After a long gap, Malayalam actioner ‘Balti’ is gearing up to entertain the audience on OTT. starring Shane Nigam at the top, the Malayalam action drama combines sports, crime and emotional relationships against the backdrop of the Kerala-Tamil Nadu border.
Where to play “Balti”
Streaming platform Sony LIV has officially announced that Balti will release on July 10.Sharing the update, the platform wrote, “Get ready for a full action movie! #Balti streaming from 10th July only on Sony LIV.” The film will be released in Malayalam, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada and Hindi. The film hits the big screens on September 25, 2025 and reports say that the makers were trying for the OTT release for several months as they finally set the date and streaming platform now.
A story of friendship, Kabaddi and crime
Written and directed by debutant Unni Sivalingam, ‘Balti’ follows the life of Udhayan, who is fondly known as Balti. He is a talented kabaddi player from Velampalayam village. He shares a close relationship with his mother and friends.His life changes drastically after his team wins a local kabaddi tournament. The victory unexpectedly brings him into contact with Porthamarai Bhairavan. The rest of the story combines action, excitement and impressive performances. Even with a good plot, ‘Balti’ unfortunately did not perform well at the box office.Cast and technical teamShane Nigam leads the cast alongside Shanthanu BhagyarajPreethi Asrani, Alphonse Puthren, Selvaraghavan and Poornima Indrajith.‘Balti’ marks the directorial debut of Unni Sivalingam, who has also written the screenplay.The visuals of the film were captured by cinematographer Alex J. Pulickal, while Shivkumar V. Panicker handled the editing. The music was composed by Sai Abhyankkar, and his song ‘Jalakkari’ trended.
Critical response to the film
‘Balti’ received a mixed response from critics, with several critics appreciating its kabaddi sequences and technical strengths.ETimes awarded the film three stars out of five and wrote, “The Kabaddi sequences were shot quite excitingly and it’s a shame that the second half didn’t continue to weave the sport into the script. Balti could have worked as a sports film with its well-shot and exciting kabaddi scenes. Also, Sai Abhayankar makes an amazing debut as a film composer.”Meanwhile, Shane Nigam’s latest film is ‘Dridam’.