Film

Jilla

Name: Jilla
Genre: Action
Released: 2014
Cast: Mohanlal, Vijay, Sampath Raj, Kajal Aggarwal, Mahat Raghavendra

Jilla is a 2014 Tamil action film about a gangster's adopted son forced into the police force, caught between two worlds. It's a muscular, star-driven vehicle built on the collision between crime family loyalty and law enforcement duty. For fans of high-octane South Indian cinema who want charisma, action set pieces, and moral complications dressed in leather jackets.

TMDb rating

2.9

Should you watch it?

Watch it if you want an unapologetic star vehicle where two very different screen presences share the frame and the action is staged for cheers, not realism.

Skip it if you find nearly three hours of mass-cinema bluster tiring, or want restraint and a tight story; its logic leans on hero moments over plausibility.

What it asks of you: Settle in for nearly three hours of loud, sustained momentum, built from big set pieces and crowd-pleasing beats rather than quiet scenes.

Not sure? Find tonight's pick in a minute.

If you liked this

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But The plotting is sometimes schematic, and the film slides toward melodrama in its final act. It's also distinctly of its era in ways that may feel dated.

Ghajini2008

Aamir Khan in a revenge thriller with spectacular action sequences and a protagonist fractured by trauma and obsession. A masterclass in star power deployed for spectacle and emotional impact.

But The memory-loss conceit is handled more as plot device than explored with real depth. The runtime is generous even for what it accomplishes.

Vettai2012

A Tamil film about two brothers—one a cop, one outside the law—locked in opposition. Direct DNA relative to Jilla's central conflict, with Madhavan and Arulnidhi doing solid work.

But The screenplay occasionally prioritizes action beats over character logic. Some supporting performances feel broadly written.

Not sure tonight? Get a pick in a minute, starting from Jilla

The wildcard

Something you would not have found on your own.

Raid2018

Both explore how the system itself corrupts good men. Where Jilla is a crime story, Raid is an anti-crime story told from inside the machinery.

Ajay Devgn in a cat-and-mouse film about a tax inspector and a corrupt businessman. It has Jilla's interest in institutional power and moral ambiguity, but inverts the register—tense, procedural, almost Kafkaesque.

But There's almost no action in the traditional sense. If you're coming for spectacle, you'll be disappointed by the bureaucratic mundanity.

Singam2010

Suriya as a crusading police officer who plays by his own rules. High-energy action cinema with real stakes and a charismatic lead doing the impossible with conviction.

But The gender dynamics are of their time and awkward now. Plot mechanics sometimes strain credibility even for an action film.

Kabali2016

Rajinikanth as an aging gangster settling scores and protecting family legacy. Visually ambitious, thematically interested in power and mortality, with moments of genuine grace.

But The narrative is deliberately fragmented and abstract—it's not a plot-driven film. Some will find the pacing meditative; others will find it glacial.

Natrang2010

Atul Kulkarni as an aging theatre performer caught between tradition and exploitation. A character study dressed as social commentary, with real emotional intelligence underneath.

But It's a Marathi-language film with subtlety where Jilla has bombast. The pace is contemplative and the action is metaphorical.

Kaithi2019

Karthi as a ex-con dragged back into crime and police machinery on a single night. A lean, propulsive thriller with impressive action craft and a protagonist you actually root for.

But The simplicity of the premise may feel thin to some. It's built for momentum rather than complexity.

A Prophet2009

Both are about chosen families and the impossibility of straddling two worlds. But where Jilla resolves its conflicts through action, this film resolves them through moral reckoning.

Jacques Audiard's French crime epic about a young man's rise through prison and organized crime. Visually stunning, psychologically acute, and obsessed with power, loyalty, and the cost of survival.

But It's a European art film with subtitles, a 2.5-hour runtime, and a glacial pace. The violence is brutal and the tone is uncompromising.

Ponniyin Selvan: Part I2022

Both are Tamil films fascinated by power dynasties and inherited loyalty. Selvan treats these themes with historical scope; Jilla grounds them in contemporary gangster machinery. One is intimate, one is vast.

Mani Ratnam's epic about political power and family dynasty in medieval Tamil Nadu. Gorgeous filmmaking, a sprawling ensemble, and genuine ambition—the scale and craft are in another league.

But It's a historical epic that demands attention and assumes familiarity. At nearly three hours, it's operatic rather than propulsive, and rewards patience more than immediate gratification.