Movies like Kothalavadi
If you like "Kothalavadi" you are looking for intense, tension and bleak movies about / with hunger, corruption, poverty, greed, exploitation, survival and violence themes shot in India.
Find your next favorite and similar movies in two steps:
1. Identify all themes of interest from this film (block below).
2. Look for them in the presented list.
Kothalavadi (2025)
1K
Country: India
Duration: 144 min.
Story:
In the famine-stricken village of Kothalavadi, greed sparks chaos as a ruthless scrap dealer manipulates desperate villagers into illegal sand mining, using them as pawns in his quest for power. When tragedy strikes and blood is spilt, an iron-willed officer, a betrayed enforcer, and a cunning politician clash for control. As tensions rise, the villagers must choose: break free or be consumed by their greed.
Style:
intense, tension, bleak, emotional, suspense, dark, tragic
Plot:
hunger, corruption, poverty, greed, exploitation, survival, violence, betrayal, politician, political intrigue, law enforcement, power struggle, moral dilemma, small town, moral ambiguity, revenge, justice, oppression, vigilantism, motor
Time:
contemporary
Movie in categories
Most similar movies to Kothalavadi
The list contains related movies ordered by similarity. Recommendation engine sorted out dark, intense, suspense and tense films with plots about revenge, corruption, betrayal, power struggle, moral ambiguity, violence and survival mostly in Drama, Action and Thriller genres. Some movies like Kothalavadi: Varayan (2022), Ponman (2025), Raavan (2022), 1997 (2021), Trapped (2025). The matching attributes are highlighted in bold.
Genre: Action, Drama
Country: India
Duration: 143 min.
Story:
The main plot revolves around a priest who beats poor villagers into a bloody pulp.
Style:
bleak, tense, realistic, intense, dark ...
Plot:
brutality, violence, priest, village, faith, social commentary, murder, corruption, power struggle, moral ambiguity, small town, religion ...
Time:
21st century
Place:
india
Similarity:
95%
Genre: Comedy, Drama
Country: India
Duration: 125 min.
Story:
Ajesh,a jewellery agent lends 25 sovereigns of gold to Bruno for his sister Steffi's wedding, only to recover just half. When he demands the rest, he’s drawn into a tense comeback battle with Steffi's husband Mariano, an infamous prawn ...
Style:
tension, suspense, dark
Plot:
gold, family drama, outsmarting, betrayal, greed, confrontation, crime boss, small town, power struggle, cat and mouse, ruse, debt ...
Similarity:
89%
Genre: Action, Thriller
Country: India
Duration: 138 min.
Story:
Is Ram Mukherjee Raavan in disguise?
Style:
intense, crime thriller, tension, dark, suspense ...
Audience:
adult
Plot:
revenge, justice, confrontation, conflict, vigilante, disguise, identity crisis, corruption, moral ambiguity, anti hero, urban, betrayal ...
Similarity:
80%
2K
Genre: Adventure
Country: India
Story:
Vikram Rathod(Dr. Mohan) is a sincere police officer who is transferred to the Nizampeta village to control the atrocities that are happening there.
Style:
crime drama, serious, realistic, tense, intense ...
Plot:
police procedural, law enforcement, investigation, social injustice, power struggle, justice, corruption, social realism, vigilante justice, revenge, resilience, moral dilemma ...
Similarity:
76%
Movie in collections
297
Genre: Crime, Drama, Mystery, Thriller, Western
Country: China
Duration: 131 min.
Story:
In 1995, the year before the comprehensive gun ban policy was implemented, the tranquility of Mangya Town was shattered. A notorious bandit leader, who had hidden a massive treasure, broke out of prison. Forty-three ruthless outlaws gathered from ...
Style:
suspense, intense, tension, grim, bleak ...
Plot:
survival, violence, power struggle, outlaw, siege, sandstorm, bandit, showdown, desperation, gunfight, hostage, small town ...
Time:
90s
Similarity:
71%
Genre: Drama, Thriller
Country: India
Duration: 136 min.
Story:
Set in Sriramagiri in 2003, Ravi is a college drop out who works as an informer to Singhanna, a Maoist leader who operates against the local politician. Sirisha, sister of the village head Eeshwar Reddy, becomes the new MRO to the village, decides ...
Style:
intense, bleak, serious, political thriller, suspense
Plot:
justice, moral dilemma, corruption, violence, social commentary, political conflict, choice, bloodbath, betrayal, power struggle, informant, revolution ...
Similarity:
63%
7K
Genre: Action, Drama
Country: India
Duration: 129 min.
Story:
In Trivandrum, four inseperable friends, from raw, rustic background Anandhu, Saji, Manu, and Manaf plan the ultimate heist, their one shot at turning dreams into reality. But as they dive deeper, shadows from the past surface, unraveling hidden ...
Style:
dark, suspense, tense, crime drama, intense ...
Plot:
heist, secrets, betrayal, friendship, revenge, risk, loyalty, working class, moral ambiguity, desperation, ambition, urban ...
Similarity:
63%
Country: India
Duration: 102 min.
Story:
Players gather at a hidden casino to compete for a 100 crore prize. As they play, their secret agendas surface, transforming the game into a lethal competition.
Style:
suspense, intense, dark, twist ending, noir ...
Plot:
deception, betrayal, greed, prize money, corruption, survival, ambition, cat and mouse, power struggle, moral ambiguity, murder mystery, organized crime ...
Time:
2020s
Similarity:
61%
Movie in collections
Genre: Action, Crime, Drama
Country: India
Duration: 154 min.
Story:
Set in the late 1980s Kuppam, Subramanyam, a talented lab assistant, becomes a gunsmith as life throws curveballs after he gets embroiled in a college incident, turns out to be the savior of the locals.
Style:
dark, intense, realistic, emotional, tense ...
Plot:
rise and fall, criminal syndicate, character study, transformation, male protagonist, anti hero, organized crime, moral ambiguity, violence, black market, underworld, ethical dilemma ...
Time:
80s
Similarity:
60%
1K
Genre: Thriller
Country: India
Duration: 106 min.
Story:
The events that happen in the life of Ani after he gets convicted for a murder.
Style:
dark, suspense, psychological, intense, tense ...
Plot:
convict, murder, prison, guilt, moral ambiguity, justice, male protagonist, family conflict, family drama, suspicion, isolation, suspect ...
Similarity:
60%
Genre: Action
Country: India
Duration: 101 min.
Story:
Vikram Simha, a dedicated cop known for his unwavering support for women in trouble, is called to action when Kaveri is brutally assaulted. As she seeks revenge, Vikram must navigate a web of deceit and danger.
Style:
suspense, dark, intense, detective, emotional ...
Plot:
rape, revenge, female protagonist, violence, police procedural, vigilante justice, investigation, criminal conspiracy, female empowerment, social justice, moral ambiguity, cat and mouse ...
Similarity:
55%
Genre: Action, Crime, Thriller
Country: India
Duration: 183 min.
Story:
Harshavardan, an ex-convict mechanic, is tasked to deliver a lorry with a valuable load to Mumbai. He gets entangled with the villainous Pratap, who wants to become CM through illegal means.
Style:
suspense, road movie, political thriller, fast paced, dark ...
Audience:
adult
Plot:
corruption, power, moral ambiguity, conspiracy, police corruption, anti hero, gangster, violence, power struggle, justice, smuggling, urban ...
Place:
mumbai india
Similarity:
54%
Genre: Drama, Romance
Country: India
Story:
Chapel, aka Coach runs a business with a bunch of call boys, but his earnings take a hit when Kalyan, aka CB, enters the market. Parallelly, Kalyan is deeply in love with Sarika. Under what circumstances did Kalyan turn into CB?
Style:
tense, dark, tension, romantic drama, emotional ...
Plot:
moral ambiguity, underworld, power struggle, prostitution, urban, identity, betrayal, male prostitution, violence, loyalty, sexploitation, anti hero ...
Similarity:
53%
Genre: Crime
Country: India
Duration: 115 min.
Story:
In 1999, a businessman(marwadi) named Raja Natwarlal Seth operated large scale businesses in a town called Kothapatnam. Unknowns to many, he was also involved in hawala transactions even maintained a secret syndicate for these operations.
Style:
tension, suspense, dark, crime drama, crime thriller ...
Audience:
adult
Plot:
money laundering, greed, organized crime, corruption, syndicate, moral ambiguity, small town, underworld, double life, betrayal, power struggle, investigation ...
Time:
90s
Similarity:
52%
1K
Genre: Thriller
Country: India
Duration: 142 min.
Story:
Some powerful people, with strong political influence, leaders of the crowd and determined law enforcement collide with one another and the society implodes.
Style:
tense, disturbing, captivating, crime drama, intense ...
Plot:
power struggle, intrigue, political intrigue, political unrest, political conspiracy, fight for supremacy, corruption, power politics, politician, fight, political activism, fighting the system ...
Place:
india
Similarity:
52%
1K
Genre: Comedy, Crime, Drama
Country: India
Duration: 128 min.
Story:
When fate turns out chaotic for a bunch of connected lives in their pursuit of pleasure, survival and greed-peace becomes the absolute necessity of life and karma boomerangs.
Style:
tense, suspense, intense, crime thriller, psychological ...
Plot:
fate, karma, moral ambiguity, greed, urban, mature, city life, character study, survival, betrayal, realism, revenge ...
Time:
2020s
Similarity:
51%
Genre: Action, Family
Country: India
Duration: 140 min.
Story:
A Telangana village under prohibition in 1995, where a powerful toddy tapper, Pratap Goud, exploits villagers.
Style:
tense, period piece, bleak, tragic
Plot:
social commentary, exploitation, prohibition, class conflict, power struggle, social injustice, survival, corruption, resistance, family drama, smuggling, black market ...
Similarity:
51%
1K
Genre: Action, Drama, Thriller
Country: Bangladesh
Duration: 142 min.
Story:
The story of a self motivated gangstar under a political God Father and a young lady who is the prisoner of the same politician as his paramour, both fall in love and want to escape from their intolerable situation.
Style:
political thriller, tension, intense, emotional, dark ...
Plot:
escape, political corruption, corrupt politician, gangster, forbidden love, urban, violence, male protagonist, street life, corruption, power struggle, underworld ...
Place:
bangladesh
Similarity:
49%
Genre: Action, Drama, Thriller
Country: India
Duration: 142 min.
Story:
Set during the 1940s, Bheem Rao Deshmukh, a ruthless monarch and womanizer, rules Rudrangi and treats the local people there as his slaves.One day Bheem Rao comes across a woman named Rudrangi, and he falls for her beauty. Bheem Rao badly wants to ...
Style:
intense, historical drama, dark, period piece, political ...
Plot:
social injustice, feudalism, sexploitation, oppression, tyranny, power struggle, village, patriarchy, class conflict, monarch, justice, female protagonist ...
Time:
1940s
Similarity:
48%
Genre: Romance
Country: India
Duration: 132 min.
Story:
Ashok falls in love with a girl named Swati but doesn't have enough money to ask for her hand in marriage. For this, he decides to pursue a northern treasure known as Uttara, but in the process ends up getting tangled with a powerful landlord ...
Style:
emotional, romantic drama, tense, action drama, suspense
Plot:
power struggle, social injustice, feudalism, village life, male protagonist, determination, poverty, corruption, aspiration, love story, sacrifice, treasure hunt ...
Similarity:
46%
4K
Genre: Action, Crime, Drama, Thriller
Country: India
Duration: 143 min.
Story:
When the peaceful married life of a couple is unexpectedly disrupted by two youngsters with criminal inclination, the trials and tribulations connect the mobster lives of Thrissur by becoming a part of vengeance.
Style:
crime thriller, tension, suspense, dark, atmospheric
Plot:
revenge, violence, mobster, confrontation, family drama, retribution, small town, moral ambiguity, power struggle, crime family, survival, law and order
Similarity:
46%
Genre: Drama, Western
Country: USA
Duration: 78 min.
Story:
When US Marshal Moses White is called to the Wyoming Territory town of Dogwood Pass he never realized the corruption and deceit that awaited his arrival. Sometimes one small seed of seduction and greed planted in the right situation can cause a ...
Style:
tense, suspenseful, bleak, captivating, suspense ...
Plot:
corruption, murder investigation, small town, deception, sheriff, female nudity, murderer, killer, murder, killing, lawman, justice ...
Time:
19th century
Place:
wyoming
Similarity:
46%
Genre: Horror, Thriller
Country: India
Duration: 91 min.
Story:
Lakshmi, Chinna, and Shiva are friends who work together in organized crime but when something goes wrong they turn on each other.
Style:
crime drama, dark, tense, intense, dramatic ...
Plot:
organized crime, betrayal, criminal underworld, gangster, violence, friendship, urban, mistrust, corruption, loyalty, moral ambiguity, threat ...
Similarity:
45%
Movie in collections
Genre: Drama
Country: India
Duration: 163 min.
Story:
Deepak Pradhan, a young police officer, gets transferred to North Bengal where his junior officers are involved in corrupt practices. When disturbing events from the past start to surface and the pressure builds, will Deepak be able to hold on to ...
Style:
suspenseful, dramatic, tense, intense, emotional ...
Plot:
corruption, corrupt system, integrity, justice, ethics, moral dilemma, small town, betrayal, power struggle, investigation, social issues, whistleblower ...
Similarity:
43%
Genre: Action, Horror
Country: Canada
Duration: 94 min.
Story:
A small-time wrestling company accepts a well-paying gig in a backwoods town only to learn, too late, that the community is run by a mysterious cult leader with devious plans for their match.
Style:
intense, suspense, dark, psychological, psychological thriller
Plot:
wrestling, backwoods, confrontation, manipulation, threat, outsider, claustrophobia, ethical dilemma, survival, small town, isolation, moral ambiguity ...
Similarity:
43%
14K
Genre: Action, Crime, Drama, Thriller
Country: India
Duration: 145 min.
Story:
Raayan, a simpleton patriarch has to protect his family when they inadvertently get muddled in a violent world with whirlpool of murder, debauchery, feud, politics and power, a quagmire that he has repeatedly warned them not to get pulled into.
Style:
dark, tense, crime thriller, intense, dramatic ...
Plot:
family drama, escalation, family tragedy, betrayal, murder, corruption, feud, power struggle, manipulation, violence, revenge, moral corruption ...
Similarity:
42%
Genre: Action, Drama
Country: India
Duration: 103 min.
Story:
Bullet Satyam is about a villager who has a strong desire to become an MPTC in his village. Satyam gets married to Premalatha and leads a happy life. Meanwhile, when Lata's father is going to his village, a gang attacks him and kills ...
Style:
dramatic, emotional, suspense, intense, realistic ...
Plot:
murder, village life, family drama, villager, loss, small town, whodunit, gang violence, grief, community, revenge, investigation ...
Similarity:
42%
Genre: Action, Drama, Thriller
Country: India
Duration: 126 min.
Story:
Fuelled by a lifetime of suffering, an ex army man embarks on a vengeful quest. Standing in his way is a police constable whose own past pain transformed into a dutiful son. When their paths converge, hero either can flee for his life or take a ...
Style:
intense, action thriller, bleak
Plot:
revenge, trauma, moral dilemma, moral ambiguity, vigilante, troubled past, suffering, betrayal, haunting, cat and mouse, redemption, corruption ...
Similarity:
42%
Genre: Action, Thriller
Country: India
Duration: 132 min.
Story:
Village dreamer Shiva comes to Hyderabad to become a director.Rejected and desperate, he joins the drug mafia to fund his film. As he rises, violence consumes him. With cops chasing and gangsters betraying him, Shiva chooses to fight back.
Style:
crime thriller, dark, tense, suspense, bleak ...
Plot:
underworld, moral ambiguity, gangster, ambition, anti hero, organized crime, filmmaking, betrayal, violence, corruption, film industry, power struggle ...
Place:
india
Similarity:
42%
Genre: Action, Crime, Drama, Thriller
Country: India
Duration: 124 min.
Story:
Protagonist Shiva, works with dreaded gangster for living. An Unexpected incident, turns him into a revenge-seeking man. The way he carries out sting operation to expose the dark secrets of his gang is rest of the movie
Style:
tense, intense, suspenseful, crime drama, dark ...
Plot:
gangster, revenge, betrayal, sting operation, underworld, corruption, violence, power struggle, justice, loyalty, moral ambiguity, vigilante ...
Similarity:
42%
Related movie lists
