The Mandela film takes place in a rural village where two political parties are vying for power in the panchayat elections, with the fate of the election hinging on a local barber’s vote. The movie premiered on Star Vijay on April 4, 2021, and was released internationally on Netflix the following day. It was met with critical acclaim, with praise for its script, performances, and technical aspects. The film was shortlisted as one of 14 Indian films to be nominated for Best Foreign Film at the 94th Academy Awards, set to take place in mid-2022. The Mandela film also won two awards at the 68th National Film Awards: Best Debut Film of a Director and Best Screenplay (Dialogues), both of which were awarded to Madonne Ashwin.
| Genre | Political satire |
|---|---|
| Written by | Madonne Ashwin |
| Directed by | Madonne Ashwin |
| Starring | Yogi Babu, Sheela Rajkumar, Sangili Murugan, G. M. Sundar, Kanna Ravi, Senthi Kumari, George Maryan, Deepa Shankar, |
| Music by | Bharath Sankar |
| Country of origin | India |
| Original language | Tamil |