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“Baahubali” star Rana Daggubati‘s Spirit Media is making a leap into Hindi-language cinema with an adaptation of Booker winner Aravind Adiga’s acclaimed novel “Last Man in Tower,” starring Manoj Bajpayee and directed by Ben Rekhi.
The announcement comes as part of a five-film slate spanning the Tamil, Telugu and Hindi languages that the Hyderabad-based studio unveiled, just ahead of the release of its first home production, “Kaantha,” the Tamil period-noir drama thriller starring Dulquer Salmaan.
The untitled adaptation of “Last Man in Tower” marks a significant milestone for Spirit Media as it expands beyond South Indian cinema. The film delves into the moral compromises that accompany ambition, the fragility of human relationships under pressure and the shifting fabric of contemporary India.
“With ‘Kaantha’ releasing soon, I’m thrilled to announce Spirit’s Hindi production debut with the adaptation of ‘Last Man in Tower,’” said Daggubati, founder of Spirit Media. “Manoj Bajpayee has played so many iconic roles, and to partner with him on a story like this — we couldn’t have had a better team of collaborators to do our first Hindi film with.”
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“With ‘Kaantha,’ the adaptation of ‘Last Man in Tower,’ and the other films we’re supporting in different capacities — have all given us a chance to partner with different creative teams — directors, writers and producers. Our goal remains to shape Spirit Media into a creative home for independent producers, a space that nurtures collaboration and storytelling across industries and languages.”
Bajpayee spoke to the weight of adapting such material. “When a book with such depth moves to screen, the responsibility is both meaningful and inspiring,” he said. “And with Rana Daggubati’s studio behind it, there is a strong sense of purpose and backing. Their belief in sincere storytelling gives the film the space and confidence it deserves. Working with Ben Rekhi has been a very rewarding experience.”
Director Rekhi praised the source material: “Aravind Adiga is one of the greatest writers of our generation, and once again he is ahead of his time. I’m so thrilled to have worked with such incredible collaborators to bring his brilliant book to life.”
The slate also includes “Kaantha,” set for release Nov. 14, which reunites Spirit Media with Dulquer Salmaan. “I heard the story of ‘Kaantha’ in 2019 and fell in love instantly,” Salmaan said. “It truly is a labour of love and one of the most special films in my career. The process of partnering with newer creative talent and Rana as a producer has been a really fulfilling experience.”
Rounding out the lineup are Telugu-language productions “Dark Chocolate,” a pulpy thriller dark-comedy co-produced with Waltair Productions; “Psyche Siddharth,” a debut feature that Spirit Media will present and distribute; and “Premante,” a love-comedy-thriller backed by the studio and debut producer Jhanvi Narang.
Spirit Media has positioned itself as a champion of independent cinema, recently backing Cannes winner “All We Imagine As Light” and Sundance winner “Cactus Pears” for theatrical distribution across India.
Founded in 2005, Spirit Media specializes in original content development and distribution, talent management and creative brand marketing services, with headquarters in Hyderabad.
