TonightOnScreen Catalog
Explore Entertainment • Crime
Search our curated catalog of cinema releases, binge-worthy series, and where to stream them.
Jai Bhim
<p><strong>Jai Bhim</strong> is the hard-hitting, critically acclaimed courtroom legal drama written and directed by <a href="/person/t-j-gnanavel">T. J. Gnanavel</a>, starring <a href="/person/suriya">Suriya</a> as the righteous human rights advocate K. Chandru alongside Lijomol Jose and Manikandan.</p><p>Based on a harrowing true 1993 legal battle in Tamil Nadu, the story follows Rajakannu and his pregnant wife Sengeni (Lijomol Jose), members of the marginalized Irula tribal community who survive by catching venomous snakes and rats. When a theft occurs in a village headman's home, corrupt police frame Rajakannu and subject him and his relatives to horrific custodial torture, leading to his secret death in detention while falsely claiming he escaped. Desperate for answers, Sengeni approaches fearless human rights lawyer Advocate K. Chandru (<a href="/person/suriya">Suriya</a>), who files a constitutional Habeas Corpus petition in the Madras High Court, waging an unyielding legal war against state brutality to uncover the truth.</p>
Nayakan
Written and directed by maestro Mani Ratnam and starring the legendary Kamal Haasan in an earth-shattering tour de force, Nayakan (1987) was India's official entry for the 60th Academy Awards, won three National Film Awards including Best Actor for Kamal Haasan and Best Cinematography for P.C. Sreeram, and was included in TIME Magazine's prestigious list of the All-Time 100 Greatest Movies. Drawing inspiration from Francis Ford Coppola's The Godfather and the real-life saga of legendary Mumbai underworld don Varadarajan Mudaliar, the film follows Sakthivelu 'Velu' (Kamal Haasan), an orphaned boy from Tamil Nadu who flees to the sprawling slums of Dharavi in Bombay after witnessing the murder of his union-leader father by corrupt police. Adopted by a Muslim smuggling family, Velu grows up witnessing the daily extortion, police brutality, and institutional neglect suffered by poor south Indian migrant communities in Mumbai. When an honest elderly resident is killed in custody, Velu retaliates by executing the corrupt police inspector, instantly becoming a revered Robin Hood-like savior, patriarch, and underworld don known as 'Velu Naicker'. Velu establishes a parallel court of justice, distributing wealth, shielding the oppressed, and funding healthcare and education. However, his life of violence demands a devastating moral and personal toll, resulting in the tragic murder of his beloved wife and the bitter alienation of his daughter Charumathi, who despises his criminal empire. Culminating in an emotionally shattering, ambiguous courtroom climax where his innocent young grandson asks: 'Are you a good man or a bad man?', and Velu tearfully whispers 'I don't know', Ilaiyaraaja's immortal soundtrack ('Thenpandi Cheemayile') and P.C. Sreeram's chiaroscuro lighting cement Nayakan as an immortal landmark of Indian cinema.
Maharaja
Written and directed with mind-bending non-linear screenwriting brilliance by Nithilan Saminathan, 2024's Tamil revenge thriller Maharaja marked superstar Vijay Sethupathi's monumental 50th career feature film, becoming an explosive commercial blockbuster grossing over ₹107 crore worldwide and a massive international streaming sensation. The narrative centers on Maharaja (Vijay Sethupathi in a career-defining tour de force of quiet stoicism, tender paternal love, and terrifying physical fury), an unassuming, middle-aged Chennai barber who lives a humble existence with his school-going daughter Jothi. Maharaja's life was scarred years earlier when a truck crashed through his home, killing his wife while an empty iron dustbin miraculously fell over infant Jothi, saving her life; consequently, the family cherishes the metal dustbin, affectionately naming it 'Lakshmi'. One day, a battered and bruised Maharaja walks into the local police station with a bizarre complaint: three masked burglars broke into his home, assaulted him, and stole 'Lakshmi' the dustbin. Mocked and dismissed by corrupt police inspectors Varadhan (Natty Natraj) and his colleagues, Maharaja refuses to leave, offering a ₹5 lakh bribe to retrieve the seemingly worthless item. As the police scheme to manufacture a fake identical dustbin to pocket the cash, Nithilan's intricate non-linear narrative reveals the horrifying, heartbreaking reality: the burglary was a cover story concealing a monstrous home-invasion sexual assault perpetrated against his teenage daughter by ruthless serial criminal Selvam (filmmaker Anurag Kashyap in a terrifying, depraved villainous role). Featuring Philomin Raj's razor-sharp editing, B. Ajaneesh Loknath's haunting score, and an emotionally gut-wrenching climax, Maharaja is a modern thriller masterpiece.
Thani Oruvan
Directed and written with electric intellectual tension by Mohan Raja and co-scripted with Subha, 2015's Tamil action thriller Thani Oruvan (The Solitary One) grossed over ₹105 crore, swept three Filmfare Awards South, and is universally celebrated as a game-changing watershed milestone that redefined modern Indian commercial thrillers, inspiring high-profile remakes across multiple Indian languages. Operating on the brilliant philosophical premise that a man's greatness and character are defined by the caliber of his enemy, the film follows Mithran IPS (Jayam Ravi in a career-defining, physically imposing, and intensely dedicated performance), an idealistic and disciplined young police officer undergoing training in Chennai. Mithran and his cadre of trusted police friends conduct clandestine nocturnal investigations into disparate urban crimes, realizing that street-level murders, narcotics smuggling, and corporate corruption are not random, but orchestrated by a single unseen mastermind puppeteering government policies. Mithran's target is revealed to be Dr. Siddharth Abhimanyu (Arvind Swamy in a legendary, career-rejuvenating tour de force of aristocratic sophistication, chilling intellect, and seductive evil), a celebrated scientist, Padma Shri nominee, and ruthless pharmaceutical tycoon who coldly manufactures medical crises, murders whistleblowers, and manipulates corrupt cabinet ministers to maximize corporate drug profits. When Siddharth discovers Mithran's secret investigation, he bugs Mithran's personal life, turning Mithran's romantic relationship with Mahima (Nayanthara) and his close friends into collateral damage. Culminating in an electrifying battle of wits, Hip-hop Tamizha's iconic pulsating electronic background score and Ramji's stylish cinematography elevate Thani Oruvan into an immortal, intellectually exhilarating crime thriller masterclass.
Vada Chennai
Directed by Vetrimaaran, the 2018 epic crime drama Vada Chennai (North Madras) is widely celebrated as one of the most intricately written, authentic, and culturally profound gangster epics in Indian cinema history, grossing over ₹75 crore and earning massive cult status. Spanning three decades from 1987 to the late 2000s in the working-class coastal neighborhood of North Chennai, the film stars Dhanush in a career-best, tour de force performance as Anbu, a skilled carrom player who aspires to become a national champion and stay away from street crime. However, Anbu is inexorably drawn into a complex web of gang warfare between rival underworld factions led by Guna (Samuthirakani) and Senthil (Kishore). The narrative unspools the legendary history of Rajan (Ameer in an iconic, magnetic turn), a righteous fisherman and community protector whose betrayal and murder ignited a thirty-year cycle of blood. When corporate real estate projects threaten to displace his slum community, Anbu embraces his destiny as their leader. Featuring Santhosh Narayanan's electrifying folk score, Vada Chennai is an undisputed cinematic milestone. Vetrimaaran's immersive world-building, sprawling multi-decade non-linear narrative, Santhosh Narayanan's atmospheric musical landscape, and an ensemble cast featuring Andrea Jeremiah and Samuthirakani establish Vada Chennai as an epic milestone in realistic Tamil crime cinema.
Vikram
Lokesh Kanagaraj's 2022 multi-starrer neo-noir action thriller Vikram stands as a monumental landmark in Tamil cinema, establishing the renowned Lokesh Cinematic Universe (LCU) and grossing over ₹430 crore worldwide. Anchored by the majestic return of universal star Kamal Haasan, the narrative begins with a masked squad executing high-ranking police officials and Karnan (Kamal Haasan), the supposedly alcoholic foster father of an honest narcotics officer. Black-ops commander Amar (Fahadh Faasil) is hired by the state police to conduct a covert investigation into the killings, peeling back Karnan's double life. Meanwhile, drug kingpin Sandhanam (a ferocious, cocaine-snorting Vijay Sethupathi) leads a brutal street gang hunting for two missing shipping containers filled with high-grade raw cocaine belonging to the mysterious syndicate head Rolex. When Karnan is revealed to be none other than Agent Vikram—the legendary former commander of the 1986 black-squad—he wages an all-out guerilla war to eliminate drug cartels and save his infant grandson. Concluding with a spine-tingling, internet-breaking five-minute cameo by Suriya as Rolex, Vikram delivered peerless cinematic adrenaline and critical acclaim.
Chithha
Directed by S.U. Arun Kumar and produced by Siddharth under Etaki Entertainment, 2023's Tamil drama thriller Chithha (Little Paternal Uncle) swept seven Filmfare Awards South, including Best Film – Tamil, Best Director, and Best Actor, celebrated by critics and human rights organizations as one of the most mature, sensitive, and emotionally devastating cinematic masterworks on child safety and restorative justice ever produced in India. Set in the quiet municipal town of Palani in Tamil Nadu, the story explores the deeply affectionate, pure bond between Eeswaran (superstar Siddharth in an astonishing, career-best performance of raw emotional vulnerability and helpless grief), a humble government office clerk, and his eight-year-old orphaned niece Sundari, whom he affectionately calls 'Settai'. Eeswaran has raised Sundari as his own child following his brother's untimely death, sharing everyday joys alongside his supportive romantic partner Shakthi (Nimisha Sajayan in a grounded, powerful performance). Their warm, idyllic world is shattered when a ruthless serial child abductor and predator begins operating in their district. When a colleague's daughter goes missing and is tragically found murdered, suspicion falls unjustly upon Eeswaran due to circumstantial town gossip. Shortly after clearing his name, tragedy strikes home when little Sundari is kidnapped from school. Eeswaran embarks on an agonizing, desperate quest to find his niece, confronting the unimaginable horror of predatory abuse. Refusing cheap sensationalism, Arun Kumar crafts a profoundly empathetic, heart-stopping narrative that focuses on healing, trauma-recovery, and unconditional paternal love. Featuring Dhibu Ninan Thomas's haunting score and Balaji Subramanyam's cinematography, Chithha is an unforgettable masterpiece of human compassion.
Vikram Vedha
Written and directed by the husband-wife filmmaking duo Pushkar-Gayathri, 2017's Tamil neo-noir action thriller Vikram Vedha earned widespread critical acclaim and massive box office success, universally celebrated as one of the smartest and most gripping cat-and-mouse crime sagas in modern Indian cinema. Drawing brilliant inspiration from the ancient Indian mythological folktale of King Vikramaditya and the celestial vampire-demon Betaal, the narrative pits straight-laced, self-righteous encounter specialist cop Vikram (R. Madhavan in a steely, physically commanding performance) against Chennai's elusive, philosophical gangster kingpin Vedha (Vijay Sethupathi in a career-defining, charismatic tour de force). When Vedha voluntarily surrenders to police headquarters with disarming nonchalance, he challenges Vikram to listen to three allegorical parables from his criminal past before judging him. Each moral riddle shatters Vikram's rigid black-and-white perception of justice and morality, exposing deep-rooted police corruption, betrayal, and gray moral compromises within Vikram's own squad. Featuring Sam C.S.'s pulse-pounding, bass-heavy background score and P.S. Vinod's stylish lighting, Vikram Vedha is a flawlessly executed, intellectually stimulating crime classic that permanently elevated contemporary Indian genre filmmaking.
Master
Directed by Lokesh Kanagaraj, the 2021 multi-starrer action blockbuster Master served as the savior of Indian cinema exhibition following pandemic lockdowns, grossing over ₹300 crore worldwide and uniting two of Tamil cinema's biggest superstars: Thalapathy Vijay and Vijay Sethupathi. Vijay stars as John Durairaj ('JD'), an alcoholic, beloved college professor and student union dean whose nonchalant charm and addiction mask deep psychological burnout. When campus election violence lands him in administrative trouble, JD accepts a three-month teaching assignment at a juvenile correctional facility in Nagercoil. There, he discovers the horrifying reality: ruthless gangster Bhavani (Vijay Sethupathi in a delightfully wicked, scene-stealing performance) uses juvenile inmates as scapegoats to take the fall for his illicit trucking, extortion, and slaughterhouse operations. When two innocent boys are murdered by Bhavani's henchmen for trying to contact him, JD quits alcohol, vows redemption, and wages an all-out war to emancipate the youth. Featuring Anirudh Ravichander's viral chartbusters (including 'Vaathi Coming') and an epic hand-to-hand climax, Master was a seismic box-office spectacle.