For debutant director Unni Sivalingam, cinema was never about playing safe. It was about finding a story that thrilled him enough to push the boundaries of his imagination. That spark arrived with Balti, a Tamil-Malayalam bilingual that promises to blend the grit of sports with the adrenaline of action. “When someone chooses a story for their debut, I feel they should pick one that excites them the most,” he explains. “With Balti, it was the action that pulled me in. The story is about four friends, kabaddi players with their own signature moves. But the real drama begins when the game spills beyond the court, forcing them to face gangsters.”

While filmmakers often have the pressure of proving themselves with their debut, the responsibility is double for Unni, as Balti marks Shane Nigam's 25th film. When Unni first approached Shane for a narration, the latter was very clear about his vision for his milestone film. "Shane was very clear that the project had to strike a balance between class and mass—commercially strong enough for a good theatrical release. In fact, he told me that if my story didn’t have those elements, I needn’t even narrate it to him" (laughs). However, as the narration progressed, Shane was impressed. "What was meant to be a 2-hour narration stretched to over 3 hours, followed by a detailed discussion that went on for another 4. That very day, I realised our wavelengths matched," says Unni, who now calls Shane 'machan'.

Along with Shane, Balti also stars Shanthnu Bhagyaraj and Preethi Asrani in prominent roles. For Shanthnu, the film comes after another sports film, Blue Star. "While Blue Star is entirely cricket-based, in Balti, kabaddi is only one aspect of the story," assures Shanthnu, who further divulges details about the story. "The film really revolves around four boys, their friendship, and the gangsters who dominate their region. So it becomes a healthy mix of sports, action, and drama." When it comes to Kabaddi, Tamil cinema already has Ghilli, starring Vijay—a film that sets the bar high for any other film on the sport. In fact, even Unni echoes this sentiment, as he says, "We cannot compete with Ghilli, because the Vijay factor won't be there." Shanthnu further explains how the two films are completely different. "In Ghilli, kabaddi was approached more from a commercial angle. But in Balti, our focus was on authenticity—we wanted to portray the sport as it’s truly played. We even underwent training to ensure the game’s techniques and spirit were shown realistically."

To bring authenticity to the kabaddi sequences in Balti, the team underwent rigorous training. Shanthnu recalls, “We trained close to six hours every day under a coach, alongside professional players—many of whom also appear in the film. My speciality was the dash move, so I studied players known for it to pick up their body language. Even though there are only two kabaddi sequences in the film, we wanted them to look as real as possible.” Director Unni Sivalingam adds that some of these scenes were shot in single takes, leaving no room for mistakes. To ensure accuracy, the actors trained under Kerala state coach Ramesh, and instead of preparing a group of actors, the team chose to bring in official players. “The players were very clear—they would only train us if the sport was portrayed truthfully. While we focused on continuity in the scene, the coach made sure continuity of the game was intact.” Shanthnu points out that this commitment extended even to the smallest details. “We had a real referee on set, and he never let us bend the rules for cinematic convenience. He’d correct us if anything strayed from how the sport is actually played.”

While Ghilli and Balti are very different, Shanthnu shares a key behind-the-scenes connection between the two. "We did share a small behind-the-scenes connection with Ghilli. Unni would often play the iconic ‘Kabaddi Kabaddi’ song on set to hype us up and lift our spirits. No matter how tired we were, that song never failed to energise us," he discloses.

For Preethi, Balti comes a week after the release of Kiss, both tonally very different films. Her characters too are poles apart, which Shanthnu describes as "Preethi 2.0". "Kiss and Balti are worlds apart. Kiss is rooted in dance and belongs to the rom-com space. In Balti, though, I play a very reserved character, and my performance had to be subtle, closer to the metre of Malayalam cinema. Even I can’t believe how I managed to pull off such a role, because it’s such a contrast to who I am in real life," she confides. The two films were initially meant to release months apart, but production delays and other factors have brought them closer. Speaking about it, Preethi says, "The fact that both films are releasing around the same time is a coincidence, but I see it as a blessing—the audience gets to see two completely different sides of me."

Once the lead cast for Balti was set, Unni says he wanted to have powerful figures playing villains. Unni didn’t just look to actors for his antagonists—he turned to filmmakers. In Balti, the menacing shades are carried by none other than Selvaraghavan and Alphonse Puthren. Unni wanted Selvaraghavan to play the character for a reason. "For the role, I wanted someone who appeared simple yet carried an air of mystery, and he felt like the perfect fit. I was also looking for unpredictability in that character, and being a big fan of his work, I even told him upfront that if he noticed any shades of Pudhupettai in Balti, I owed him an apology." Alphonse, on the other hand, plays an absurd villain who murders someone with one hand and picks up a teacup in another, in his character glimpse. "With Alphonse sir, his role may be smaller, but it’s a hyperactive character—something I knew he could pull off brilliantly," says Unni, who adds that he brings a cryptically funny energy to the character.

Preethi, whose Tamil debut is still fresh, has been consistently collaborating with debutant and up-and-coming filmmakers. On why she gravitates towards films by relatively new directors, she says, “Today, it’s impossible to predict whether a film will succeed or not. For me, it always comes down to the content and the passion of the filmmaker during the narration. When Unni Chetta narrated Balti, I could clearly see the vision he had. He even took the time to explain scenes where I wasn’t present, which showed his clarity and commitment. More than anything, I feel grateful to these debut directors for trusting that I can do justice to their characters.” Shanthnu adds that the credibility of the script is evident in the fact that filmmakers like Selvaraghavan and Alphonse were drawn to be part of the project.

While Preethi is making her Malayalam debut with Balti, this is a sophomore outing for Shanthnu in the industry after 2009's Angel John. Speaking about his experience working in the industry, he says, "One thing that has not changed in Malayalam cinema from 2009 to now is their working style. In Tamil cinema, there’s a 9-6 call sheet, while in Malayalam cinema, it is 9-9. I love this packed work schedule because I love working. For some others, this is a little hectic."