday.[1](https://www.cinemaexpress.com/tamil/news/2026/Apr/20/rathna-kumars-29-gets-a-release-date) • [2](https://www.bbfc.co.uk/release/29-q29sbgvjdglvbjpwwc0xmte2oti0) It was released in Indian theaters on 8 May 2026 and began streaming on Netflix on 5 June 2026.[1](https://www.cinemaexpress.com/tamil/news/2026/Apr/20/rathna-kumars-29-gets-a-release-date) • [3](https://www.gadgets360.com/entertainment/news/29-ott-release-date-when-and-where-to-watch-vidhu-and-preethi-asrani-s-romantic-drama-online-11598913)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Director and writer | Rathna Kumar, his first film as director since *Gulu Gulu* (2022)[1](https://www.cinemaexpress.com/tamil/news/2026/Apr/20/rathna-kumars-29-gets-a-release-date) |
| Lead cast | Vidhu as Sathya, Preethi Asrani as Viji (Vijayalakshmi)[1](https://www.cinemaexpress.com/tamil/news/2026/Apr/20/rathna-kumars-29-gets-a-release-date) • [4](https://www.justwatch.com/us/movie/29) |
| Producers | Lokesh Kanagaraj, Kaarthekeyen Santhanam, and Karthik Subbaraj, through G Squad and Stone Bench[5](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/29) |
| Theatrical release | 8 May 2026, India, United States, United Kingdom, and Australia (limited)[1](https://www.cinemaexpress.com/tamil/news/2026/Apr/20/rathna-kumars-29-gets-a-release-date) • [6](https://www.the-numbers.com/movie/29-%282026-India%29) |
| Streaming | Netflix, from 5 June 2026[3](https://www.gadgets360.com/entertainment/news/29-ott-release-date-when-and-where-to-watch-vidhu-and-preethi-asrani-s-romantic-drama-online-11598913) |
| Runtime | 147m 34s (BBFC cinema version); 138m 50s (BBFC streaming version)[2](https://www.bbfc.co.uk/release/29-q29sbgvjdglvbjpwwc0xmte2oti0) |
| Languages | Tamil, with a Telugu release and a Hindi dub[1](https://www.cinemaexpress.com/tamil/news/2026/Apr/20/rathna-kumars-29-gets-a-release-date) • [7](https://www.moviebuff.com/29) |
| Reported box office | $2,838 international total (United Kingdom $2,762; Australia $76)[6](https://www.the-numbers.com/movie/29-%282026-India%29) |
## Spoilers
### Plot
Sathya, a 29-year-old man plagued by feelings of inadequacy, dreads his looming 30th birthday until he falls in love with an ambitious woman and finds renewed purpose.[2](https://www.bbfc.co.uk/release/29-q29sbgvjdglvbjpwwc0xmte2oti0) Listings describe the story as Sathya and Viji working through their relationship: Viji confronts Sathya about his reluctance to propose, which prompts him to choose a specific place on the beach to declare his love.[8](https://elcinema.com/en/work/2099880/enrich) The film is set in a period dating culture, at a time when dating apps were not in vogue.[1](https://www.cinemaexpress.com/tamil/news/2026/Apr/20/rathna-kumars-29-gets-a-release-date)
## Production
Filming wrapped in January 2026, and the film entered post-production with dubbing still to come.[9](https://www.newsbytesapp.com/news/entertainment/rathna-kumars-29-wraps-filming-release-date-cast-teaser/tldr) The March 2026 title teaser followed 29-year-old men as they reflected on their identities in the streets of Chennai, closing with a subdued scene of the two leads on a bus.[9](https://www.newsbytesapp.com/news/entertainment/rathna-kumars-29-wraps-filming-release-date-cast-teaser/tldr) The makers announced the 8 May theatrical release date in April 2026.[1](https://www.cinemaexpress.com/tamil/news/2026/Apr/20/rathna-kumars-29-gets-a-release-date)
The film is produced by Kaarthikeyan S of the Stone Bench banner, which was created by [Karthik Subbaraj](https://www.edgepedia.org/karthik-subbaraj), together with [Lokesh Kanagaraj](https://www.edgepedia.org/lokesh-kanagaraj)'s G Squad; Rotten Tomatoes credits all three men as producers.[1](https://www.cinemaexpress.com/tamil/news/2026/Apr/20/rathna-kumars-29-gets-a-release-date) • [5](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/29) The technical team includes [Sean Roldan](https://www.edgepedia.org/sean-roldan) (music), Madhesh Manickam (cinematography), and RS Sathish Kumar (editing).[1](https://www.cinemaexpress.com/tamil/news/2026/Apr/20/rathna-kumars-29-gets-a-release-date) Besides Tamil, the film was also released in Telugu and dubbed into Hindi.[1](https://www.cinemaexpress.com/tamil/news/2026/Apr/20/rathna-kumars-29-gets-a-release-date) • [7](https://www.moviebuff.com/29)
## Release and classification
The film opened in theaters on 8 May 2026 in India, the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia, in limited release distributed by Prime Media Pictures.[6](https://www.the-numbers.com/movie/29-%282026-India%29) It carried a UA 13+ rating in India.[7](https://www.moviebuff.com/29) The British Board of Film Classification classified the cinema version, rated 12A in the UK, on 2 May 2026 for distributor TGS Cinemas Limited, with a measured length of 147m 34s.[2](https://www.bbfc.co.uk/release/29-q29sbgvjdglvbjpwwc0xmte2oti0) • [10](https://www.londonnet.co.uk/films/29/) A shorter streaming version of 138m 50s was classified on 3 June 2026 for Netflix, and the film premiered on the service on 5 June 2026.[2](https://www.bbfc.co.uk/release/29-q29sbgvjdglvbjpwwc0xmte2oti0) • [3](https://www.gadgets360.com/entertainment/news/29-ott-release-date-when-and-where-to-watch-vidhu-and-preethi-asrani-s-romantic-drama-online-11598913)
The BBFC content advice records moderate violence, including fights with kicks, punches, and strangulation and brief knife use; a prison attack; mild sex references; brief verbal references to sexual harassment; references to caste discrimination; upsetting themes of illness, abandonment, and relationship breakups; occasional smoking and drinking; and flashing images that may affect viewers susceptible to photosensitive epilepsy.[2](https://www.bbfc.co.uk/release/29-q29sbgvjdglvbjpwwc0xmte2oti0)
## Reception
Only two critic reviews are counted on Rotten Tomatoes, and they diverge. Bhuvanesh Chandar of *The Hindu* wrote that Rathna ends the film with mixed results in its ambitious exploration of identity, but that the romance subplot has a beating heart; Vishal Menon of *The Hollywood Reporter India* found the philosophical dialogues and predictable tying of loose ends made the film hard to engage with.[5](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/29) Audience responses on the site were similarly split, with some praising Vidhu's performance as Sathya and Sean Roldan's score while others found the pacing slow.[5](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/29) On BookMyShow the film held an 8.5/10 rating from more than 2,100 votes, with the most common review tags being #GreatActing, #AwesomeStory, and #SuperDirection.[11](https://in.bookmyshow.com/movies/TIRP/29/ET00497932)
## Box office
The Numbers reports no domestic (US) gross and an international total of $2,838, of which $2,762 came from the United Kingdom and $76 from Australia; Indian grosses are not included in that figure.[6](https://www.the-numbers.com/movie/29-%282026-India%29)
## References
1. [Rathna Kumar's 29 gets a release date, Cinema Express](https://www.cinemaexpress.com/tamil/news/2026/Apr/20/rathna-kumars-29-gets-a-release-date)
2. [29, British Board of Film Classification](https://www.bbfc.co.uk/release/29-q29sbgvjdglvbjpwwc0xmte2oti0)
3. [29 OTT Release Date, Gadgets 360](https://www.gadgets360.com/entertainment/news/29-ott-release-date-when-and-where-to-watch-vidhu-and-preethi-asrani-s-romantic-drama-online-11598913)
4. [29 streaming: where to watch online?, JustWatch](https://www.justwatch.com/us/movie/29)
5. [29, Rotten Tomatoes](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/29)
6. [29 (2026), The Numbers](https://www.the-numbers.com/movie/29-%282026-India%29)
7. [29 (2026), Moviebuff](https://www.moviebuff.com/29)
8. [Movie - 29 - 2026, elCinema](https://elcinema.com/en/work/2099880/enrich)
9. [Rathna Kumar's '29' wraps filming, NewsBytes](https://www.newsbytesapp.com/news/entertainment/rathna-kumars-29-wraps-filming-release-date-cast-teaser/tldr)
10. [29, LondonNet film listings](https://www.londonnet.co.uk/films/29/)
11. [29 (2026), BookMyShow](https://in.bookmyshow.com/movies/TIRP/29/ET00497932)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Films and standalone screen works › Individual films by title and year › Indian films (individual works) › Tamil films of the 2020s › Tamil films of 2026 and upcoming*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 3, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 3, 2026; Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026; Nov 1, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license