When Sandeep Sunkad broke onto the scene with Shakhahaari, it was a confined thriller, set within the humid walls of a Malnad kitchen. With his second directorial venture, Pabbar, the filmmaker is widening his canvas. Produced under Geetha Shivarajkumar’s Geetha Pictures banner, the crime-adventure thriller is now officially slated to hit theatres on December 11.

The makers announced the release date around the Dasara festivities. The film stars Dheeren Ramkumar, who dons the khaki in Pabbar. This will be the actor's second film, and he has reportedly spent months preparing for the role, undergoing a physical transformation that saw him shed nearly 10 kilograms to portray a grounded, lean police officer on the trail of a complex case.

Paired opposite Dheeren is Amrutha Prem of Tagaru Palya fame, with both actors anchoring an investigation that spans geographical terrains. The production travelled from the familiar trails of Bengaluru, Mysuru, and Madikeri to outdoor stretches in Himachal Pradesh.

The film also features an ensemble including Achyuth Kumar, Ayyappa P Sharma, Gopalkrishna Deshpande, Babu Hirannaiah, and Danny Kuttappa.

Sandeep Sunkad reunites with his core Shakhahaari collaborators, with Vishwajith Rao on cinematography and Mayur Ambekallu on music, while he takes over the editing himself.