Film

Singham

A righteous small-town cop gets transferred to a corrupt big city where an underworld kingpin he once wronged awaits revenge. Ajay Devgn anchors this Hindi remake with explosive action and genuine moral conviction, playing a man whose integrity becomes both his greatest strength and vulnerability. It's Bollywood crime drama with genuine stakes and a hero you actually root for.

TMDb rating3.3

Should you watch it?

Watch it if you want a big, unapologetic hero who takes on a corrupt city machine with swagger, and you enjoy old-school Bollywood melodrama played straight.

Skip it if you tire of lone-hero heroics, or want restraint, since it leans into loud speeches, big set pieces and sentiment across its two-hour-plus running time.

What it asks of you: A long, muscular runtime near two and a half hours, loud emotion and frequent physical clashes, with a heightened, unsubtle tone you must accept early on.

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

If you liked this

Khakee2004

An ensemble heist-crime drama that balances multiple perspectives, corruption, and moral ambiguity. Devgn and Prakash Raj again show their chemistry, and the film has that same weight of institutional rot versus individual honour.

But It's nearly three hours, spreads its attention across too many characters, and the momentum occasionally stalls in favour of subplot development.

Khakee poster

The Dirty Picture2011

Released the same year, it's Bollywood crime drama with real sensuality and a lead who operates in moral grey zones. Vidya Balan dominates in a way that recalls Devgn's command of his own frame.

But It's a woman's story, not a cop story, and the tone is seduction and manipulation rather than action. Completely different register.

The Dirty Picture poster

Dabangg2010

The template Singham follows: a maverick cop who bends rules but serves justice. Salman Khan's rawer charisma and the film's slightly comic tone make it a natural companion piece.

But Campier, less interested in institutional corruption, and the romance subplot is intrusive. Some find it too broad.

Dabangg poster

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

The wildcard

Something you would not have found on your own.

Valhalla Rising2010

Both centre a hero bound by an internal code in a corrupt world; but where Singham believes in justice systems, Valhalla Rising believes in nothing. Opposite poles of the righteous-man-in-a-broken-world story.

An absolutely uncompromising study of violence, honour, and a man forced into a world of brutality. Mads Mikkelsen as a captive warrior—silent, lethal, morally opaque. Zero sentimentality, pure existential dread.

But Extremely violent, deliberately obscure, no plot comfort, and Nicolas Winding Refn's direction is challenging rather than entertaining. This will feel like a punishment if you want a story.

Valhalla Rising poster
More like this (5)

Special 262013

A heist thriller where the con men are smarter than the cops chasing them. Sharp, intelligent crime cinema with genuine twists and the kind of cat-and-mouse tension Singham builds differently.

But No heroic cop to root for—everyone's morally compromised. The pleasure is in cleverness, not conviction.

Special 26 poster

Jism2003

A crime thriller that doesn't flinch from sex, violence, or moral corruption. Emraan Hashmi in his breakthrough role shows how Bollywood could do noir with genuine heat and cynicism.

But Older print quality, slow at times, and the sexual content was controversial then and might feel dated now. Also far more interested in seduction than justice.

Jism poster

Drishyam2015

An ordinary man versus a corrupt system, but told as a tense cat-and-mouse game rather than action heroics. Ajay Devgn again, showing how restraint and intelligence can match force for force.

But Deliberately low-key, dialogue-heavy, and the satisfaction comes from tactical brilliance rather than spectacle. Very different pacing.

Drishyam poster

Policegiri2013

A lighter take on honest cops versus crime bosses, with Shenoy and Sharma playing bumbling small-town police who stumble into a case larger than them. It's affectionate rather than cynical about law enforcement.

But The comedy undercuts tension constantly. If you want genuine stakes and action, this will feel too silly and scattered.

Policegiri poster

Harakiri1962

Both films explore what happens when an incorruptible man meets an institution designed to corrupt or destroy him; but Singham believes he can win, while Harakiri knows the outcome from frame one.

Masaki Kobayashi's masterpiece about a samurai and institutional betrayal. A man with honour confronts a system that exploits it—the tragedy is that his integrity becomes the thing that destroys him. Utterly devastating cinema.

But Black and white, 1962 Japanese film, extremely slow, and the emotional tone is unrelenting grief. If you want catharsis or action beats, this offers neither.

Harakiri poster

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Recommended by

Kabali, Bobby Jasoos, Theri, Kanguva, Eega, Dabangg, Singam 2, Policegiri, Jawan, Khiladi, Sooryavanshi, Dhoom, Dhoom 3, Golmaal Again, Dhoom 2, Pokkiri, Don, Arrambam, The Magnificent Butcher, Gabbar Singh, Dookudu, Rowdy Fellow, Balupu, Heropanti, Petta, Bheemla Nayak, Pokiri, Humshakals, Zanjeer, Thaandavam, Mersal, Dishoom, Baaghi 2, Nakshatram, Khaidi No. 150, Vikram Vedha, Khiladi, Jai Chiranjeeva, Kick, Varudu, Ayan, Thaanaa Serndha Koottam, Aagadu