SJ Suryah is set to return to the director’s chair with Killer, a new action film in which he also plays the lead. The project marks his first directorial venture in several years and is being produced on a large scale by Angel Studios in association with Sree Gokulam Movies.

The first look poster of Killer was unveiled on Saturday, featuring Suryah in a stylised appearance. The film also stars Preethi Asrani, known for her performance in Ayothi, as the female lead.

Killer also features music by Academy Award-winning composer A.R. Rahman. Following latest news of his collaboration with fellow Oscar-winner, Hans Zimmer, for Nitesh Tiwari’s upcoming Ramayana, Rahman’s collaboration adds significant weight to the project, which is being positioned as a high-budget, pan-India release.

SJ Suryah, who is writing and directing the film in addition to playing the lead, described Killer as a “James Bond-style” action entertainer with romantic elements reminiscent of his earlier hit Kushi. The film will be released in five languages — Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Kannada, and Hindi.

Production on Killer is currently underway, with further casting and release details expected soon. According to the makers, the story, screenplay, and dialogues are all handled by Suryah himself.