It’s the year 2022 and it’s no surprise to say that the film industry that rules the hearts of people isn’t just Bollywood or Hollywood anymore – it’s also the vast South Indian film industry. The Indian audience has grown more aware and has welcomed the variety of films with open arms. It’s worth mentioning how recent years have changed the face of viewing cinema in the country. But today, let’s look at the impact of Kannada movies in Indian cinema. Stars like Sudeep, Yash, the late Puneet Rajkumar, Shiva Rajkumar, and others have given the world of cinema some of the top Kannada movies. Which is the No 1 movie in Kannada? Which movies are trending in Kannada? Which is the highest TRP movie in Kannada? This article will help you find answers to all these questions and more. If you’re new to this world,
Here are 25 of the best Kannada movies that you must watch!
1. KGF Chapter 2
Released in 2022, this film is about Rocky Bhai and his journey towards becoming the underworld don. The main story revolves around people wanting to own and rule the Kolar Gold Fields. Apart from Yash, one of the best South Indian actors, this film also features Raveena Tandon, Sanjay Dutt, Srinidhi Shetty, Prakash Raj and others in the lead. The film has an 8.4 rating on IMDB and was a hit with a collection of Rs. 992 crores approx in India and $27 million internationally.
2. GG: Gandhada Gudi
Another bit hit that was released in 2022, Gandhada Gudi, was the last film that the Late actor Puneet Rajkumar was a part of. GG is a docudrama film directed by Amoghavarsha JS that features him and Puneet in the lead roles. What makes it one of the best Kannada movies is the ace acting, direction, storyline and emotions that are displayed throughout the film. With a 9.6 rating on IMDB, this movie is a musical celebration that you cannot miss.
3. Kantara
Yet another 2022 film, the word Kantara means a mystical forest. The film is written and directed by Rishab Shetty. It’s an action-thriller that stars Rishab as the lead, Sapthami Gowda, Kishore Achyuth Kumar and Pramod Shetty among others. The film received a lot of praise for the performances, direction, writing, production design, action sequences and especially the music. The film proved to be one of the biggest and best Kannada movies of all time with a high-grossing box office collection, actually the second highest-grossing Kannada film ever.
4. KGF Chapter 1
The prequel to KGF Chapter 2, this 2018 movie also stars Yash in the lead role. What makes this one of the best Kannada movies is its high-on emotions, gripping storyline, commendable acting and stunning background score. It was the most expensive Kannada film at the time of its release. The film was a commercial hit and collected ₹2.5 billion in its theatrical release. In that year, it proved to be the highest-grossing Kannada film and was declared a cult hit.
5. 777 Charlie
Adding to the list of amazing movies that 2022 has given us, is this emotional, adventure comedy-drama film that is written and directed by Kiranraj K. The film stars Charlie, a labrador in the lead role, along with Raksh*t Shetty, Sangeetha Sringeri, Raj B. Shetty, Danish Sait and Bobby Simha. The story of this film follows a bond between a lonely factory worker and a stray dog. It was a film that received critical acclaim and became the fifth most highest-grossing, best Kannada movie of all time. Let the 8.9 rating on IMDB be a good motivation for you to watch this movie today!
6. RangiTaranga
A 2015 hit, RangiTaranga can smoothly make it to the list of best Kannada movies because of its gripping storytelling. Written and directed by Anup Bhandari, this is a mystery thriller film that stars Nirup Bhandari, Radhika Chetan and Avantika Shetty in the lead roles. The film also features veteran actor, Saikumar. Anup was inspired to write this film because of the track “Dennana Dennana”, which featured as the theme song in the soap Guddada Bhoota, back in the 1990s. Anup had a greater role to play in the film as he also created the film’s soundtrack and penned the beautiful lyrics in the film. Did you know, RangiTaranga qualified for the 88th Academy Awards but unfortunately did not make the cut to the final list of nominations?
7. Lucia
A film released in 2013, Lucia is a psychological thriller drama film written, co-edited and directed by Pawan Kumar. Sathish Ninasam and Sruthi Hariharan played the lead roles in this film with the soundtrack being composed by Poornachandra Tejaswi. It not only made it to our 25 best Kannada movies but also made it to the London Indian Film Festival, 2013, was shortlisted by the FFI to enter the Academy Awards for Best Foreign Language Films of the year and won the Best Film Audience Choice award at the festival.
8. Ulidavaru Kandanthe
Ulidavaru Kandanthe stands for ‘As seen by the rest’. This movie was released in 2014, a gangster film written and directed by Raksh*t Shetty. The film’s focus on regional authenticity helped make it to the list of best Kannada movies ever. Soon after its release, the film gained the status of a cult film and became a part of the modern Kannada New Generation Cinema Age kick-started by Lucia. The film also stars Kishore, Tara, Achyuth Kumar, Rishab Shetty, and Yagna Shetty.
9. Uppi 2
Directed and starring Upendra, Uppi 2 is a 2015 psychological thriller film. It’s the sequel to the 1999 film, Upendra. Apart from Upendra, Kristina Akheeva and Parul Yadav in lead roles, you’ll find Sayaji Shinde, Shobhraj, Satyajit, Bank Janardhan and Mimicry Dayanand in supporting roles. Although the film garnered mixed reviews due to its confusing storyline, the film won the South Indian International Movie Award for Best Director for the film. To top it off, the film was guaranteed success and hit within the first 50 days! Nothing better to know than why it features on our best Kannada movies list.
10. Ugramm
An engrossing action thriller film by Prashanth Neel, this film is about a man who must protect a girl from the antagonist. Srimurali and Haripriya star as the lead pair in this film while Thilak Shekar, Atul Kulkarni, Avinash, Jai Jagadish and others are featured in supporting roles. Did you know, Ugramm was the first ever film to be shot outside the Bharat Gold Mines Limited cyanide dumps at Kolar Gold Fields? This film has an 8.1 rating on IMDB.
11. Garuda Gamana Vrishabha Vahana
The title, Garuda Gamana Vrishabha Vahana, translates to one who mounts on Vrishabha. The film is set in modern-day Mangalore. The film is about how Hari and Shiva rise together only to face each other as enemies. The movie features Raj B. Shetty and Rishab Shetty in the lead roles. Midhun Mukundan has done an amazing job with the film’s music. With an 8.4 rating, this movie is a must-watch for everyone!
12. Kirik Party
A romantic comedy from 2016, Kirik Party is directed by Rishab Shetty. The film stars Rakshi Shetty, Rashmika Mandanna, Samyuktha Hegde (South actress) and Achyuth Kumar while Aravinnd Iyer, Dhananjay Ranjan, Chandan Achar and Pramod Shetty play prominent roles. The film proved to be a huge hit among audiences and completed 365 days in multiplexes. Kirik Party won the Karnataka State Film Award for Best Family Entertainer and was nominated in seven categories at the 64th Filmfare Awards South, out of which they won five awards. The film also received five awards at the IIFA Utsavam and seven awards at the 6th South Indian International Movie Awards.
13. James
Another 2022 movie, James features Puneet Rajkumar. This is an action drama film that was considered a tribute to Puneet as this is his posthumous appearance. The film broke all box office opening collection records and garnered 28 crores on the first day itself. By the 4th day of the release, the film collected a whopping 100 crores and became the second highest-grossing film at the time of release. Also, worth a mention that it became the fastest Kannada film to enter the 100-crore club. If you’ve been a huge fan of Appu, this movie will not disappoint you in any way. The movie garnered 151 crores at the box office.
14. Love Mocktail
A 2020 movie, Love Mocktail is a romantic drama film that revolves around Adi’s multiple love stories. From his school love to the love of his life. The film features Krishna and Milana Nagaraj who also happen to be the producers of the film. Love Mocktail was one of the most successful films of 2020 and received a great response. It has an 8.2 rating!
15. Raajakumara
Raajakumara, a Puneet Rajkumar and Priya Anand starrer, is an action drama film that was released in 2017. The cast of the film also includes actors like Ananth Nag, Sarath Kumar, Prakash Raj, Chikkanna, Sadhu Kokila, Achyuth Kumar and Avinash. The movie is a revenge story and was the first Kannada film to complete 6000 shows in multiplexes within six weeks of its release. The film garnered ₹75 crores (US$9.4 million) at the box office.
16. Ratnan Prapancha
A comedy-drama film, Ratnan Prapancha, stars Dhananjay alongside Kannada film debutant Malayalam actress, Reba Monica John. The film was released during the pandemic and thus released on the OTT platform – Amazon Prime Video. The film is about a man who learns the importance of loved ones around him and his journey to finding himself. The movie won four awards in total and proved to be a hit Kannada movie.
17. Mungaru Male
Mungaru Male means pre-monsoon rain. And yes, you may have already guessed it right, this is a romantic film that stars Ganesh, Pooja Gandhi and Anant Nag. The film holds the record of being screened for a year straight in multiplex, in any language. It was also said to be the first Kannada film to cross the ₹50 crore box office collection mark. This movie is definitely among the Kannada superhit movies and holds a national record in Indian Cinema for running for more than one year in PVR.
18. U Turn
A supernatural thriller film, U Turn was released in 2016, starring Shraddha Srinath in the lead, along with Roger Narayan, Dileep Raj and Radhika Chetan. It is one of the best Kannada movies of all time as it was one of the three Kannada movies to be remade in three other South Indian languages. Did you know, it was the first Indian movie to be remade in Filipino? Moreover, Ekta Kapoor has announced its Hindi remake in 2021.
19. Godhi Banna Sadharana Mykattu
A drama-based film, Godhi Banna Sadharana Mykattu, is a 2016 film that revolves around Venkob Rao, who goes missing and is suffering from Alzheimer’s disease. His son, Shiva is in search of his father and the film is based on this search. The film received a positive response from the audience and critics and is one of the most famous Kannada movies in recent times.
20. Kavaludaari
Kavaludaari means Crossroads. This 2019 thriller film starred Rishi, Anant Nag, Achyuth Kumar, Suman Ranganath and Roshni Prakash. A general road work leads to the discovery of human bones, eventually leading to the discovery of a 40-year-old case. The investigation tests the protagonist’s beliefs and morals.
21. Thithi
Directed by Raam Reddy, this 2015 is a light-hearted story about three generations of men discussing the passing away of a 101-year-old patriarch. Thithi means funeral and this film premiered at the 68th Locarno International Film Festival and won the Golden Leopard – Filmmakers of the Present category and the First Feature Award. The film also won numerous awards including the National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Kannada at the 63rd National Film Awards.
22. Super
A political drama, Super is a 2010 film that starred Upendra and Nayantara. It was a futuristic film that is about an NRI who is challenged by his fiance to change India. The film happens to be written and directed by Upendra as well. If you’re up for something fun, this is the film you must watch today.
23. Simple Agi Ondh Love Story
A super romantic comedy film, Simple Agi Ondh Love Story, is written and directed by Suni and stars Raksh*t Shetty and Shwetha Srivatsav. It revolves around Kushal falling in love with a girl and a life-altering disease that she’s fighting. Watch this film to know how their love story turns for the better…or worse.
24. Bell Bottom
This 2019 crime comedy film is directed by Jayatheertha with actors Rishab Shetty and Hariprriya in the lead, and Achyuth Kumar, Yogaraj Bhat and Pramod Shetty in supporting roles. The movie was one of 2019’s highest-grossing films. Did you know, this movie was also featured at the Indian Film Week in Japan? The film is about how a constable finally completes his dream of becoming a detective when a robbery takes place at a local police station.
25. Mr. And Mrs. Ramchari
A 2014 film, Mr. And Mrs. Ramchari, is a romantic drama film starring Yash and Radhika Pandit. This story revolves around two main characters: Ramachari, a tearaway and hotheaded youngster who adores Vishnuvardhan, and Divya, his sophisticated love interest. As the highest-grossing Kannada movie of the year, the film had a 200-day theatrical run.
So, now that you have the complete list of the best Kannada movies and the top Kannada movies, start ticking them off one by one. Watch this space for all Bollywood updates, Tollywood updates and more!
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