Regai

Regai
Genre	Thriller Crime Police procedural
Based on	Rajesh Kumar ‘Regai’
Written by	M. Dhinakaran (dialogues)
Directed by	M. Dhinakaran
Starring	Bala Hasan Pavithra Janani Anjali Rao Vinodhini Vaidyanathan
Country of origin	India
Original language	Tamil
No. of seasons	1
Production
Producer	S. Singaravelan
Running time	approx. 20–30 minutes per episode
Production company	S.S Group
Original release
Network	ZEE5
Release	28 November 2025 (2025-11-28)

Regai is a 2025 Indian Tamil-language Crime Thriller Police procedural streaming series written and directed by M. Dhinakaran for ZEE5. Produced by S. Singaravelan under the banner of S.S Group. It is based on the novel of the same name by Rajesh Kumar. The series follows several Tamil Nadu Police Sub-inspector and Constables in their struggles while they discover severed hands in an ice vending cart. ^{[1] [2]}

The primary cast includes Bala Hasan with Pavithra Janani, Anjali Rao, Vinodhini Vaidyanathan, Poobalam Pragathesh, E. Indrajith and others. ^[3] It released on ZEE5 on 28 November 2025, ^[4] and will air in Tamil and Telugu languages. ^[5]

Cast

• Bala Hasan as Sub-inspector Vetri
• Pavithra Janani as Constable Sandhiya
• Anjali Rao
• Vinodhini Vaidyanathan as Doctor Pushpavalli
• Poobalam Pragathesh
• E. Indrajith
• M. Sriram

Production

Development

It is an adaptation of the novel of the same name by Rajesh Kumar. ^[6] The series is produced by S. Singaravelan under the S.S Group. It is the second collaboration with ZEE5 after Seruppugal Jaakirathai .

Casting

The series stars Bala Hasan ^[7] as Sub-inspector Vetri in the lead role in his second collaboration in a limited series after The Game: You Never Play Alone. Actress Pavithra Janani was cast as Constable Sandhiya, marking her return after Bigg Boss 8 . ^[8] This is her first lead role in a limited series.

Release

The first Announcement promo was released on 14 November 2025 featuring the poster showing a name card. The series trailer was released on 19 November 2025 and announced a release date of 28 November. ^{[9] [10]} The show premiered in Tamil and Telugu languages on ZEE5.

Reception

Regai received mixed reviews from critics. India Today described the series as an "easy watch for crime drama viewers" and noted that, despite "technical flaws and familiar tropes," the show functions as a straightforward whodunnit. ^[11]

OTTplay wrote that the series had "potential with its central premise" but found the overall execution "rushed and underwhelming," giving it a rating of 2/5. ^[12]

Cinema Express called the show "mildly engaging" and remarked that it "does not fully rise above its old-school approach," rating it 2.5/5. ^[13]

Episodic details

Episode No.	Title	Synopsis
1	"The Dead End"	SI Vetri looks into the unexplained death of his friend Amudhan, but is initially compelled to treat it as an accident. Later, he and Constable Sandhya notice blood dripping from an ice cream cart, hinting at something more sinister.
2	"The Fingerprint Revealed"	Vetri and Sandhya discover two severed human hands inside the cart and take them to the government hospital, where they question Dr Pushpavalli. Vetri then realises that Amudhan’s death is tied to this gruesome case.
3	"The Trap"	Vetri reopens Amudhan’s case and returns to the crime scene, where he uncovers additional fingerprints linked to the cart. He and Sandhya begin meeting the families of other victims as the pattern of the killings emerges.
4	"Divya's Escape"	Vetri and Sandhya manage to catch Divya, who turns violent during interrogation. While the forensic team unlocks Amudhan’s phone and identifies a fifth victim, Divya injures Sandhya in the hospital and manages to escape.
5	"The Clinical Crime"	An unconscious Sandhya is moved out of the hospital, while Vetri intercepts Divya as she attempts to murder the mortuary attendant. Divya admits her role in the crimes, but Vetri soon receives a menacing threat call.
6	"And That's How She Died"	Fearing for her safety, Divya reveals the mastermind behind the illegal drug trials. As Vetri races to rescue Sandhya, he sets up a plan to capture the person responsible for killing Amudhan and the other victims.

References

1. "Introducing Regai A Fresh Tamil Crime Thriller Series". www.themovieblog.com. Retrieved 20 November 2025.
2. "Regai trailer: Tamil crime series that teases motive-less murders". www.indiatoday.in. Retrieved 19 November 2025.
3. "Bala Hasan and Vinothini Vaidyanathan star in ZEE5's Regai". www.newindianexpress.com. Retrieved 19 November 2025.
4. "Dark, unsettling Tamil thriller series 'Regai' to premiere on November 28". www.indiatribune.com. Retrieved 18 November 2025.
5. "ZEE5 அடுத்த அதிரடி படைப்பு! ரேகை வெப் சீரிஸ்! ரிலீஸ் எப்போது தெரியுமா?". zeenews.india.com (in Tamil). Retrieved 19 November 2025.
6. "'Regai' trailer: In Tamil show based on Rajesh Kumar's novel, the dark side of medical trials". scroll.in. Retrieved 20 November 2025.
7. "Regai Trailer: Bala Hasan's Tamil Series Promises To Be An Unsettling Thriller". www.outlookindia.com. Retrieved 19 November 2025.
8. "பிக் பாஸுக்குப் பிறகு... பவித்ரா ஜனனியின் புதிய தொடர்!". dinamani (in Tamil). Retrieved 19 November 2025.
9. "ZEE5 announces new Tamil Original Regai, inspired by Rajesh Kumar's crime universe". www.medianews4u.com. Retrieved 19 November 2025.
10. "விறுவிறுப்பான க்ரைம் த்ரில்லர் காட்சிகள்: 'ரேகை' வெப்சீரிஸ் ட்ரெய்லர்!". tamil.news18.com (in Tamil). Retrieved 19 November 2025.
11. "Regai review: Tamil crime series on ZEE5". India Today. 28 November 2025.
12. "Regai Series Review: Makes little impression despite a potential plot at hand". OTTplay. November 2025.
13. "Regai series review: This old-school whodunnit is mildly engaging". Cinema Express. 28 November 2025.

External links

• Regai at IMDb
• Regai on ZEE5