Overview
A thug's life in Chennai takes a turn when love complicates his violent world.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Breakneck
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Brutal
- propulsive
- witty
- romantic
- action movie night
- Tamil cinema marathon
What critics said
Critics broadly found the remake commercially effective and fast-moving, with Vijay's star appeal and Prabhu Deva's racy treatment sustaining an otherwise familiar gangster formula.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Vijay's star-centered performance, comic interludes, gang confrontations, romance, and brisk action presentation define the film's popular-cinema register.
Thamizh's rise through Ali Bhai's gang and the suspense surrounding his true position drive the film's central reveal.
Police sub-inspector Govindan obsessively pursues Shruthi and intends to make her his mistress, obstructing her relationship with Thamizh.
The film foregrounds Vijay's physicality through gang fights, stunt set pieces, and commercially designed song-and-action sequences.
Films like Pokkiri, and why
Ghilli
Tamil-language mass action, gangster conflict, romance, comic relief, and a charismatic star performance
Pokiri
South Indian commercial action blending criminal intrigue, romance, comedy, and a morally complicated undercover-style hero
Anniyan
High-energy gangster action with stylized heroics, police corruption, romance, and broad popular appeal
Movie Details
- Director
- Prabhu Deva
- Release Date
- 2007-01-11
- Runtime
- 165 min
- Rating
- 6.9 / 10 (68)
Cast
- Vijay
- Asin Thottumkal
- Prakash Raj
- Napoleon
- Nassar
- Sriman
- Mukesh Tiwari
- Vadivelu
- Subbaraju
- Brinda Parekh
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Sun Nxt, Eros Now Select Apple TV channel
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Pokkiri about?
- A detached Chennai hired thug falls for a woman who rejects his violence while gang rivalries and police corruption pull him into a dangerous criminal maze.
- What is Pokkiri like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Pokkiri as breakneck, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is Pokkiri violent?
- Yes. Ember rates the violence in Pokkiri as brutal.
- What did critics think of Pokkiri?
- Critics broadly found the remake commercially effective and fast-moving, with Vijay's star appeal and Prabhu Deva's racy treatment sustaining an otherwise familiar gangster formula.
- Which films are like Pokkiri?
- Films with a similar feel include Ghilli, Pokiri, and Anniyan.
- How long is Pokkiri?
- Pokkiri runs 165 minutes.
- Where can I watch Pokkiri?
- In United States, Pokkiri streams on Sun Nxt, Eros Now Select Apple TV channel.
