Pradeep Ranganathan is back on the big screen with Dude, a Tamil film releasing on October 17, 2025 marking Diwali 2025. While Pradeep gained fame as actor-director with Love Today (2022), Dude like his last movie Dragon (2025) will see Pradeep play the lead act in someone else's direction. Here are 5 reasons to watch Dude in theaters: 

1. Fresh Voice in Direction

Dude marks the directorial debut of Keerthiswaran, bringing a fresh perspective to Tamil cinema. With new directors often come bold storytelling choices and narrative risks, making Dude a film that could surprise audiences seeking something beyond the usual commercial fare.

2. Strong Social Message

Pradeep Ranganathan has described Dude as a “simple Diwali film with a strong social message.” The movie promises to entertain while also touching on relevant societal themes, hopefully one against incestuous* marriages (marrying cross-cousins**, uncles, etc)—an archaic tradition followed as a norm in Tamil Nadu even in the big '25. 

*Incestous marriages or marriages between two people that are closely related by blood like cousins and uncles, increases the risk of the generations following inheriting recessive genetic disorders, because the parents are more likely to share the same recessive genes. 

 

**In Tamil Nadu, Cross-cousin marriages i.e. marriage with the child of a parent’s opposite-sex sibling is followed as a norm. So is a girl getting to marry her mother's brother. 

A balance of mass appeal and meaningful storytelling resonating with the viewers is what Dude promises. 

3. Pradeep Ranganathan’s Relatability

Pradeep Ranganathan is an actor that the gen Z audience often identifies with. Known for script choices that strike a chord with the younger audience, Pradeep Ranganathan initially rejected Dude a couple of times before coming on board, ensuring that his role would feel authentic and grounded.

4. Fun Cast

While Dude promises a rollercoaster of laughter, heartbreak, and drama, the story is supported by a fun cast that included names like Pradeep Ranganathan as Agan, Mamitha Baiju as Kural, Neha Shetty as Mudha, R. Sarathkumar as Kural's father, Hridhu Haroon, Dravid Selvam, Satya as Rahul, Rohini as Agan's mother, Aishwarya Sharma, among others. 

5. Sai Abhyankkar, Runtime

Dude has music by the up and coming talent Sai Abhyankkar. Among the Diwali releases in 2025, the U/A censored Dude also comes with the shortest runtime of 2 hours 19 minutes 41 seconds.