Overview
A man's fight for justice becomes a battle against a corrupt system that threatens his family.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Graphic
- fervent
- patriotic
- confrontational
- political thriller marathon
- Tamil cinema night
What critics said
Critics broadly praised Shankar’s ambitious, lavishly staged commercial direction and Kamal Haasan’s transformative dual performance, while questioning the film’s justification of vigilante killings.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Senapathy targets officials whose bribery and negligence cause preventable suffering, turning political anger into direct retribution.
Senapathy’s uncompromising honesty clashes with his son Chandra’s willingness to enter a bribery-based bureaucratic system.
The narrative moves from armed resistance against British rule to frustration with corrupt officials after independence.
The film joins patriotic history, family tragedy, romance, elaborate action, and anti-establishment rhetoric in a lavish Tamil commercial format.
Films like Indian, and why
Anniyan
shared vigilante justice, political corruption, heightened action, and moral conflict
Apoorva Sagodharargal
shared anti-corruption crusade, stylized commercial filmmaking, and divided identity
Lagaan
shared patriotic action drama, revolutionary history, and emotionally charged resistance
Nayakan
shared aging protagonist, social anger, vigilante violence, and confrontations with institutional failure
Movie Details
- Director
- Shankar
- Release Date
- 1996-05-09
- Runtime
- 185 min
- Rating
- 7.0 / 10 (86)
Cast
- Kamal Haasan
- Manisha Koirala
- Urmila Matondkar
- Sukanya
- Nedumudi Venu
- Manorama
- Goundamani
- Senthil
- Kasturi Shankar
- Nizhalgal Ravi
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Netflix, Netflix Standard with Ads, Eros Now Select Apple TV channel
- Rent
- Google Play Movies, YouTube
- Buy
- Google Play Movies, YouTube
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Indian about?
- An uncompromising freedom fighter becomes a lethal anti-corruption vigilante when bureaucratic bribery destroys his family.
- What is Indian like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Indian as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Indian violent?
- Yes. Ember rates the violence in Indian as graphic.
- What did critics think of Indian?
- Critics broadly praised Shankar’s ambitious, lavishly staged commercial direction and Kamal Haasan’s transformative dual performance, while questioning the film’s justification of vigilante killings.
- Which films are like Indian?
- Films with a similar feel include Anniyan, Apoorva Sagodharargal, Lagaan, and Nayakan.
- How long is Indian?
- Indian runs 185 minutes.
- Where can I watch Indian?
- In United States, Indian streams on Netflix, Netflix Standard with Ads, Eros Now Select Apple TV channel.
