Kaala
Karikaalan consistently fights to keep the people of Dharavi, a slum in Mumbai, safe from the clutches of mighty politicians and the land mafia don, Hari Dhadha.
Directed by Pa. Ranjith · Action · Crime · Drama · 166 min · 2018
Trailer
Director
Pa. Ranjith
Writer
Pa. Ranjith, Aadhavan Dheetchanya, Makizhnan B. M. (dialogues)
Studio
Wunderbar Films / Lyca Productions
Release
2018-06-07
Runtime
166 min
Genres
Action, Crime, Drama
Full Plot
In Mumbai's Dharavi slum, a ruthless politician seeks to evict long-time residents to build luxury developments. The community is led by Kaala, who opposes the plans and fights for their rights. A cat-and-mouse game ensues between Kaala and the politician, resulting in tragic losses on both sides before the community rallies together to take down the scheme through social media campaigns.
Cast & Characters
Haridev Abhayankar 'Hari Dhadha'
Nana Patekar
Selvi Karikaalan
Easwari Rao
Zareena
Huma Qureshi
Charumathi 'Puyal'
Anjali Patil
Selvi Karikaalan, Kaala's wife, who gets killed in a car accident orchestrated by Hari Dada.
Eswari Rao
Lenin, Kaala's youngest son and the founder of the 'Vizhithiru' group, who does not believe in his father's violent methods.
ManikandanKathiravan, Kaala's eldest son, who acts as a strong man for his father's gang.
Nitish Veera
Mani, the MLA of Dharavi.
Aruldoss
Did You Know?
Made on an estimated budget of $20.0M, Kaala has grossed $19.3M worldwide — about 1.0x its budget.
Source: TMDb API · verified 2026-08-02
Pa. Ranjith has directed 7 films in our catalog, including Sarpatta Parambarai, Madras.
Source: theIReview.com catalog · verified 2026-08-02
Rajinikanth appears in 21 films in our catalog, including Jailer, Baasha.
Source: theIReview.com catalog · verified 2026-08-02
Did You Know that the movie was initially backed by Dhanush's Wunderbar Films and collaborated with Rajinikanth for the first time?
Source: Wikipedia · verified 2026-09-09
Did You Know that Rajinikanth turned down the offer to work on the script due to its political nature, but later approached Pa. Ranjith to work on a new project.
Source: Wikipedia · verified 2026-09-09
Did You Know that the film was initially set to release in mid-2017, but production was delayed due to a strike by Film Employees Federation of South India and other issues.
Source: Wikipedia · verified 2026-09-09
Did You Know that Kaala became the first Indian film to be released in Saudi Arabia after the country lifted its ban on public theatres in December 2017.
Source: Wikipedia · verified 2026-09-09
Critical Assessment
Audience Breakdown (Einthusan)
Kaala holds 6.4/10 on TMDb (71 votes). (OMDb had no record for this title — sourced from TMDb instead.)
Not enough independent critic/audience score breakdown available.
Ratings as of August 4, 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 TMDb's aggregated score (6.4/10 on TMDb (71 votes)), this is a data-driven snapshot rather than an editorial take.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Kaala's Rotten Tomatoes score?+
Kaala holds a 57% critics' score on Rotten Tomatoes.
What is Kaala's IMDb rating?+
Kaala has a 6.5/10 rating on IMDb from 11,087 votes.
Is Kaala good? What are critics saying?+
Kaala holds 6.4/10 on TMDb (71 votes). (OMDb had no record for this title — sourced from TMDb instead.)
How long is Kaala?+
Kaala has a runtime of 166 min.
Who directed Kaala?+
Kaala was directed by Pa. Ranjith.
Where can I watch Kaala?+
Kaala is available to stream, rent, or buy on Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Prime Video with Ads, JioHotstar, VI movies and tv, Amazon Video.
Fan & Critic Buzz
Kaala received mixed reviews from critics. While some praised the film's technical crew and director Pa Ranjith's vision, others criticized its heavy reliance on politics and felt it was written for a specific star rather than as a standalone work. The critical consensus is divided between those who see the film as a strong directorial effort and those who view it as an underwhelming experience.
Source: Wikipedia — Critical reception (CC BY-SA)
