Karnan
Story of the central hero of Mahabharata who rises from nothing to becoming the world's greatest warrior ever born in history and emerges as the hero of the Kurukshetra war.
Directed by B. Ramakrishnaiah Panthulu · Action · Drama · History · 187 min · 1964
Director
B. Ramakrishnaiah Panthulu
Studio
N/A
Release
14 Jan 1964
Runtime
187 min
Genres
Action, Drama, History
Cast & Characters
Shivaji Ganesan
N.T. Rama Rao
S.A. Ashokan
Did You Know?
Shivaji Ganesan appears in 5 films in our catalog, including Thevar Magan, Muthal Mariyathai.
Source: theIReview.com catalog · verified 2026-08-02
In its theatrical run, Karnan completed 100 days in four theatres, including Madurai Thangam (noted as the second largest theatre in Asia during 1964), and Shanthi.
Source: Wikipedia · verified 2026-08-03
The critic from The Indian Express wrote on 17 January 1964, "Reproducing the incidents from the Mahabharatha, the film has all the aspects demanded by the subject", adding that Panthulu had not spared any effort to do justice to the theme, and was appreciative of Ganga's art direction and Ramamurthy's cinematography.
Source: Wikipedia · verified 2026-08-03
Critical Assessment
Karnan holds 8.3/10 on IMDb (606 votes).
Not enough independent critic/audience score breakdown available.
Ratings as of July 30, 2026
AI Verdict
AI-generatedBased on aggregated scores (8.3/10 on IMDb (606 votes)), this is a data-driven snapshot rather than an editorial take.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Karnan's IMDb rating?+
Karnan has a 8.3/10 rating on IMDb from 606 votes.
Is Karnan good? What are critics saying?+
Karnan holds 8.3/10 on IMDb (606 votes).
How long is Karnan?+
Karnan has a runtime of 187 min.
Who directed Karnan?+
Karnan was directed by B. Ramakrishnaiah Panthulu.
