Balti 2025 || Shane Nigam || Shanthanu Bhagyaraj || Preethi Asrani || Poornima Indrajith

Balti is a 2025 Indian Malayalam-language action drama film written and directed by debutant Unni Sivalingam. Produced by STK Frames and Binu George Alexander Productions, the film stars Shane Nigam, Shanthanu Bhagyaraj, and Preethi Asrani with Alphonse Puthren and Poornima Indrajith in supporting roles. As the film's setting was in the Kerala-Tamil Nadu border, the dialogues were in Malayalam and Tamil languages. The film also marked Shanthanu's comeback in Malayalam cinema after 16 years.

The film was officially announced in July 2024 under the tentative title Shane Nigam 25, as it is the actor's 25th film in a leading role, and the official title was announced in June 2025. Principal photography took place from December 2024 to March 2025 across Coimbatore, Palakkad and Pollachi. The film has music composed by Sai Abhyankkar in his feature film debut, with cinematography handled by Alex J. Pulickal and editing by Shivkumar V. Panicker.

In the town of Velampalayam, illegal finance operations and land dealings are controlled by three influential figures Porthamarai Bhairavan, Soda Babu and the calculating G-Maa.

Udhayan, also known as Balti, is a passionate kabaddi player who lives with his mother and shares a close bond with his friends Kumar (also called Dash), Ramesh, Mani, and Pratheep. The group gains recognition after defeating Porthamarai Bhairavan's kabaddi team in a local tournament. Humiliated by the defeat, Bhairavan's men attempt to assault the boys but are beaten back.

Impressed by their strength and unity, Bhairavan invites them to represent his Porthamarai team in an upcoming tournament. The boys accept the offer and eventually win the championship title for him. Soon after, Bhairavan's vehicle is seized by Soda Babu's gang following a dispute. Kumar volunteers to retrieve it and successfully confronts Soda Babu's men. Pleased with his loyalty, Bhairavan gifts the vehicle to the group and gradually draws them into his illegal finance network, assigning them to recover loans from borrowers.

As Bhairavan's financial empire expands, a poor borrower is publicly humiliated for failing to repay a high-interest loan. Stripped and shamed before his family, the man attempts suicide by jumping in front of a moving vehicle, resulting in the amputation of his leg. He is later revealed to be the brother of Kaveri, Udhayan's love interest. Enraged by the incident and Kaveri's subsequent threats from Bhairavan's associate Sampath to withdraw the legal complaint, Udhayan turns against Bhairavan.

Meanwhile, Udhayan's mother is murdered by Soda Babu's henchmen. Influenced by G-Maa, who secretly provides him with weapons, Udhayan seeks revenge and kills Soda Babu.

Later, G-Maa warns Kumar that Bhairavan's men are planning an attack on their lodge. Simultaneously, Udhayan receives a call from Sampath informing him that Bhairavan is approaching with a large group and that one among his own friends has been acting as an informer.