“Last Man in Tower,” the Aravind Adiga adaptation starring Manoj Bajpayee, is headed to Indian theaters this September and has unveiled its first teaser.

The film, directed by Ben Rekhi and produced by Rana Daggubati‘s Spirit Media, will mark the first time Bajpayee and co-star Boman Irani have shared the screen.

Adapted from Adiga’s novel of the same name – the author also wrote Booker-winning “The White Tiger” – the screenplay was written by Sooni Taraporevala, with Hindi-language dialogue by Juhi Chaturvedi. Divya Dutta completes the principal trio, with Sukant Goel also in the cast.

The story follows Masterji, a retired schoolteacher whose refusal to go along with those around him places him in direct conflict with his own community. His act of quiet resistance ripples outward, throwing into relief the choices and compromises of neighbors – including Mrs. Puri – as an offer of change tests what each of them is willing to hold on to.

Rekhi said: “It’s been a deeply fulfilling experience bringing ‘Last Man in Tower’ to life with an incredible team top to bottom, from Rana Daggubati producing, to Sooni Taraporevala scripting, all based on Aravind Adiga’s incredible book. The most rewarding part has been witnessing the power of Manoj and Boman – two giants of cinema – working together for the first time in this film. Divya brings an incredible depth and emotional strength to the ensemble, and the combination of these three actors makes the world of the film particularly special. ‘Last Man in Tower’ is an urgent story about holding onto community and family through turbulent times… a story that has only become more relevant with time.”

The release will also be a milestone for Spirit Media, the Hyderabad-based company “Baahubali” star Daggubati founded in 2005: it is the outfit’s first Hindi feature production.

Daggubati said: “‘Last Man in Tower’ is a deeply human story. What drew us to it was how naturally it finds something universal in the lives of a very specific group of people. There is something very compelling about the way it explores the choices we make and the things we hold on to. The entire ensemble of cast led by Manoj, Divya, and Boman bring an incredible depth to their characters. ‘Last Man in Tower’ also marks an important milestone for Spirit Media as our first Hindi feature production, and our continued effort towards creating space for fresh new stories and voices for the big-screen audience.”

Rekhi is a Los Angeles-based director whose credits include the SXSW Audience Award-winning “Waterborne” and “Watch List,” which earned 11 nominations at the Filipino Oscars and won two. His documentary short “The Breakthrough Group” was qualified for the 2026 Academy Awards in the best documentary short subject category. “Last Man in Tower” is his sixth feature.

Music is by Govind Vasantha; cinematography by Rangarajan Ramabadran. Additional producers are Guneet Dogra and Pratiksha Rao.

“Last Man in Tower” opens in Indian theaters on Sept. 11.

Watch the teaser here: