Actors Vijay Sethupathi, Arvind Swami and Aditi Rao Hydari are set to headline Gandhi Talks, a silent film slated for release in theatres on 30 January, the makers said on Saturday.

Directed by Kishore Belekar, the film is backed by Zee Studios and is described as a “rare silent film in modern Indian cinema, which stands as a bold creative leap where silence becomes the strongest form of storytelling”.

Belekar said the film explores the idea of “trusting silence”. “As Indian cinema marks over a century of storytelling, we wanted to return to the medium’s most elemental form of pure performance and emotion,” he said in a statement.

“The actors embraced that vulnerability completely, and A.R. Rahman’s score became the film’s voice. With Zee Studios’, Meera Chopra’s support, we were able to make a bold, honest piece of cinema,” he added.

The film also stars Siddharth Jadhav. Oscar-winning music composer A.R. Rahman has scored the music.

Sethupathi was last seen in Thalaivan Thalaivii, directed by Pandiraj, which also starred Nithya Menon. Aditi Rao Hydari’s most recent appearance was in Hey! Sinamika, directed by Brinda. Arvind Swami's last big-screen outing was in Anupam Kher’s Tanvi The Great.