“Kabooom!” “Dhishoooom!” “Dishkyaaooon!” Does this remind you of something similar? Yes, those typical scenes that we mostly enjoy when the villain gets thrashed by the protagonist left and right, or the hero shoots a bullet at point blank range and finishes off the bad guy, or a scene where multiple cars crash with each other! Action movies have already gained huge fame in the Indian film industry, but the best can be seen in South Indian action movies. These movies are popular with the masses for their action sequences and masala entertainment. Here’s a list of the 25 best South Indian action movies, dubbed in Hindi. This list includes movies from the Tamil, Telegu, Malayalam, and Kannada film industries.
List of Best South Indian Action Movies dubbed in Hindi –
1. VISHWAROOPAM (2013)
IMDb Rating – 8.2/10
Originally In – Tamil
Cast – Kamal Hassan, Pooja Kumar, Andrea Jeremiah, Rahul Bose, Jaideep Ahlawat
Vishwanathan (Kamal Hassan) is a Kathak dancer in New York married to Nirupama (Pooja Kumar), who is a nuclear oncologist. But when a suspecting Nirupama hires a spy to find out the actuality of her husband, a series of violent events ensues, where the spy gets murdered and Vishwanathan’s true identity is revealed in the actions that follow, where he is Wisam Kashmiri, a Raw Agent. Combined with great background music by Shankar Ehsaan Loy, the movie is an action-packed thriller and a must-watch. Watch it on Disney Plus Hotstar.
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2. SHIVA (1989)
IMDb Rating – 8/10
Originally In – Telegu
Cast – Nagarjuna, Amala Akkineni, Raghuvaran
The movie revolves around a conflict between Shiva (Nagarjuna), a college student who is revolted by the corruption and politics he sees in and around his college, and Bhavani (Raghuvaran), a gangster, who along with his men are involved in criminal and violent activities. Bhavani is protected in all his illegal activities by a politician, Machiraju. Issues crop up between the two when Shiva decides to revolt again against Bhavani’s unjust and illegal activities, and thus conflict and violence follow. Shiva was a direction debutant of Ram Gopal Verma and a super entertainer of its time, with BGM provided by Illayaraja. Watch it on YouTube.
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3. ANGAMALY DIARIES (2017)
IMDb Rating – 8/10
Originally In – Malayalam
Cast – Anna Rajan, Antony Varghese, Sarath Kumar, Athira Patel
A gripping yet refreshing movie with a cast of newbies and a story of its locale, Angamaly Diaries revolves around the rivalry between two ‘teams’ of the district Angamaly, a suburb near Kochi. While there is Vincent Pepe (Antony Varghese), who narrates the story and wants to become like his seniors were, a team for the good of all, the story of the movie involves more than just clash of the two clans; it involves the authenticity of Angamaly, its pork, toddy, and church stories. It is a story of war between the two gangs, one led by a former sports team of good guys, and the other is a harsher gang led by two pork butchers, and what follows in the movie is several casualties with some romance. In the causalities that ensue, there are some incidents that change Pepe’s life forever, but not his fight-or-die attitude. Watch it on Netflix.
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4. KATHTHI (2014)
IMDb Rating – 7.9/10
Originally In – Tamil
Cast – Vijay, Samantha, Neil Nithin Mukhesh
When a Multi-National Corporation tries to take over a fertile village forcefully, Jeevanantham (Vijay), a hydrology graduate student and the only educated villager, decides to revolt against the MNC and its aim to take over the village for commercial projects. He takes up a fight against the MNC and vows to restore farming in the village. What follows is a war between the company and the protagonist. Directed by A. R. Murugadoss, the movie is a spicy mix of activism, violence, and impersonation. To know who is the impersonator and whether Jeevanantham is able to fulfil his vow. Watch Kaththi on Amazon Prime.
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5. POKIRI (2006)
IMDb Rating – 7.9/10
Originally In – Telegu
Cast – Mahesh Babu, Illeana D’Cruz, Prakash Raj, Jyothi Rana
The literal meaning of Pokiri is rogue, and the movie revolves around the character of the rogue Pandu (Mahesh Babu). Pandu is a hired assassin who would accept any contract for the right amount. Problems ensue when he is hired by a gangster to silence their opponents, and when the former earns the enmity of a corrupt cop as well as the disapproval of his own girlfriend. When his killer instincts land him in a number of problems, one being disclosing his real identity, which no one has any idea about, is when the twist comes. A complete action-packed movie directed by Puri Jagganadh, this movie was a hit among Mahesh Babu fans and was remade in Hindi (Wanted). It is available on Disney+ Hotstar.
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6. MOOTHON (2019)
IMDb Rating – 7.7/10
Originally In – Malayalam
Cast – Nivin Pauly, Shobita Dhulipala, Shashank Arora, Roshan Mathew
Directed by Geethu Mohandas, Moothon is a non-nonsense film where the plot revolves around Mulla, a 14-year-old orphan from Lakshadweep, who sets out to search for his elder brother Akbar (Nivin Pauly), who had run away to Mumbai. As Mulla continues his search with only a phone number with him, he is faced with harsh realities and sharp revealing truths, while Mumbai’s underbelly and the red streets of Kamathipura are brutal to the child. Immediately with his arrival in Mumbai, he falls in with a gang of criminal orphans and gradually develops survival skills for Mumbai’s criminal underbelly. The story also revolves around the beautiful portrayal of the bond between Akbar and Ameer (Roshan Mathew), who develop a gay affection, before Akbar fled for Mumbai. Moothon literally means ‘the elder one’, and this raunchy action-comedy thriller is worth a ride one should take. The movie has effectively handled various societal taboos, keeping it bold and beautiful.
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7. CHATRAPATHI (2005)
IMDb Rating – 7.6/10
Originally In – Telegu
Cast – Prabhas, Narendra Jha, Shriya Saran
Chatrapathi is a movie slightly inspired by the legend of original Chatrapati Shivaji, who rose up and led people against the Mughal ruler Aurangazeb. Here, Shivaji (Prabhas) is a young child, who, along with his mother and brother, end up in Vizag. They were uprooted from their community in Sri Lanka and thus ended up in Vizag, where Shivaji is forced to work under an unjust local mafia, Baji Rao (Narendra Jha). Baji Rao forces him to transport illegal goods, and his life is a constant hell due to the unjust demands and tortures he puts over Shivaji, as well as those who work under him. Finally, unable to stay silent and bear the atrocities, Shivaji revolts against Baji Rao to remove him from power and end the injustice, and what follows are the revolts and conflicts between the two. Streaming on Sony liv, Chatrapathi is a movie of overcoming oppression as well as the reunion of the protagonist with his lost family.
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8. SWATHANTHRYAM ARDHARATHRIYIL (2018)
IMDb Rating – 7.4/10
Originally In – Malayalam
Cast – Antony Varghese, Aswathi Manoharan, Vinayakan
The movie revolves around Jacob (Antony Varghese), a youngster who works in a financial firm and is in love with a girl. As certain incidents suddenly follow, his life is in complete turmoil, which results in his arrest by the police. Now Jacob has the only option to escape the prison to survive. Dirrected by Tinu Pappachan, this is a thriller movie, accompanied with high-voltage action scenes, with outstanding visuals by the cinematographer Gireesh Gangadharan, and is available on Netflix.
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9. K.G.F. – CHAPTER 1 (2018)
IMDb Rating – 8.2/10
Originally In – Kannada
Cast – Yash, Sreenidhi Shetty, Archana Jois, Ramachandra Raju
KGF is a movie based in the 1950s when gold was discovered in the Kolar Gold Fields in Karnataka. At the same time is the birth of our protagonist, Rocky (Yash). Rocky, brought up in immense poverty, in his youth moves to Mumbai to become a mafia, since his mother wanted him to be rich and powerful, to take revenge on their oppressors. After some time, Rocky returns from Mumbai to become a fierce rebel against the unjust oppression in his hometown and rises to become a hope, a Messiah, for the destitute. What forms the plot of the movie is his ambitious as well as a rebellious nature towards life and his oppressors, while the movie itself is packed with high-octane action sequences. Directed by Prashanth Neel, this is one of the must-watch South Indian movies, already streaming on Amazon Prime.
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10. THE BAHUBALI SERIES (2015-2017)
IMDb Rating – 8.1/10
Originally In – Telegu
Cast – Prabhas, Anushka Shetty, Rana Dagubatti, Sathyaraj, Ramya Krishnan
The Bahubali movies were made and released in a span of two years, Bahubali: The Beginning in 2015 and Bahubali: The Conclusion in 2017. The latter was one of the most anticipated movies of 2017, owing to the climax of the first part. The stories of both the series revolve around Shivudu and later Bahubaali, both played by Prabhas, as the father and son. With the concept of ‘the good versus evil’, this series also revolves around an age-old feud in the province of ancient Mahishmati between two warring people. While the first part hovers around the story buildup and the history and legacy of Shivudu, ending with an abrupt climax, the second part of the series gives answers to all the questions that were left unattended in the former one. Directed by S.S. Rajamouli, both movies are available on Netflix. Those with an interest in war history along with action, this is the one must-watch series for you.
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11. AARANYA KAANDAM (2010)
IMDb Rating – 8.6/10
Originally In – Tamil
Cast – Yasmin Ponnappa, Jackie Shroff, Guru Somasundaram, Sampath Raj
This gangster flick, directed by Thiagarajan Kumararaja, is a combination of two different stories in the same plot. The movie is based in Chennai, where in the first plot, two gangsters are in competition for power in the drug business, while the second plot covers the story of a young man who travels to Chennai with his 12-year-old son. While the first plot of the movie deals with problems of the mafia (Jackie Shroff) and his drug business as well as his resentful mistress, the second plot revolves around the destitute conditions of Kalayaan (Guru Somasundaram). Will these plots intertwine with one another? Does Kalayaan’s woes end? Watch this amazing piece, considered to be the first neo-noir film in Tamil cinema, on Disney+ Hotstar.
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12. LUCIFER (2019)
IMDb Rating – 7.5/10
Originally In – Malayalam
Cast – Mohanlal, Prithiviraj Sukumaran, Manju Warrier, Vivek Oberoi, Tovino Thomas
Power struggle ensues between different forces when the Chief Minister of the state of Kerala dies, which eventually becomes a war between two major forces. While one of the forces is mostly the corrupt and selfish politicians, the other force just wants the person who would take power to be a just and political Godfather of the God’s Own Country. And this is when our protagonist, Stephen Nedumpally (Mohanlal), becomes part of the war, and his mission becomes to save the state from the dark forces. This intriguing political thriller directed by Prithiviraj himself is available on Amazon Prime. With high action sequences and shots in authentic landscapes, this is a movie with immense plot twists.
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13. UGRAMM (2014)
IMDb Rating – 8.3/10
Originally In – Kannada
Cast – Sri Murali, Hariprriya, Tilak, Atul Kulkarni
This action flick revolves around redemption, revenge, and rage. While the plot includes the usual gang wars and revengeful nature of the gang lords, the story takes a turn when the heroine of our film, Nithya (Hariprriya), gets kidnapped by goons and then saved by our hero, Agastya (Sri Murali). While Nithya gradually falls for Agastya, she is shocked to learn his dark past and his links with the horrific underworld in Mughor. The twist comes when one of the gang lords kidnaps Nithya again to take revenge on Agastya, forcing him to face his past in order to save Nithya. Directed by Prashant Neel, this movie is a masala action film, available on Voot. Watch to find out whether Agastya gets a new life or succumbs to his dark past.
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14. HEBBULI (2017)
IMDb Rating – 7/10
Originally In – Kannada
Cast – Sudeep, Amala Paul, V Ravichandran
Directed by S. Krishna, the story is about Captain Ram (Sudeep), a brave and fearless commando who comes home to the news of his brother’s suicide. But he feels doubtful regarding the suicide and decides to investigate the cause of his brother’s sudden demise. This chances him upon a number of shocking clues and truths that link to his brother’s death, and he soon finds himself in a dilemma to either protect his family or avenge his brother. Watch Hebbuli on SonyLiv to know what the Captain chooses and whether he succeeds in this action-comedy.
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15. MANKATHA (2011)
IMDb Rating – 7.6/10
Originally In – Tamil
Cast – Ajith Kumar, Trisha, Arun Sarja, Vaibhav Reddy, Raai Laxmi
Directed by Venkat Prabhu, this action plot revolves around a cat and mouse chase. When a Maharashtra police officer, Vinayak Mahadevan (Ajith), gets suspended, he starts living life according to his wishes and chances upon Sanjana (Trisha), daughter of a local goon, with whom he falls in love. His life turns tumultuous when he decides to join the race of robbing cricket betting money, along with another police officer, and gets betrayed by two of their men. Problems ensue more when the goons as well as the police are on their heels. Mankatha is a pure entertainer with high-voltage action thrillers, and Ajith has delivered justice to his role. It has also been considered to be one of the best Tamil action movies of all time.
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16. KALKI 2898 AD (2024)
IMDb Rating: 7.2/10
Originally in: Telegu
Cast: Amitabh Bachchan Kamal Hassan Prabhas, Deepika Padukone and Disha Patani
The story follows a modern avatar of the Hindu god Vishnu, who is said to have descended on Earth to protect the world from evil forces.
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17. KANTARA (2022)
IMDb Rating: 8.2/10
Originally in: Kannada
When greed paves the way for betrayal, scheming, and murder, a young tribal reluctantly dons the traditions of his ancestors to seek justice. Watch it on Netflix.
18. K.G.F: Chapter 2 (2022)
IMDb Rating: 8.2/10
Originally in: Kannada
Rocky successfully rises as the leader and saviour of the people of the Kolar Gold Fields. But, in his goal to fulfil his mother’s wishes, Rocky must tackle Adheera, Inayat Khalil, and Ramika Sen. Watch it on Prime Video.
19. Adipurush (2023)
IMDb Rating: 2.7/10
Originally in: Telugu
Cast: Prabhas, Saif Ali Khan, Kriti Sanon, Sunny Singh, and Devdutta Nage
The story follows Raghav, the prince of the Ikshvaku dynasty from Kosala, as he tries to rescue his wife, Janaki, from the demon king Lankesh. Watch it on Prime Video and Netflix.
20. SITA RAMAN (2022)
IMDb Rating: 8.5/10
Originally in: Telegu
Cast: Dulquer Salmaan, Mrunal Thakur, and Rashmika Mandanna
Upon returning to Pakistan, Afreen sets off to fulfil her grandfather’s wish of delivering a letter from Ram to Sita. Along the way, she finds Ram and learns about their love story. Watch it on Disney Plus Hotstar.
21. MAHARAJA (2024)
IMDb Rating: 8.6/10
Originally in: Tamil
The plot revolves around a barber who seeks vengeance after his home is burgled. He cryptically tells police his “lakshmi” has been taken, leaving them uncertain if it’s a person or object. His quest to recover the elusive “lakshmi” unfolds.
22. AAVESHAM (2024)
IMDb Rating: 7.8/10
Originally in: Malayalam
The plot revolves around three college freshmen looking for a goon to get revenge on their senior classmates.This leads them to meet Ranga, an infamous mobster, and create a brotherly bond with the trio. With the local backing they hoped for on their side, the three of them managed to instill fear in the hearts of their seniors. However, everything begins to turn bitter when Ranga becomes their most serious problem.The rest of the film focusses on how the trio’s lives turns out, with Fahadh Faasil delivering a wild and unrepentant performance. The film is unquestionably one of the best comedies in Malayalam cinema in recent years. Watch it on Prime Video.
23. GUNTUR KAARAM (2024)
IMDb Rating: 5.4/10
Originally in: Telegu
The story follows a man who seeks explanations when his mother asks him to sign a document denying he is her son while she campaigns for office, years after she deserts him and marries again. Watch it on Netflix.
24. GANGS OF GODAVARI (2024)
IMDb Rating: 5/10
Originally in: Telegu
The story follows a man journeys from rags to riches with absolute grit and determination in the Eluru and Godavari coastal regions of India.
25. INDIAN 2 (2024)
IMDb Rating: 4/10
Originally in: Tamil
When widespread corruption in India compels a group of young people to fight for justice, they call upon a lethal vigilante who escaped three decades ago.
These are a few of the best South Indian action movies that could be watched in dubbed Hindi, but a small suggestion from my end would be to watch the original ones with subtitles. The language, the dialects, and the dialogue delivery in all these movies would be keeping you gripped as well as retaining the essence of the movie. So next time when you plan to watch any raunchy, masala, action thriller, you know our Indian film industry has provided quite a lot other than Bollywood.
Loves watching south indian movies? Check out our list of best south indian movies dubbed in Hindi.
Your Turn!
Which are your favourite south indian action movies? Let us know in the comments section
