Drawing from the core premise of Rajesh Kumar’s novel, the Tamil original series is created, written and directed by Dhinakaran M. The series features Bala Hasan, Pavithra Janani, and Vinothini Vaidyanathan in lead roles
ZEE5, India’s largest homegrown video streaming platform, is all set to take audiences into a world where truth hides in plain sight, and every clue leads deeper into chaos, with the launch of Tamil original series ‘Regai’ (fingerprint), a gripping seven-episode crime thriller premiering November 28.
While the series draws its core concept from the universe crafted by celebrated crime writer Rajesh Kumar, ‘Regai’ is an originally created, written and directed by Dhinakaran M, who brings a fresh intensity and psychological depth to the narrative.
At the heart of Regai lies a chilling question: How do you solve a crime when the victims have already been declared dead? What begins as a routine chase by S.I. Vetri (Balahasan) and constable Santhiya (Pavitra Janani) spirals into a disturbing investigation. An ice-cart vendor dies accidentally while fleeing, only for Vetri to discover a severed hand hidden among melting ice. As Vetri follows the trail, he is pulled into a maze of medical trials and a sinister network where every answer opens a darker door, every survivor is more dangerous than the last, and the line between hunter and hunted collapses without warning.
Produced by S. Singaravelan from S.S Group Production house, the series features Bala Hasan, Pavithra Janani, Pobalam Pragathesh, Vinothini Vaidyanathan, Sriram M, Anjali Rao and Indrajith E.
Rajesh Kumar, the novelist expressed, “Every crime story begins in the human mind before it reaches the page. What interested me in ‘Regai’ is how it takes a simple idea and follows it into the darker corners of our society. When a new creator interprets something from my world and finds fresh fear in it, that tells me the genre is still alive.”
M. DHINAKARAN, the creator, writer & director of the Regai shares, “The series is about the quiet violence that happens out of sight, the kind that never makes it to a police report but destroys lives all the same. I wanted the audience to feel that discomfort, that uncertainty of not knowing whom to trust. This world may have begun with an idea from Rajesh Kumar sir, but the shadows in it are deeply personal to me.”
Bala Hasan, the lead actor of the Regai said, “Vetri is a man who spends his days chasing answers but is terrified of the truths he finds. Playing him meant holding that fear inside without letting the world see it. Regai pushed me to explore the kind of vulnerability we rarely show in thrillers, the human cost of carrying other people’s tragedies.”
Lloyd C Xavier, Tamil and Malayalam Zee5 Business Head and SVP South Marketing said, “Regai is not just a thriller, it is a reminder of why native storytelling matters. It exposes the silences behind the mystery, the uncomfortable truth that systems built to protect people can sometimes fail them. What moved me most is how the series shows ordinary lives getting caught in forces far larger than themselves, in ways that feel disturbingly possible. At ZEE5, our vision is to champion stories that carry authenticity, courage, and emotional honesty. Regai reflects that belief with clarity, it unsettles you, but for the right reasons.”
Once you step into Regai’s maze, you’ll realise the scariest part isn’t the crime, it’s the truth behind it. Watch Regai on ZEE5 from November 28.
