"Last Man in Tower," an adaptation of Aravind Adiga's novel directed by Ben Rekhi, will open in Indian theaters on Sept. 11. The film is produced by Rana Daggubati's Spirit Media and marks the first time Bajpayee and co-star Boman Irani have worked together.
The screenplay was written by Sooni Taraporevala, with Hindi-language dialogue by Juhi Chaturvedi. Divya Dutta completes the principal cast, with Sukant Goel also featured.
The story follows Masterji, a retired schoolteacher whose refusal to comply with those around him creates conflict with his community. His quiet resistance forces neighbors, including Mrs. Puri, to reckon with their own choices and compromises as an offer of change tests what each is willing to hold on to.
Director Rekhi is a Los Angeles-based filmmaker whose previous credits include the SXSW Audience Award-winning "Waterborne" and "Watch List," which earned 11 nominations at the Filipino Oscars and won two. His documentary short "The Breakthrough Group" was qualified for the 2026 Academy Awards in the best documentary short subject category. "Last Man in Tower" is his sixth feature.
The release marks a milestone for Spirit Media, founded by Daggubati in 2005, as the Hyderabad-based company's first Hindi feature production. Music is by Govind Vasantha, with cinematography by Rangarajan Ramabadran. Additional producers are Guneet Dogra and Pratiksha Rao.
