TonightOnScreen Catalog
Explore Entertainment • Drama
Search our curated catalog of cinema releases, binge-worthy series, and where to stream them.
Jawan
Jawan is a colossal, adrenaline-fueled cinematic spectacle and sociopolitical action thriller directed by Tamil cinema visionary Atlee, presenting Shah Rukh Khan in an unforgettable, dual-generation tour de force as both father and son. The narrative opens with an enigmatic, heavily bandaged vigilante orchestrating the audacious hijack of a Mumbai metro train with an elite, highly trained commando unit composed of six fierce women, each carrying deep scars of systemic injustice. As the world watches in disbelief, the mastermind—Azad, the righteous jailer of a women's correctional facility—refuses ransom for himself, instead forcing the government to wipe out the oppressive agricultural debts of hundreds of thousands of impoverished farmers driven to suicide. As hostage negotiator Narmada Rai battles the elusive vigilante, Azad's covert operations escalate, exposing the venal crimes of corrupt politicians, defective military weaponry, and a crumbling public hospital infrastructure, targeting ruthless global arms dealer and corporate oligarch Kalee Gaikwad. When Kalee mobilizes lethal mercenaries to crush the rebellion, the past bursts violently into the present, unveiling the legendary saga of Azad’s father, Captain Vikram Rathore—a betrayed Indian Army patriot framed for treason and believed dead for thirty years. Packed with breathtaking action choreography, Anirudh Ravichander’s thunderous musical score, and an impassioned national monologue urging citizens to wield their democratic vote with accountability, Jawan emerged as a historic box-office phenomenon and an iconic celebration of social empowerment and righteous rebellion.
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.
The Family Man
Created, directed, and produced by the acclaimed duo Raj & DK (Raj Nidimoru and Krishna D.K.), Amazon Prime Video's espionage action-thriller The Family Man is widely recognized as one of the finest television series in Indian history. Manoj Bajpayee delivers an effortless, masterclass performance as Srikant Tiwari, a relatable, middle-class family man living in Mumbai who constantly struggles with home loans, school admissions, and marital friction with his ambitious wife Suchitra (Priyamani). In reality, Srikant is a top-tier field operative and senior analyst for T.A.S.C. (Threat Analysis and Surveillance Cell)—a secretive wing of India's National Investigation Agency. Alongside his loyal, jovial partner JK Talpade (Sharib Hashmi), Srikant must prevent catastrophic terror strikes orchestrated by international cartels while pretending to work an ordinary clerical desk job. The critically lauded second season expanded the scope to Chennai, introducing Samantha Ruth Prabhu in a career-defining, ferocious turn as Sri Lankan Tamil rebel Raji. Featuring breathtaking single-take shootout sequences, sharp social commentary, and genuine domestic humor, The Family Man is an undisputed triumph.
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.
Sarpatta Parambarai
Directed and co-written by visionary filmmaker Pa. Ranjith alongside novelist Tamil Prabha, 2021's Tamil sports period drama Sarpatta Parambarai is widely celebrated as one of the greatest, most authentic, and politically astute boxing epics in world cinema, earning universal critical acclaim and a massive global following upon its release on Amazon Prime Video. Set in the vibrant, subaltern working-class harbor neighborhoods of North Madras during the tumultuous Emergency era of the mid-1970s, the film delves deep into the rich, ancestral boxing rivalry between two historic subaltern clans: the indigenous Sarpatta Parambarai and the aristocratic Idiyappa Parambarai. When Sarpatta's revered coach Rangan Vaathiyar (Pasupathy in a career-best, quietly dignified masterclass of theatrical gravitas) is humiliated in the ring by the seemingly invincible Idiyappa champion Vembuli (John Kokken), he issues a desperate public ultimatum: a Sarpatta boxer will dethrone Vembuli in the next bout, or the Sarpatta clan will disband forever. Stepping up to defend the honor of his clan is Kabilan (Arya in an astonishing, physically monumental transformation of sweat, blood, and emotional vulnerability), a harbor coolie and son of a deceased boxer who has trained in secret due to his mother's trauma over ring violence. Mentored by Rangan, Kabilan defeats ferocious contenders like Dancing Rose (Shabeer Kallarakkal) before personal success, political corruption, and alcoholism threaten to destroy his life. Kabilan's arduous path to redemption—undergoing grueling old-school physical training on the coastal sands of Madras—leads to an earth-shattering boxing final. Elevated by Santhosh Narayanan's electrifying background score and Murali G.'s authentic 1970s period recreation, Sarpatta Parambarai is an exhilarating triumph on dignity, working-class resilience, and social justice.
Iruvar
Directed, produced, and co-written by maestro Mani Ratnam alongside Suhasini Maniratnam, 1997's Tamil political epic drama Iruvar (The Duo) won the Best Film award at the Belgrade International Film Festival, captured two National Film Awards, and is universally revered by critics, film scholars, and cinephiles as Mani Ratnam's magnum opus and one of the most sophisticated political masterworks ever filmed in world cinema. Dramatizing the historic, complex symbiotic friendship and subsequent political rivalry between iconic actor-turned-Chief Minister M.G. Ramachandran (MGR) and celebrated writer-politician M. Karunanidhi in Tamil Nadu, the film explores how cinema and mass politics became inextricably intertwined in modern Indian democracy. Mohanlal delivers one of the most charismatic, effortlessly regal, and nuanced performances of his legendary career as Anandan, a struggling film extra whose irresistible screen presence, swordsmanship, and populist appeal transform him into an immortal cinematic demi-god. Prakash Raj delivers a fiery, Shakespearean, and National Award-winning performance as Tamizhselvan, a passionate, atheist Dravidian poet and orator whose lyrical scripts and socialist rhetoric propel Anandan to silver-screen stardom. Uniting under a shared revolutionary political party led by a venerable leader (Nassar as Ayya Veluthambi), the duo utilizes the power of cinema to mobilize millions of working-class voters. However, as their political movement seizes state power, ideological fractures, personal vanity, and mutual jealousy sever their bond, turning former brothers into bitter electoral adversaries. Marking the sensational cinematic acting debut of Aishwarya Rai in a dual role, Santosh Sivan's revolutionary fluid camerawork and A.R. Rahman's jazz-and-classical score cement Iruvar as an immortal masterpiece of power, cinema, and friendship.
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.
Asuran
Directed by master auteur Vetrimaaran and adapted from Poomani's novel Vekkai, the 2019 Tamil rural action-drama Asuran won two National Film Awards—Best Feature Film in Tamil and Best Actor for Dhanush—standing as one of the most intense, critically acclaimed masterworks of Indian cinema. Set in the drought-prone rural heartland of Tirunelveli in the 1980s, Dhanush delivers a monumental, career-best dual performance as Sivasaami, an oppressed, aging Dalit farmer who grovels before upper-caste landlords to protect his small patch of land and keep his family safe. When his hot-headed elder son Murugan is murdered and his younger son Chidambaram (Ken Karunas) decapitates the wealthy, casteist landlord Vadakkooran in retaliation, Sivasaami flees with his son into the barren scrublands. As hunting parties pursue them, Sivasaami's past is revealed: in his youth, he was a ferocious, unstoppable warrior who fought for land rights before losing his family in an inferno. Sivasaami's ultimate lesson to his son—that education is the only wealth the oppressors can never steal—remains one of the most powerful political messages in world cinema. Dhanush won his second National Film Award for Best Actor for his volcanic performance, while Vetrimaaran's unflinching staging and G.V. Prakash Kumar's fiery musical score elevate Asuran into a searing, globally acclaimed masterpiece on systemic caste oppression and paternal sacrifice.
Manjummel Boys
Written and directed by Chidambaram and produced by Parava Films, 2024's Malayalam survival thriller Manjummel Boys created historic box office history, grossing over ₹242 crore worldwide to become the highest-grossing Malayalam film of all time and a cross-cultural cinematic sensation across India. Based on a miracle real-life incident that occurred in 2006, the film follows a tight-knit group of eleven working-class young men from the small town of Manjummel near Kochi, Kerala, who embark on a spirited road trip to the scenic misty hill station of Kodaikanal in Tamil Nadu. Led by the mature, responsible Siju David, affectionately known as 'Kuttan' (Soubin Shahir in a deeply moving, career-defining performance of ordinary heroism and devotion), the friends venture into the restricted, dangerous Guna Caves—infamously known as the 'Devil's Kitchen', where more than a dozen individuals had previously fallen to their deaths with zero successful rescues. Disaster strikes when the free-spirited Subhash (Sreenath Bhasi) slips into a hidden, pitch-black, subterranean crevice plunging over 120 feet into the earth. Faced with callous local police, hostile jurisdiction barriers, and torrential rain threatening to drown Subhash in the cavern, the Manjummel boys refuse to abandon their friend. In an act of unparalleled, heart-stopping courage, Kuttan volunteers to be tied to a frayed rope and lowered headfirst into the pitch-black abyss. Featuring Shyju Khalid's breathtaking naturalistic cinematography and Sushin Shyam's evocative score—culminating in the goosebump-inducing use of Ilaiyaraaja's 'Kanmani Anbodu'—Manjummel Boys is an unforgettable masterpiece on friendship and sacrifice.
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.
Karnan
Written and directed by visionary filmmaker Mari Selvaraj in his second directorial triumph and produced by Kalaipuli S. Thanu, 2021's Tamil action drama Karnan is widely celebrated as one of the most powerful, visually poetic, and politically urgent masterpieces in modern Indian cinema, loosely inspired by the real-life 1995 Kodiyankulam caste violence in rural southern Tamil Nadu. Set in the barren, sun-scorched landscape of Podiyankulam, an oppressed, marginalized Dalit village, the community is subjected to systemic indignity and economic strangulation by the refusal of authorities and adjacent dominant-caste villages to grant them a bus stop, forcing schoolgirls and laborers to endure daily harassment. The village finds its fiery, mythic savior in Karnan (superstar Dhanush in an astonishing, physically monumental performance of righteous fury, vulnerability, and heroic stature), a rebellious young youth waiting for military recruitment who refuses to bow his head to institutional humiliation. When a pregnant village girl collapses after a passing bus refuses to stop, Karnan and the village youth pelt the bus with stones, sparking a retaliatory crackdown orchestrated by ruthless, casteist district police officer Kannabiran (Natty Natraj in a chilling villainous turn). Karnan rises with ancestral sword in hand, aided by his loving elderly mentor Yaeman (veteran actor Lal in an unforgettable, emotionally grounding performance) and his beloved Draupadi (Rajisha Vijayan), transforming his people's defense into an epic stand for human dignity and constitutional rights. Packed with striking metaphorical folk allegories—a headless statue, a sacrificial horse, a tied-up donkey symbolizing oppression, and a child wearing the mask of Goddess Kattu Pechi—Santhosh Narayanan's soul-stirring folk soundtrack ('Kandaa Vara Sollunga') and Theni Eswar's cinematography make Karnan an immortal milestone.