Mandaadi is Soori’s film and Suhas’s big Tamil debut, but a lot of viewers finished it on Netflix asking the same thing: who plays Angel? That is Mahima Nambiar, the Kerala-born actress who has quietly been in Tamil cinema since she was a teenager, and who says this role was emotionally heavy enough that she would call home and cry after some scenes.
Here’s who Angel is, the full Mandaadi cast with character names, and every Mahima Nambiar film you can catch up on.
| Mandaadi | Details |
|---|---|
| Heroine | Mahima Nambiar as Angel |
| Lead | Soori as Muthukaali “Kaali” |
| Villain | Suhas as Sattapuli (his Tamil debut) |
| Director | Mathimaran Pugazhendhi |
| Music | G. V. Prakash Kumar |
| Theatrical release | 10 September 2026 |
| Netflix release | 8 October 2026 |
| Runtime | 154 minutes |
| Box office | About ₹150 crore worldwide (estimated) |
Who is Angel in Mandaadi?
Mandaadi is set in a coastal village where the temple-festival sailboat race decides everything. Kaali (Soori) was once the village’s champion sailor, and Angel is his ex-lover. When a young racer’s life is threatened and Kaali comes home to coach a new team against Sattapuli’s all-powerful Tsunami Riders, Angel becomes part of the past he has to face, including old betrayals between friends.
Mahima told DT Next the part was “truly special” and that the character’s emotional weight sometimes overwhelmed her, to the point of calling her family and breaking down after certain scenes. She credited director Mathimaran for guiding her through each of those moments. Reviews were kinder to the sea than the script: OTT Release felt the screenplay didn’t give her enough room. Her romantic track with Soori gets its own song, “Usure Needhan Pulla”, where most of the photos on this page come from.
Mandaadi cast and characters
| Actor | Character |
|---|---|
| Soori | Muthukaali “Kaali”, the Mandaadi |
| Suhas | Sattapuli, leader of the Tsunami Riders |
| Mahima Nambiar | Angel Rakkamma |
| Sathyaraj | Machamuni, the mentor (extended cameo) |
| Ravindra Vijay | Singaram |
| Mithun Jai Sankar | Maari |
| Krish Hassan | Kittaan |
| Bala Saravanan | Qatar Ravi |
Fun detail: Suhas, a Telugu star, doesn’t use his own voice in the Tamil version. Director Mathimaran dubbed for his character.
Mandaadi box office: a hit
Made on a reported budget of about ₹75 crore, Mandaadi opened with ₹6.55 crore worldwide, crossed ₹100 crore in 10 days and finished at an estimated ₹150 crore, making it the fourth-highest-grossing Tamil film of 2026. Red Giant Movies released it in Tamil Nadu and Mythri Movie Distributors handled the Telugu states.
Who is Mahima Nambiar?
Born Gopika Palat Chirakkaraveettil on 21 December 1994 and from Kasaragod in Kerala, Mahima is a trained classical dancer and singer. She debuted at 15 as Dileep’s sister in the Malayalam film Kaaryasthan (2010) and got her first lead role in the Tamil film Saattai (2012), then took a year off to finish school.
She works mostly in Tamil and Malayalam, and 2026 has been her biggest year yet: right after Mandaadi, she made her Telugu debut in Comrade Kalyan (released 9 October 2026) opposite Sree Vishnu, playing Sitara Devi, a girl from Odisha. She even learned Telugu to say her own lines.
Mahima Nambiar movies list
| Year | Film | Role | Language |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | Kaaryasthan | Radhika | Malayalam |
| 2012 | Saattai | Arivazhagi “Arivu” | Tamil |
| 2017 | Kuttram 23 | Thendral | Tamil |
| 2019 | Magamuni | Deepa | Tamil |
| 2023 | Chandramukhi 2 | Lakshmi | Tamil |
| 2023 | RDX: Robert Dony Xavier | Mini | Malayalam |
| 2023 | 800 | Madhimalar / Radhimalar | Tamil |
| 2023 | Raththam | Sangeetha | Tamil |
| 2026 | Mandaadi | Angel Rakkamma | Tamil |
| 2026 | Comrade Kalyan | Sitara Devi | Telugu |
Mandaadi and Mahima Nambiar FAQs
Who is the heroine in Mandaadi?
Mahima Nambiar plays the heroine, Angel, who is Kaali’s former love.
What is Mahima Nambiar’s character name in Mandaadi?
Angel Rakkamma in the Tamil original; the Telugu version calls her Angel Chilakamma.
Where can I watch Mandaadi?
Mandaadi streams on Netflix from 8 October 2026, after its theatrical release on 10 September 2026.
Who plays the villain in Mandaadi?
Telugu actor Suhas plays Sattapuli in his Tamil debut.
Is Mandaadi a hit?
Yes. It grossed an estimated ₹150 crore worldwide on a ₹75 crore budget.
Who composed the music for Mandaadi?
G. V. Prakash Kumar composed the music.
