Film
Khiladi
Other titles called Khiladi: the 1992 film, the 2023 film.
A Telugu-language action thriller about a man caught between criminal underworld and mysterious conspiracies. Ravi Teja anchors this stylish, high-octane film with slick action sequences and moral ambiguity at its core. Built for audiences who want spectacle, twists, and the satisfaction of watching someone navigate impossible choices with sharp intelligence.
If you liked this
Eega2012
Rajamouli's shape-shifting revenge tale uses genre conventions as a springboard for visual innovation. Inventive action, genuine emotional stakes, and a protagonist who refuses conventional heroism make this Telugu cinema at its most alive.
But Some may find the tonal shifts—from thriller to darkly comic to philosophical—scattered rather than sophisticated. At nearly three hours, it demands patience.

Arjun Reddy2017
A morally murky protagonist spiralling through consequence and choice, shot with operatic intensity. Vijay Deverakonda's raw performance and the film's refusal to let him off easy create genuine psychological tension that lingers.
But The self-destruction on display is relentless and often ugly. Some viewers find the wallowing more punishing than illuminating, and the runtime works against momentum.

Gabbar Is Back2015
Akshay Kumar as a vigilante operating in grey moral space, executing elaborate plans against a corrupt system. Sharp dialogue, intelligent plotting, and an actor playing against his usual heroic grain create something genuinely unusual for mainstream Hindi cinema.
But The film's view of justice-outside-law can feel simplistic once you look sideways at it. Action sequences occasionally prioritize spectacle over coherence.

Not sure tonight? Get a pick in a minute, starting from Khiladi
The wildcard
Something you would not have found on your own.
Rang De Basanti2006
Both explore the gap between criminal agency and moral justification—the protagonist choosing their path despite knowing the cost, and the film refusing to let us off easy for sympathizing.
Aamir Khan and an ensemble wake to systemic injustice and choose direct action. What starts as youthful idealism hardens into moral complexity—the film asks whether consequences ever justify conviction, and doesn't flinch from the answer. A political thriller disguised as a coming-of-age ensemble film.
But The second half's tonal shift from optimism to consequence will alienate viewers hoping for catharsis. Some find the politics simplistic; others find them uncomfortably clear-eyed. Running nearly three hours means the philosophy slows the pacing.

More like this (7)
Singham2011
Ajay Devgn as a cop who operates by his own code, with Rohit Shetty's signature stylized action and a cat-and-mouse dynamic that crackles. It understands that authority and violence are entangled in interesting ways.
But The film conflates righteousness with brutality in ways that feel unexamined. Pacing sags in the middle stretch.

Pushpa: The Rise2021
Allu Arjun's transformation from nobody to kingpin is told with visual flair and swagger. Telugu cinema's scale, combined with careful character work, makes the ascent feel earned rather than inevitable. A culture clash thriller with genuine narrative momentum.
But Nearly three hours of plot mechanics can feel repetitive. The film loves its protagonist in ways that might read as endorsement rather than analysis.

Raid2018
Ajay Devgn and Saurabh Shukla in a taut cat-and-mouse game over a single night, built on procedural tension rather than spectacle. Small-scale but psychologically engaging, with excellent supporting performances grounding the power dynamics.
But Deliberately constrained scope and runtime mean there's no grand finale to justify investment for some. Favors dialogue and standoff over action.

Natrang2010
Medha Manjrekar in a Marathi film about a man who trades everything for art and performance. Character study disguised as genre piece, with devastating emotional clarity and a central performance that justifies every minute of attention.
But Deeply melancholic and sometimes static. Subtitled, and requires patience with ambivalent endings and interior psychological states.

Drishyam2015
Mohanlal as an ordinary man outthinking the police in a web of circumstantial evidence and choice. Malayalam crime thriller built on dialogue, intelligence, and the question of whether survival justifies the cost. Genuinely suspenseful.
But Plot hinges on convenient timing and viewer goodwill. Not a character study; it's a machine designed to execute a specific payoff.

Wanted2008
Salman Khan as a cop who becomes what he hunts, set against Mumbai's criminal machinery. Raw in a way mainstream Hindi action rarely allows. Anurag Kashyap's visual language elevates standard vigilante material into something with actual edge.
But The film's moral positioning is incoherent, sometimes reading as endorsement rather than critique. Action sequences can feel clunky by modern standards.

Jai Bhim2021
Both center on a protagonist wrongly marked by the system, but where Khiladi plays with ambiguity about guilt, Jai Bhim removes doubt and focuses on the machinery of injustice itself. Inverse moral clarities examining the same machinery from different angles.
Suriya in a Tamil-language courtroom thriller based on true events, where a lawyer fights a rigged system to prove innocence. Methodical and furious, with a protagonist who must navigate institutions designed to fail him. Documentary-like procedural tension married to genuine stakes.
But It's a study of systemic brutality in judiciary and police: unflinching, sometimes gratuitously dark, and emotionally exhausting. Not designed for entertainment—designed for evidence.

People
Cast
Ravi TejaMohan Gandhi
Meenakshi ChaudharyPooja
Dimple HayathiChitra/Aditi
Arjun SarjaArjun Bharadwaj
Anasuya BharadwajChitra's Mother
Unni MukundanRama Krishna
Vennela KishoreBobby
Nikitin DheerBala Singham
Murali SharmaPutta Parthi
Mukesh RishiGuru Singham
Directing
- K. R. K. PawanCo-Director
- Ramesh VarmaDirector
- PatrikeyaScript Coordinator
Writing
- Srikanth VissaDialogue
- Sree ManiLyricist
- Srikanth VissaLyricist
- Ramesh VarmaScreenplay
- Ramesh VarmaStory
Production
- Murali Krishna KodaliExecutive Producer
- Satyanarayana KoneruProducer
- Ram PedditiPublicist