The Indian gangster film is a master class in storytelling. How to combine rivalries, love stories, familial drama, social realities, all into one compact film? The gangster film will show you how. Regional cinema is specific has paved the way for this form to flourish. Karthik Subbaraj’s Dorothy, which recently premiered at TIFF and later released in theatres across the country, is a crime drama that slowly evolves into so much more than just that. If you can’t stop thinking about Dorothy, or if you’re just looking for new films to discover, here’s a watchlist to keep you hooked.
Angamaly Diaries
Lijo Jose Pellissery’s Angamaly Diaries captures the rivalries, friendships and feuds of a small Kerala town through the eyes of Vincent Pepe, a young man hoping to establish himself in the local pork business. With an ensemble cast and an unforgettable climactic sequence, the film makes its chaotic world feel remarkably alive.
Vada Chennai
Directed by Vetrimaaran and led by Dhanush, Vada Chennai follows a skilled carrom player who gets caught in the rivalry between two gangs in the city’s underworld. The format of multiple sub plots helps it sustain the dramatic intensity all through, holding your attention right from start to end with solid twists and turns.
Aavesham
Jithu Madhavan’s Aavesham follows three college students who turn to a local gangster, played by Fahadh Faasil, for help dealing with their bullies. What begins as a friendship of convenience soon spirals into a chaotic mix of violence, loyalty and dark humour, with Fahadh’s unpredictable performance holding the film together.
Vikram Vedha
A notorious gangster Vedha, played by Vijay Sethupathi, surrenders himself to encounter specialist Vikram, led by R. Madhavan whom he challenges every step of the way by narrating his life events in the form of riddles that needs to be solved in order to capture him. Cat and mouse thrills are at the centre of this film which also explores moral greyness with the nuance it deserves.
Garuda Gamana Vrishabha Vahana
Raj B. Shetty’s Kannada crime drama follows Shiva and Hari, two friends who rise through the criminal underworld of Mangaluru. Rooted in mythology, the film explores how power and violence transform their relationship, building towards a brutal reckoning that feels as tragic as it is inevitable.
Pudhupettai
A list of regional gangster films is incomplete without at least two Dhanush films. In Pudhupettai, he plays a carefree teenager from a slum who runs away from home in the wake of his mother’s death, gets recruited into a local gang and quickly evolves into the dreaded, psychotic right-hand man of a dirty politician.
Gangs of Wasseypur
This Anurag Kashyap classic follows generations of a family and a city and muddles family loyalty, politics, and crime, showing how people are willing to do anything for control of Wasseypur. The city itself is really the main character in this narrative that has a natural, raw and unfiltered portrayal of the thugs.
Jigarthanda
Flair, cold-blooded violence, gritty humour come together in Karthik Subbaraj’s Jigarthanda, which surely paved the way to Dorothy. As with all films about making films, there’s plenty of layers to uncover. A filmmaker wants to make a film about a ruthless gang, but gets in trouble for snooping as his research is underway.
Satya
Ram Gopal Varma’s Satya follows an immigrant who arrives in Mumbai with little to his name and gradually finds himself entangled in the city’s criminal underworld. Manoj Bajpayee’s Bhiku Mhatre is unforgettable, but it is the film’s unflinching portrayal of gang life, ambition and survival that makes it a landmark in Indian crime cinema.
Words Platform Desk
Date 9.10.2026
