After ‘Dorothy’, Karthik Subbaraj’s next to star Upendra, Prabhu Deva and Atharvaa

Karthik Subbaraj’s Dorothyhas spurred a widespread discussion on social media, ever since it hit the screens on September 25, 2026. The Tamil filmmaker, who received a standing ovation at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) premiere of Dorothy, has begun work on his next.

Talking to The Hollywood Reporter India, Karthik said he is currently directing a film for Netflix. “The movie stars Upendra sir, Prabhu Deva sir, and Atharvaa,” the filmmaker said. “I completed the first schedule of shoot for the movie before beginning promotions for Dorothy.”

Karthik said that the movie is based on a dance form. “It’s not my story, but I liked it a lot. The movie is adapted from a book,” said the director, who added that it’s a rural drama. “The film is about an art form, but it is treated commercially, with action involved. We did the pre-production and completed the first scheduled before I set out to promote Dorothy. We have one more schedule left.”

With this project, Upendra returns to Tamil cinema after his appearance in Coolie, Rajinikanth’s crime drama directed by Lokesh Kanagaraj. The 2025 film also starred Aamir Khan, Sathyaraj, Sruti Haasan, Nagarjuna Akkineni, and Soubin Shahir. Prabhu Deva had previously collaborated withKarthik in Mercury (2018), the silent horror drama.

ALSO READ: ‘Meesaya Murukku 2’ movie review: Hiphop Tamizha Adhi’s gaana-driven underdog tale struggles to find rhythm

Meanwhile, Karthik’s Dorothy has opened up conversations about queer identities and representation in Tamil cinema. The movie stars Sananth, Rishikanth, and Keerthy Suresh in lead roles. Music maestro Ilaiyaraaja has composed the music for the movie.

The Hindu review of the movie said, “For many years, Tamil queer audiences who took a liking to World Cinema titles such as All About My Mother and A Fantastic Woman have yearned for a queer film that reflects their lives with accurate representation. Dorothy might be the start of a queer revolution in mainstream Tamil cinema, and Karthik has shown real effort to understand some of what queer life in India means. The film allows you to understand the importance of pronouns, while a scene featuring a scorpion illustrates that even Nature is fluid.”