Neelira

Story:

Someetharan wrote and directed the 2026 Indian military movie Neelira, which translates to “Long Night.” The film’s ensemble cast, which includes Naveen Chandra, Sananth, Kapila Venu, Roopa Koduvayur, and Tharmeega Manimaran, is set against the backdrop of the Sri Lankan civil war. It is set in Sri Lanka and uses the Eelam dialect of Tamil.

On April 3, 2026, the movie was released in theaters. Critics gave it mostly favorable reviews, praising its accurate depiction of the effects of the fighting on civilians.

An Eelam Tamil family is getting ready for their daughter Vasuki’s wedding in Jaffna in 1988, during the Sri Lankan civil war. Due to a navigational error, a squad of Indian Peace Keeping Force (IPKF) soldiers under the command of a captain unintentionally take over the family’s house on the eve of the wedding. The soldiers take cover inside, essentially holding the family hostage, after realizing they are stuck without support and encircled by local militants.