Movies like Kaantha
If you like "Kaantha" you are looking for family saga, realistic and dramatic movies about / with social realism, class conflict, city life, street life, coming of age and forbidden love themes of Crime, Drama and Mystery genre shot in India.
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1. Identify all themes of interest from this film (block below).
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Kaantha (2025)
9K
Original name: காந்தா
Genre: Crime, Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Country: India
Duration: 150 min.
Story:
Set in the backdrop of a film set, in the 1950’s in post colonial Madras, the film is centred around the professional rivalry between a film-maker trying to make his seminal film and the top reigning actor who the director once introduced. The rivalry spirals around the leading actress, a debutante and as the relationship between the three.
Style:
family saga, realistic, dramatic, retro, melancholic, psychological thriller, neo noir, period drama, nostalgic
Plot:
social realism, class conflict, city life, street life, coming of age, forbidden love
Time:
1950s
Movie in categories
Most similar movies to Kaantha
The list contains related movies ordered by similarity. Recommendation engine sorted out realistic, tense, suspense and dramatic films with plots about moral ambiguity, betrayal, social realism, coming of age, revenge, urban and corruption mostly in Drama, Crime and Thriller genres. Some movies like Kaantha: Phatik Chand (1983), The Substitute (2022), Gregorio (1985), Nenjuku Needhi (2022), 13 (2014). The matching attributes are highlighted in bold.
Genre: Adventure, Crime, Drama, Family, Thriller
Country: India
Duration: 103 min.
Story:
Mystery-drama about a botched kidnapping of a Calcutta schoolboy and his relationships and adventures.
Style:
suspense, poignant, suspenseful, emotional, realistic ...
Audience:
family friendly
Plot:
kidnapping, schoolboy, friendship, identity, childhood, empathy, mistaken identity, coming of age, family relations, journey, humanism, police investigation ...
Place:
kolkata
Similarity:
95%
Genre: Crime, Drama, Thriller
Country: Argentina, Spain, Mexico, Italy, France, Switzerland, UK
Duration: 112 min.
Story:
Lucio, a prestigious university professor, takes the position of substitute teacher at a high school in the suburbs of Buenos Aires, where he grew up. Through tales, novels and poetry, he tries to distract his class from the harsh reality of their ...
Style:
suspenseful, tense, captivating, dramatic, serious ...
Plot:
school, teacher, high school, poetry, substitute teacher, school teacher, apprentice, threat, drug lord, drug crime, education, gang violence ...
Place:
argentina, buenos aires argentina
Similarity:
75%
181
Genre: Drama
Country: Peru
Duration: 87 min.
Story:
Gregorio, a boy from the impoverished countryside of Peru emigrates to Lima, the capital city. Experiencing a cultural shock due to the chaotic nature of the city, he must challenge himself to learn Spanish, since his native tongue is Quechua, and ...
Style:
melancholic, neorealism
Plot:
social realism, language barrier, class conflict, immigration, social commentary, survival, resilience, city life, realism, child protagonist, street life, adaptation ...
Place:
peru, latin america
Similarity:
69%
Genre: Crime, Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Country: India
Duration: 138 min.
Story:
An upright city-bred IPS officer investigates a mysterious case of three missing Dalit girls in a rural part of Tamil Nadu. While two are found dead, one is missing without any trace. Can he crack the case and get hold of the culprits?
Style:
realistic, emotional, tense, intense, suspenseful ...
Plot:
oppression, social justice, social commentary, investigation, class conflict, female victim, corruption, police procedural, human rights, missing person, law and order, confrontation ...
Similarity:
66%
Movie in collections
1K
Genre: Crime, Drama, Thriller
Country: Iran
Duration: 100 min.
Story:
The lack of communication between the mother and the father of a 13 year old, leads inevitably to a divorce. During this ordeal their son, feeling out of place, befriends some troubled older kids and gets involved in murder.
Style:
realistic, poignant, melancholic, intense, tense ...
Audience:
teen drama
Plot:
adolescence, loss of innocence, coming of age, family drama, peer pressure, character study, identity crisis, social realism, bullying, alienation, juvenile delinquency, isolation ...
Place:
iran
Similarity:
58%
Genre: Crime, Drama
Country: Philippines, Netherlands, Switzerland
Duration: 113 min.
Story:
A story about three children struggling in a depressed neighborhood with their means of survival arriving from the package given to them by their parents who works abroad.
Style:
realistic, neorealism, melancholic, sentimental
Plot:
poverty, coming of age, social realism, survival, working class, friendship, childhood, loss of innocence, desperation, emigration, diaspora, community ...
Place:
the philippines
Similarity:
53%
Genre: Action, Crime, Drama, Thriller
Country: India
Duration: 177 min.
Story:
Krishnan, who has been living away from his family and friends in Mumbai, gets a call from his friend Ganga in Kerala, out of the blue. He senses danger, and leaves for Kammattipadam, where both of them grew up.
Style:
suspense, crime drama, captivating, disturbing, tense ...
Plot:
friendship, organized crime, violence, gang, mafia, criminal, relationship problems, fight, life is a bitch, battles, fighting crime, corruption ...
Time:
90s, 80s, 2010s
Place:
india
Similarity:
52%
Genre: Crime, Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Country: India
Duration: 138 min.
Story:
Joseph is a retired police officer with adept investigative skills. He accidentally gets involved in a crime case after his ex-wife’s unexpected demise.
Style:
suspense, twisted, detective, crime thriller, emotional ...
Plot:
investigation, retired cop, family drama, character study, family conflict, justice, loneliness, sacrifice, grief, revenge, moral ambiguity, slow burn ...
Similarity:
51%
Movie in collections
Genre: Crime, Thriller
Country: India
Duration: 122 min.
Story:
A police officer who is diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease must solve one last case before he loses all his memories. He must run against time to catch the notorious serial killer who he believes has a mysterious role in his own personal life.
Style:
psychological thriller, detective, suspense, tense, crime drama ...
Plot:
serial killer, memory loss, investigation, police procedural, obsession, isolation, cat and mouse, solitude, identity, empathy, urban, slow burn ...
Similarity:
48%
Genre: Action, Crime, Drama, Thriller
Country: India
Duration: 138 min.
Story:
A common man imprisoned in a corrupt system questions whether jails truly rehabilitate or push individuals deeper into crime's abyss.
Style:
realistic, intense, dark, reflective, bleak ...
Plot:
prison life, corruption, rehabilitation, wrongful imprisonment, injustice, mature, crime and punishment, social realism, human rights, redemption, moral ambiguity, survival ...
Similarity:
47%
Genre: Drama
Country: Singapore
TV show
Story:
Anya, abducted from wealth, endures life in a brothel. Xinniang, once a child beggar, blossoms into a refined lady. Anna, cast away as a jinx, returns to upend their lives. As secrets unravel, love and kinship are tested—will they rise above fate?
Style:
family saga, dramatic, emotional, tense, melancholic ...
Plot:
class conflict, sisterhood, betrayal, redemption, mother daughter conflict, adoption, illegitimacy, female empowerment, revenge, forbidden love, prostitution, coming of age ...
Similarity:
47%
445
Genre: Drama
Country: Iran
Duration: 105 min.
Story:
A story about a poor girl working in a 5 star hotel in tehran and the workers of the hotel when somthing priceless will stolen...
Style:
realistic, dramatic, suspense, tense
Plot:
class conflict, hotel, economic inequality, hierarchy, social realism, injustice, poverty, female protagonist, classism, accusation, city life, moral dilemma ...
Place:
tehran, iran
Similarity:
45%
Genre: Crime, Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Country: Mexico, USA
Duration: 90 min.
Story:
When her brother disappears during a brief travel layover in Mexico, Mitch begins a desperate search that will eventually lead the young divorcee into the capital city's most notorious neighborhood. But even with the aid of the American ...
Style:
tense, realistic, serious, suspenseful, suspense ...
Plot:
missing person, investigation, kidnapping, brother sister relationship, danger, desperation, corruption, loss, evidence, family tragedy, photography, gang leader ...
Time:
90s
Place:
mexico city, mexico, latin america
Similarity:
45%
Genre: Action, Crime, Drama
Country: India
Duration: 140 min.
Story:
Five people from varied strata of society – a slum dweller who works as a cable operator, a runaway prostitute, a desperate woman drowning in debt, a rising musician, and a grief-stricken Muslim man – end up together in the same hospital, at a ...
Style:
suspense, action thriller
Plot:
terrorist attack, hostage situation, multiple storylines, sacrifice, survival, slum, city life, social realism, aspiring musician, anti terrorism, female empowerment, coming of age ...
Time:
2010s
Similarity:
44%
Genre: Crime, Drama, Thriller
Country: India
Duration: 148 min.
Story:
A cash-strapped bank cashier embarks on a risky investment scheme and soon gets drawn into the murky world of money laundering.
Style:
crime drama, suspense, tension, tense, realistic ...
Plot:
money laundering, investments, fraud, greed, corruption, suspicion, desperation, moral ambiguity, ethical dilemma, banking, betrayal, double life ...
Similarity:
44%
Genre: Action, Drama, Thriller
Country: India
Duration: 145 min.
Story:
In 1980, five friends live a carefree life in Madurai until they commit a near-perfect crime but do not manage to get away with it.
Style:
crime drama, psychological, captivating, thrilling, dark ...
Audience:
adult
Plot:
gangster, tragic love, friendship, betrayal, murder, relationship problems, infidelity, unfaithful girlfriend, moral ambiguity, revenge, tragedy, anti hero ...
Time:
80s
Place:
india
Similarity:
42%
Genre: Action, Crime, Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Country: India
Duration: 145 min.
Story:
Committed and fiery, Sub Inspector Aravind Karunakaran is obliged to be part of an investigation where an innocent man Murali is deliberately being set up for the murder of a middle-aged couple. Fearing the consequences of revealing that they had ...
Style:
suspense, tense, disturbing, captivating, detective ...
Plot:
investigation, cold case, police procedural, crime investigation, crime solving, sleuth, uncover truth, police investigation, unsolved crime, murder investigation, conspiracy, cover up ...
Place:
india
Similarity:
42%
Genre: Crime, Mystery, Thriller
Country: India
Duration: 111 min.
Story:
Sirisha, wife of Sanjay Rao was found with her throat slit. C.I. Satyanarayana is tasked to find the culprit. As murder is accompanied by the disappearance of cash and gold worth one crore, Satya casts his doubt on a maid working in Siri’s house.
Style:
crime thriller, suspense, tension, detective, realistic ...
Audience:
adult
Plot:
murder mystery, investigation, police procedural, whodunit, female victim, interrogation, betrayal, business partner, forensic, class conflict, small town, corruption ...
Similarity:
42%
Movie in collections
Genre: Crime, Drama, Thriller
Country: India
Duration: 150 min.
Story:
A struggling lawyer files a PIL in a hit-and-run case involving a business scion's son hoping that the resulting publicity would be good for his business.
Style:
exciting, suspenseful, dramatic, captivating, serious ...
Plot:
lawyer, fight for justice, attorney, courtroom drama, social injustice, courtroom, underdog, justice, hit and run, injustice, legal system, city ...
Time:
2010s
Similarity:
42%
Genre: Crime, Drama, History, Mystery, Thriller
Country: Hungary
Duration: 88 min.
Story:
The story of three women - a famous prostitute, her housekeeper and their new maid - living in Budapest of 1910s, whose passionate, bizarre and complex relationship can only lead to one thing: murder.
Style:
crime drama, sinister, costume drama, enigmatic, melancholic ...
Plot:
murder, prostitution, brothel, female rivalry, passion, jealousy, betrayal, class conflict, societal hypocrisy, urban, forbidden love, murder mystery ...
Time:
1910s
Place:
budapest, central europe
Similarity:
41%
Genre: Action, Drama, Romance
Country: India
Duration: 140 min.
Story:
The story is set in the 1990s and follows the emotional and action-filled journey of Bachhala Malli, a rural hero. The narrative combines intense drama with romance, focusing on the protagonist’s challenges and personal growth in a rustic backdrop.
Style:
period piece, action drama, family saga, realistic, grim
Plot:
family conflict, heartbreak, male protagonist, social realism, personal growth, moral ambiguity, coming of age, revenge
Time:
90s
Similarity:
40%
Genre: Crime, Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 85 min.
Story:
When a man is involved in a car wreck that kills his former lover, his life is derailed and his mind is splintered with guilt and the subsequent uncertainty about what exactly happened.
Style:
tense, suspenseful, psychological, disturbing, realistic ...
Plot:
memory loss, haunted by the past, losing-it hero, uncover truth, life turned upside down, life is a bitch, tragedy, car crash, guilt, fatal accident, trauma, grief ...
Time:
21st century
Place:
usa
Similarity:
39%
Genre: Crime, Drama, Thriller
Country: India
Duration: 117 min.
Story:
Pandi and his friends, immigrant workers in Andhra Pradesh, are picked up by cops for a crime they never committed. And thus begins their nightmare, where they become pawns in a vicious game where the voiceless are strangled by those with power.
Style:
political thriller, intense, tense, suspense, suspenseful ...
Plot:
false confession, injustice, forced confession, torture, police brutality, oppression, victimization, class struggle, social realism, social commentary, human rights, corruption ...
Similarity:
38%
Movie in collections
31K
Genre: Crime, Drama, Mystery, Romance, Thriller
Country: Bangladesh
Duration: 150 min.
Story:
Moyna and Masud's marriage takes a tumultuous turn when their differing desires clash. While Masud leaves for Malaysia, Moyna seeks comfort in the arms of another man. Can they start afresh?
Style:
dramatic, emotional, tension, intense, realistic ...
Plot:
marriage, moral ambiguity, betrayal, desperation, love triangle, village, infidelity, desire, family drama, jealousy, tragedy, loss ...
Place:
malaysia
Similarity:
37%
536
Genre: Crime, Drama, Thriller
Country: UK
Duration: 102 min.
Story:
Set during the peak of a wave of moped crimes sweeping London, 20-year-old Ash, who is trying to earn money to raise his 14-year-old sister and send his mother to rehab, gets caught up with an organized crime ring led by a young and charismatic ...
Style:
crime drama, tense, realistic, fast paced
Plot:
moral ambiguity, moral dilemma, gang, urban, youth, organized crime, loyalty, streetwise, poverty, coming of age, peer pressure, escalation ...
Place:
london
Similarity:
36%
Genre: Romance
Country: India
Duration: 141 min.
Story:
The lives of a fishermen community, capturing their struggles and agony when they have to deal with the many restrictions set on their livelihood by the higher authorities.
Style:
realistic, dramatic, melancholic
Plot:
survival, social realism, social injustice, moral dilemma, solidarity, class conflict, slice of life, protest, political corruption, activism
Similarity:
34%
Genre: Crime, Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Country: India
Duration: 123 min.
Story:
A pathologist and a police commissioner try to solve a series of murders involving a prisoner. Their journey leads to shocking revelations!
Style:
suspense, dramatic, disturbing, serious, bleak ...
Audience:
adult
Plot:
investigation, morgue, corpse, police, pathologist, woman, murder mystery, death, police investigation, police officer, autopsy, forensics ...
Similarity:
34%
Genre: Crime, Drama
Country: Belgium
Duration: 104 min.
Story:
Fourteen-year-old drug dealer Johnny is in a home for young people. When he learns that he cannot go home at weekends any longer, he asks one of his customers, famous successful actor Antony, to be his weekend guardian.
Style:
dramatic, crime drama, emotional, realistic, suspenseful
Plot:
coming of age, cocaine, drug dealer, foster home, drug, drug dealing, parent child relationship, relationship problems, life is a bitch, social relations, life turned upside down, teenage life ...
Similarity:
32%
142
Genre: Crime, Drama, Thriller
Country: Philippines
Duration: 110 min.
Story:
The film is about the lives of simple folk caught between the crossfire of Kapitana accused of political patronage, and Patrol Kalikasan using the environment as a front for their own political and economic interests on the small mining community.
Style:
realistic, tense, suspenseful, art house, atmospheric ...
Plot:
corruption, social commentary, power struggle, poverty, violence, community, moral ambiguity, land dispute, social realism, justice, betrayal, intimidation ...
Place:
the philippines
Similarity:
32%
Genre: Action, Crime, Drama
Country: India
Duration: 177 min.
Story:
A youngster from Tamil Nadu goes to Bombay in search of a better life and gets sucked into the underworld. Will he be able to find a way out of the violence and bloodshed?
Style:
tense, crime drama, thrilling, captivating, dark ...
Plot:
gangster, underground, street gangster, gangsta grip, criminal gang, gang, criminal, rise and fall, violence, migration, gang warfare, social realism ...
Place:
mumbai india, india
Similarity:
31%
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