# Dheeran (2025 film)
**Dheeran** (ധീരൻ) is a 2025 Indian Malayalam-language comedy action drama written and directed by Devadath Shaji in his directorial debut, starring Rajesh Madhavan as Eldhose, a village hero whose life unravels after he is branded a villain and declared dead.[1](https://cbfcindia.gov.in/cbfcAdmin/search-result.php?recid=Q0EwOTI0MDYyMDI1MDAwMjM%3D) It was produced by Lakshmi Warrier and Ganesh Menon under Cheers Entertainments and released in Indian theaters on 4 July 2025.[2](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt29997427/) • [3](https://www.filmibeat.com/malayalam/movies/dheeran/cast-crew.html)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Director and writer | Devadath Shaji, his directorial debut; he wrote the story, screenplay, and dialogues[1](https://cbfcindia.gov.in/cbfcAdmin/search-result.php?recid=Q0EwOTI0MDYyMDI1MDAwMjM%3D) |
| Lead and premise | Rajesh Madhavan plays Eldhose, a village hero declared dead, prompting seven eccentric villagers to set out to collect his body[1](https://cbfcindia.gov.in/cbfcAdmin/search-result.php?recid=Q0EwOTI0MDYyMDI1MDAwMjM%3D) |
| Release | 4 July 2025 (India), Malayalam language, 2h 17m (137 minutes)[2](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt29997427/) |
| Certification | CBFC UA 16+, certificate DIL/7/46/2025-THI, dated 1 July 2025, certified length 137.10 minutes[1](https://cbfcindia.gov.in/cbfcAdmin/search-result.php?recid=Q0EwOTI0MDYyMDI1MDAwMjM%3D) |
| Key crew | Music Mujeeb Majeed; cinematography Harikrishnan Lohithadas; editing Finn George Varghese[3](https://www.filmibeat.com/malayalam/movies/dheeran/cast-crew.html) |
| Streaming | Sun NXT and OTTplay Premium from 22 August 2025[4](https://www.ottplay.com/news/dheeran-out-on-ott-where-how-to-watch-rajesh-madhavan-malayalam-movie/c5187e185c974) |
| Audience score | IMDb 6.0/10 from about 1,600 votes; worldwide gross $59,250[2](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt29997427/) |
## Spoilers
### Plot
According to the [Central Board of Film Certification](https://www.edgepedia.org/central-board-of-film-certification) record, Dheeran is a comedy about Eldhose, a village hero whose life turns into a series of epic misfires. Branded a villain and declared dead, he sets off a chain of chaos, and seven eccentric villagers embark on a road trip to collect his body, uncovering secrets and surprises along the way.[1](https://cbfcindia.gov.in/cbfcAdmin/search-result.php?recid=Q0EwOTI0MDYyMDI1MDAwMjM%3D) Reviews add detail: Eldhose, once honored with a President's Medal for bravery, works in Chennai as a henchman for a businessman played by Vineeth, and when news of his death reaches his village, relatives including Jagadish, Ashokan, and Sudheesh travel by ambulance to reclaim the body.[5](https://www.onmanorama.com/entertainment/movie-reviews/2025/07/04/dheeran-malayalam-movie-rajesh-madhavan-devadath-shaji-movie-review.html) The British Board of Film Classification describes the film as a drama about a man's experiences of being a hero and an outcast in his village leading him to take justice into his own hands.[6](https://www.bbfc.co.uk/release/dheeran-q29sbgvjdglvbjpwwc0xmdmxmdu2)
## Production
**Development and crew.** Devadath Shaji began his film career in 2019 as an assistant director on [Kumbalangi Nights](https://www.edgepedia.org/kumbalangi-nights), worked with [Amal Neerad](https://www.edgepedia.org/amal-neerad), and co-wrote the Mammootty-starrer Bheeshma Parvam before directing Dheeran.[7](https://www.cinemaexpress.com/malayalam/interviews/2025/Jul/03/dheeran-director-devadath-shaji-the-beauty-of-cinema-is-that-everything-is-beyond-our-judgement) He has said the idea came from a 2003 incident in his native Panichayam in Perumbavoor, though the story itself is fiction.[7](https://www.cinemaexpress.com/malayalam/interviews/2025/Jul/03/dheeran-director-devadath-shaji-the-beauty-of-cinema-is-that-everything-is-beyond-our-judgement) Shooting was completed in January 2025 after 60 days on floors.[8](https://www.cinemaexpress.com/malayalam/news/2025/Jan/11/shoot-completed-for-devadath-shajis-dheeran)
**Casting.** Shaji described the film as bringing together three generations of performers: Rajesh Madhavan in the lead alongside veterans of 1980s and 1990s [Malayalam cinema](https://www.edgepedia.org/malayalam-cinema), including Jagadish, Manoj K Jayan, Ashokan, Sudheesh, and Vineeth, plus younger actors such as [Shabareesh Varma](https://www.edgepedia.org/shabareesh-varma) and Abhiram Radhakrishnan.[7](https://www.cinemaexpress.com/malayalam/interviews/2025/Jul/03/dheeran-director-devadath-shaji-the-beauty-of-cinema-is-that-everything-is-beyond-our-judgement) • [3](https://www.filmibeat.com/malayalam/movies/dheeran/cast-crew.html) He cited the comedy duo Siddique-Lal as an influence on the film's tonality.[7](https://www.cinemaexpress.com/malayalam/interviews/2025/Jul/03/dheeran-director-devadath-shaji-the-beauty-of-cinema-is-that-everything-is-beyond-our-judgement)
## Release
The film was certified UA 16+ by the CBFC's Thiruvananthapuram regional office on 1 July 2025 and opened in Indian theaters on 4 July 2025.[1](https://cbfcindia.gov.in/cbfcAdmin/search-result.php?recid=Q0EwOTI0MDYyMDI1MDAwMjM%3D) • [2](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt29997427/) In the United Kingdom it was classified by the BBFC on 1 July 2025 for cinema release on 5 July 2025, distributed by TTT Entertainment, with content advice covering violence, injury detail, threat, sexual harassment, and strong language.[6](https://www.bbfc.co.uk/release/dheeran-q29sbgvjdglvbjpwwc0xmdmxmdu2) Rotten Tomatoes lists Phars Film as distributor for its limited theatrical release.[9](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/dheeran_2025) After its theatrical run, Dheeran began streaming on Sun NXT and OTTplay Premium on 22 August 2025, about seven weeks after release.[4](https://www.ottplay.com/news/dheeran-out-on-ott-where-how-to-watch-rajesh-madhavan-malayalam-movie/c5187e185c974)
## Reception
**Box office.** IMDb lists a worldwide gross of $59,250.[2](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt29997427/)
**Critical response.** Reviews were mixed. S. R. Praveen of The Hindu wrote that the film works partly when it banks on rustic humor but loses its way midway through.[9](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/dheeran_2025) The Cinema Express review rated it 3 out of 5, crediting the veteran ensemble's timing and chemistry while finding the second-hour gangster subplot rushed and undercooked.[10](https://www.cinemaexpress.com/malayalam/review/2025/Jul/04/dheeran-movie-review-veteran-ensemble-keeps-this-bumpy-ride-on-course) Onmanorama praised the casting of Jagadish, Ashokan, Manoj K Jayan, and Sudheesh and the film's balance of humor and heavier moments.[5](https://www.onmanorama.com/entertainment/movie-reviews/2025/07/04/dheeran-malayalam-movie-rajesh-madhavan-devadath-shaji-movie-review.html) [The Indian Express](https://www.edgepedia.org/the-indian-express) gave 1.5 out of 5, criticizing the performances, while the Times of India gave 2.0 out of 5.[11](https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/movie-review/dheeran-movie-review-a-trip-to-the-80s-and-90s-you-didnt-ask-for-10105251/lite/) • [12](https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/malayalam/movie-details/dheeran/movieshow/122049632.cms) On IMDb the film holds a 6.0/10 rating from about 1,600 users.[2](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt29997427/)
## References
1. [Dheeran, CBFC film certification record](https://cbfcindia.gov.in/cbfcAdmin/search-result.php?recid=Q0EwOTI0MDYyMDI1MDAwMjM%3D)
2. [Dheeran (2025), IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt29997427/)
3. [Dheeran Cast & Crew, FilmiBeat](https://www.filmibeat.com/malayalam/movies/dheeran/cast-crew.html)
4. [Dheeran out on OTT, OTTplay](https://www.ottplay.com/news/dheeran-out-on-ott-where-how-to-watch-rajesh-madhavan-malayalam-movie/c5187e185c974)
5. ['Dheeran' movie review, Onmanorama](https://www.onmanorama.com/entertainment/movie-reviews/2025/07/04/dheeran-malayalam-movie-rajesh-madhavan-devadath-shaji-movie-review.html)
6. [Dheeran, British Board of Film Classification](https://www.bbfc.co.uk/release/dheeran-q29sbgvjdglvbjpwwc0xmdmxmdu2)
7. [Dheeran director Devadath Shaji interview, Cinema Express](https://www.cinemaexpress.com/malayalam/interviews/2025/Jul/03/dheeran-director-devadath-shaji-the-beauty-of-cinema-is-that-everything-is-beyond-our-judgement)
8. [Shoot completed for Devadath Shaji's Dheeran, Cinema Express](https://www.cinemaexpress.com/malayalam/news/2025/Jan/11/shoot-completed-for-devadath-shajis-dheeran)
9. [Dheeran (2025), Rotten Tomatoes](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/dheeran_2025)
10. [Dheeran Movie Review, Cinema Express](https://www.cinemaexpress.com/malayalam/review/2025/Jul/04/dheeran-movie-review-veteran-ensemble-keeps-this-bumpy-ride-on-course)
11. [Dheeran movie review, The Indian Express](https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/movie-review/dheeran-movie-review-a-trip-to-the-80s-and-90s-you-didnt-ask-for-10105251/lite/)
12. [Dheeran, Times of India eTimes](https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/malayalam/movie-details/dheeran/movieshow/122049632.cms)
---
*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) › Malayalam films of the 2020s › Malayalam films of 2025*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 3, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 3, 2026; Oct 15, 2026; Oct 21, 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