The sound of Malaysian cinema is about to get louder. Banduan, the highly anticipated action thriller directed by Kroll Azry and starring Aaron Aziz, will hit cinemas nationwide on 6 November 2025. Even before its local debut, the film has already drawn the attention of distributors in the UK, US, and Canada, marking what could be a defining leap for Malaysian storytelling on the global stage.
Starring a powerhouse ensemble including Rosyam Nor, Afdlin Shauki, Fadhli Masoot, and Adlin Aman Ramlie, Banduan fuses raw emotion with intense, tightly choreographed action. The production, backed by Number Twenty One Media and Dream Warrior Pictures, stands as a homegrown showcase of craft, scale, and ambition.
Adapted from the acclaimed 2019 Tamil blockbuster Kaithi, Banduan draws from its spirit — the story of a man caught between duty, redemption, and circumstance — but it isn’t a shot-for-shot remake. “We reimagined the story through a distinctly Malaysian lens,” said the filmmakers, “rewriting character motivations, relationships, and key sequences to reflect our social and cultural realities.” Set over one tense night, the film follows Dali, a former prisoner on a desperate mission to reunite with his daughter, and Inspector Johari, a police officer racing against time to save his poisoned comrades. Together, they must face off against Rejab, a ruthless gang leader played by Abi Madyan, in a battle where law, loyalty, and survival collide.
One of the biggest creative challenges was balancing homage and originality, given Kaithi’s cult following. The team reimagined the story through a Malaysian lens, exploring how incarceration, authority, and redemption manifest locally. Banduan carries a distinctly Malaysian texture in its language, visuals, and emotions. At its core, the film reflects Malaysia’s moral greys, humour under pressure, and the belief that redemption can be both spiritual and grounded.
Leading man Aaron Aziz approached the role of Dali with both discipline and depth. Beyond physical preparation and tactical training, he also took lessons on lorry driving for the film, a first in his acting career. “Aaron brought quiet strength and humanity to Dali,” said the director.
The film also sets the stage for something unprecedented — the beginning of Malaysia’s first cinematic universe. Like Kaithi before it, Banduan was crafted with narrative headroom, a world rich enough to expand into sequels or spin-offs if audiences connect with it. “That’s certainly the long-term ambition,” said the producers. “We’ve built enough depth in its world, supporting characters, and institutional backdrop to evolve into a broader universe if the audience embraces it. But first, Banduan must stand on its own as a complete, emotionally grounded story.”
In Malaysia, Banduan will be distributed by Astro Shaw, with a simultaneous release in Malaysia and Brunei on 6 November, followed by Singapore on 13 November. The film is also set to premiere at the International Film Festival of Australia, marking its international debut.
“We’ve been in discussions with several distributors in the UK, US, and Canada — and we were honestly surprised by the level of interest,” said Kalyana Devan, Producer and Executive Producer of Banduan. “They had seen the original Tamil blockbuster and were curious about how we’ve reimagined it for Malaysian audiences. For us, this marks a new milestone — the first Malay-language action thriller to spark international distribution interest. It’s an exciting time not just for our film, but for Malaysian cinema as a whole.”
With its mix of pulse-pounding action and emotional honesty, Banduan aims to redefine what Malaysian cinema can be — local in its voice, global in its vision. Banduan opens in cinemas nationwide on 6 November 2025.
