Indian
A veteran freedom fighter enraged with the rising crime and corruption in the society murders all the wrong doers one by one using an ancient martial arts technique.
Directed by S. Shankar · Action · Drama · Thriller · 185 min · 1996
Director
S. Shankar
Studio
Sri Surya Movies
Release
09 May 1996
Runtime
185 min
Genres
Action, Drama, Thriller
Full Plot
Circa the British rule in India, a man named Senapathy decides to rebel against the British in a violent way, learns a rare martial art that enables him to kill with his bare hands, and travels to Singapore, joins the Indian Liberation Army formed by renowned Subhash Chandra Bose, is one of the soldier's to engage the British into war. He subsequently joins a death squad in order to destroy British tanks. While all of the others succeed in carrying out their mission, Senapathy is captured, jailed, beaten, and mercilessly tortured by the British. Upon his release, he is looked after by a woman named Namrata, whose honor he had saved from the British - who had captured two truckloads of women protesters, burned their clothing, and forced them to commit suicide. Namrata and Senapathy marry, India gains independence, and they soon have two children - Chandrabose and Kasthoori. Years later Chandra quarrels with his honest and straight-laced father, leaves home, so that he can earn enough money to bribe the transport secretary to get him a job as a Transport Officer. Tragedy strikes the family when Kasthoori is grievously hurt in a house-fire. They get her to the nearest hospital - but the doctor wants them to file a police report or pay him Rs.500/-; At the police station - the Inspector wants Rs.250/- or a report from the Village Administration Officer; who in turn wants Rs.150/- so that he can start preparations for the report. This delay results in Kasthoori's death - and a vengeful Senapathy decides to teach corrupt officials a lesson - a lesson that will serve to remind other corrupt officials to do their work diligently without accepting any bribes. What Senapathy does not know is that his very son Chandra is now part of this system - and he must now make up his mind to make an exception or carry on his gruesome task - knowing fully well that the Central Bureau of Investigation is hot on his tail.
Cast & Characters
Amrithavalli
Sukanya
Kamal Haasan in a dual role as:
Veerasekharan Senapathy (Indian)
Chandrabose (Chandru)
Swapna (voice dubbed by Bhanupriya)
Urmila Matondkar
Gulabo (Hindi version only)
Aruna Irani
Panneerselvam
Senthil
Did You Know?
Made on an estimated budget of $1.8M, Indian has grossed $4.2M worldwide — about 2.3x its budget.
Source: TMDb API · verified 2026-08-02
Indian is part of TMDb's "Indian Collection."
Source: TMDb API · verified 2026-08-02
S. Shankar has directed 8 films in our catalog, including I, Indian 2.
Source: theIReview.com catalog · verified 2026-08-02
Did You Know Kamal Haasan initially refused to do the film due to its similarities to his 1977 film Naam Pirandha Mann.
Source: Wikipedia · verified 2026-09-09
Did You Know The film's production budget was estimated to be ₹8 crores (worth ₹96 crores in 2021 prices).
Source: Wikipedia · verified 2026-09-09
Did You Know Indian was partially reshot in Hindustani, a language that combines elements of Hindi and Urdu, with Aruna Irani replacing Manorama.
Source: Wikipedia · verified 2026-09-09
Did You Know The film was the most expensive Indian film at the time of its release.
Source: Wikipedia · verified 2026-09-09
Critical Assessment
Indian holds 8.1/10 on IMDb (15,423 votes).
Not enough independent critic/audience score breakdown available.
Ratings as of August 11, 2026
Where to Watch
United States
United Kingdom
India
Streaming data from JustWatch via TMDb. Availability changes often — confirm on the provider before watching.
AI Verdict
AI-generatedBased on aggregated scores (8.1/10 on IMDb (15,423 votes)), this is a data-driven snapshot rather than an editorial take.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Indian's IMDb rating?+
Indian has a 8.1/10 rating on IMDb from 15,423 votes.
Is Indian good? What are critics saying?+
Indian holds 8.1/10 on IMDb (15,423 votes).
How long is Indian?+
Indian has a runtime of 185 min.
Who directed Indian?+
Indian was directed by S. Shankar.
Where can I watch Indian?+
Indian is available to stream, rent, or buy on Netflix, Netflix Standard with Ads, Eros Now Select Apple TV Channel, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Eros Now Amazon Channel, Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Prime Video with Ads, AP International South Cinema Amazon Channel.
