Published on: September 12, 2026 at 4:26 PM

Last Man In Tower Review: Manoj Bajpayee, Divya Dutta Shine in a Chilling Exploration of Greed and Human Nature

Last Man In Tower stars Manoj Bajpayee in the lead role.

Last Man In Tower is not simply a story about one man refusing to sell his home. Directed by Ben Rekhi and based on Aravind Adiga’s acclaimed novel, the Hindi drama turns a Mumbai redevelopment dispute into an unsettling examination of greed, loneliness, morality and the fragile relationships that money can destroy.

Released in theatres on September 11, 2026, the film stars Manoj Bajpayee as Masterji, a retired schoolteacher who becomes the lone obstacle to a redevelopment deal that promises a better future to his neighbours. Divya Dutta and Boman Irani are among the key members of the ensemble.

At around 97 minutes, Last Man In Tower is compact and deliberately restrained. Rather than turning its central conflict into a conventional good-versus-evil drama, the film keeps asking a more uncomfortable question: what happens when everyone believes they have a perfectly reasonable reason to compromise?

Last Man In Tower Review: What is the film about?

The story centres on Masterji, a retired teacher living in an ageing Mumbai housing society. When a lucrative redevelopment proposal arrives, most residents see an opportunity to move on to a more comfortable life.

Masterji, however, refuses to accept the offer.

His decision initially appears to be a personal choice. But as the other residents become increasingly invested in the redevelopment, his refusal starts affecting everyone around him. What begins as a disagreement over property gradually becomes a conflict over loyalty, money, dignity and the meaning of home.

That is where the film becomes more interesting than a straightforward redevelopment drama. The building is not merely a piece of real estate. For its residents, it represents years of memories, relationships and compromises.

Manoj Bajpayee gives the film its emotional centre

Manoj Bajpayee is the strongest reason to watch Last Man In Tower.

As Masterji, he avoids turning the character into a stereotypical angry rebel. His performance is quieter, allowing frustration, loneliness and stubbornness to emerge gradually.

Masterji’s resistance is also deliberately complicated. The film does not constantly tell the audience that he is right. Instead, it allows viewers to question whether his principles are admirable, impractical or even selfish at certain points.

That ambiguity gives Bajpayee room to do what he does best: communicate a great deal without overplaying the emotion.

The performance works particularly well because Masterji’s isolation becomes increasingly visible as the story progresses.

Divya Dutta is equally effective

Divya Dutta as Sangeeta in Last Man In Tower.

Divya Dutta brings another dimension to the film as Sangeeta.

Where Masterji represents resistance to change, Sangeeta reflects the temptation of what change can offer. Her character becomes one of the clearest examples of how financial expectations can alter relationships and behaviour.

Dutta does not play the character as a one-note antagonist. There is ambition, frustration and a recognisable desire for a better life underneath her actions.

That makes her confrontation with Masterji more uncomfortable. The conflict is not simply between a good person and a bad person. It is between two very different ideas of what a better future should look like.

Boman Irani adds another layer to the conflict

Boman Irani plays the builder at the centre of the redevelopment plan.

The character represents the commercial force pushing the story forward, but the film’s larger point is that the builder alone does not create the conflict. The residents’ own desires and compromises become just as important.

This is one of the film’s more effective observations: greed does not always arrive dramatically. Sometimes it begins with a reasonable desire for comfort, security or financial independence and gradually changes the way people see one another.

The real villain may be the pressure to compromise

The most compelling aspect of Last Man In Tower is that it does not treat greed as something belonging only to wealthy outsiders.

The redevelopment offer exposes tensions that were already present within the community.

People who once lived together begin seeing one another through the value of their property. Friendships become transactional. Patience disappears. Masterji’s refusal becomes an inconvenience to people who once considered him part of their community.

That shift gives the film its unsettling quality.

The question is not simply whether Masterji should sell.

It is whether a community can remain a community once everyone’s personal interests begin pulling in different directions.

A story about Mumbai that still feels universal

Although the film is deeply connected to Mumbai’s redevelopment culture, its central conflict is easy to understand beyond the city.

Across growing urban centres, old neighbourhoods and buildings are constantly being replaced by newer developments. For some residents, redevelopment means better infrastructure, greater financial security and a chance to start again.

For others, it means losing the only place they have known as home.

Last Man In Tower finds its strongest material in that contradiction.

Progress can be necessary while still being painful.

And refusing change can be courageous while also creating consequences for others.

The film works because it does not offer an easy answer.

Based on Aravind Adiga’s novel

The film is adapted from Aravind Adiga’s 2011 novel Last Man in Tower.

Screenwriter Sooni Taraporevala adapted the book for the film, while Juhi Chaturvedi wrote the Hindi dialogue. Ben Rekhi directed the movie and is also credited as a producer alongside Rana Daggubati, Guneet Dogra and Pratiksha Rao.

The official trailer frames the central question around the value of a home: is it worth the memories attached to it, or the highest amount someone is willing to pay?

The film’s answer is deliberately complicated.

What works in Last Man In Tower?

Manoj Bajpayee’s restrained performance gives Masterji emotional depth.
Divya Dutta brings considerable weight to the film’s interpersonal conflict.
The redevelopment premise feels relevant to modern urban India.
The short runtime keeps the narrative focused.
The film raises moral questions without providing simplistic answers.
Its strongest moments come from observing how ordinary people behave when money changes the stakes.

Where the film could have gone further

The film’s compact runtime is both an advantage and a limitation.

At roughly 97 minutes, it moves efficiently through a story containing several residents, relationships and competing motivations. Some supporting characters could have benefited from more development, particularly because the emotional impact of the community’s breakdown depends on understanding those relationships.

Some critics have also felt that the adaptation is more restrained than the sharper social satire and darker edge of Adiga’s novel.

That restraint may work for viewers who prefer an understated drama, but audiences expecting a more explosive thriller could find the film deliberately measured.

What is officially confirmed?

Last Man In Tower was released theatrically in India on September 11, 2026.

The confirmed principal cast includes Manoj Bajpayee, Divya Dutta, Boman Irani and Sukant Goel, with Harish Khanna, Chandan Roy Sanyal and other actors also appearing in the ensemble.

Ben Rekhi directed the film. Sooni Taraporevala handled the adaptation and screenplay, while Juhi Chaturvedi wrote the dialogues.

The movie is based on Aravind Adiga’s novel of the same name.

What remains subjective?

The film’s quality ultimately depends on how much weight a viewer places on its performances and social themes versus its relatively restrained storytelling.

Critics have not been completely unanimous. Published reviews have generally praised the performances and the film’s central idea, while differing on its pacing, emotional intensity and how fully it captures the novel’s darker social commentary.

That makes Last Man In Tower more interesting as a conversation piece than as a conventional commercial thriller.

Last Man In Tower Review: Final verdict

Last Man In Tower is a thoughtful and unsettling drama that understands that the most disturbing conflicts do not always begin with villains.

Sometimes they begin with a tempting offer.

Manoj Bajpayee gives the film its emotional backbone, while Divya Dutta adds considerable complexity to the changing dynamics inside the housing society. Boman Irani completes the central conflict with a commercially driven character who represents the promise — and pressure — of redevelopment.

The film’s greatest strength is its refusal to make the conflict completely black and white. Masterji’s resistance may be admirable, but the desires of the people around him are understandable too.

That moral uncertainty is what stays with you.

Verdict: A restrained, well-acted and thought-provoking drama about what happens when money tests the meaning of home, loyalty and community.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Last Man In Tower about?

Last Man In Tower follows Masterji, a retired schoolteacher who refuses to sell his home as his Mumbai housing society prepares for redevelopment. His decision puts him increasingly at odds with his neighbours.

Who stars in Last Man In Tower?

The film stars Manoj Bajpayee, Divya Dutta, Boman Irani and Sukant Goel, along with an ensemble cast.

Who directed Last Man In Tower?

Ben Rekhi directed the film.

Is Last Man In Tower based on a book?

Yes. The film is based on Aravind Adiga’s 2011 novel of the same name.

Who wrote the screenplay for Last Man In Tower?

Sooni Taraporevala adapted the novel and wrote the screenplay. Juhi Chaturvedi wrote the Hindi dialogue.

When did Last Man In Tower release?

Last Man In Tower was released in Indian theatres on September 11, 2026.

Is Last Man In Tower worth watching?

If you enjoy character-driven dramas, socially relevant stories and performances by actors such as Manoj Bajpayee and Divya Dutta, the film is worth considering. It is better approached as a tense social drama than as a conventional thriller.