Mandaadi, directed by Mathimaran Pugazhendhi, has been positioned as one of the biggest films in Soori’s career. Set against the unusual backdrop of sailboat racing, the film comes with all the familiar ingredients of a mainstream hero-driven drama. Kaali (Soori), a former sailboat racer, is forced to return to his village under unexpected circumstances. His return brings him back to the sport and an old rivalry that he believed he had left behind. What follows forms the crux of the story.