Best crime Kannada movies in India
By the KyaDekhu team · Updated · Availability for India from JustWatch, ratings from IMDb
30 movies in India match this list, with an average IMDb rating of 6.6. Newest addition: Munduvareda Adhyaya, added to JioHotstar on 21 Oct. Ranked by vote-weighted IMDb rating and popularity.
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1. Garuda Gamana Vrishabha Vahana (2021)
Movie · Kannada · 2h 31m · A · Crime, Drama · IMDb 8.2 (9.6K votes)
MatureDark & grittyEdge-of-seatSerious
Shiva and Hari, two friends who are polar opposites in demeanour, are the terror in Mangaladevi. What happens when ego, ambition and jealousy creeps in between their strong friendship?
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2. Kavaludaari (2019)
Movie · Kannada · 2h 25m · UA · Thriller, Mystery · IMDb 7.9 (3.7K votes)
TwistyCold & detachedEdge-of-seat
The story follows two Bangalore cops as they investigate an old case. Anant Nag plays Muthanna, a retired inspector while Rishi is Shyam, a sub-inspector working in the Traffic Police. Their search leads them across trails that will put their wit, resolve and morals to the test.
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3. U Turn (2016)
Movie · Kannada · 2h 1m · UA · Mystery, Thriller · IMDb 7.4 (4.6K votes)
TwistyCold & detachedDark & grittyEdge-of-seat
A journalist who intents to write an article on traffic rule breakers gets dragged into a whirlpool of murder cases and deception.
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4. Cyanide (2006)
Movie · Kannada · 1h 40m · A · Crime, Drama · IMDb 8.8 (911 votes)
MatureEdge-of-seatDark & grittyCold & detached
"Cyanide" is about the incidents that occurred in the peripheries of Bangalore after the assassins of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi stepped into the city. The story revolves around a helpless couple who fall into the clutches of the gang and are taken hostage.
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5. Birbal Trilogy: Case 1 – Finding Vajramuni (2019)
Movie · Kannada · 2h 22m · U · Crime, Mystery · IMDb 7.7 (1.9K votes)
TwistyEdge-of-seatDark & gritty
A man wrongly accused of murder is helped by Advocate Mahesh Das, despite the increasing threats they face during the investigation.
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6. Gultoo (2018)
Movie · Kannada · 2h 27m · UA · Thriller, Crime · IMDb 7.8 (1.7K votes)
Cold & detachedTwistyEdge-of-seat
Struggling to find a foot in the start-up scene, two aspiring entrepreneurs are entangled in a vicious loop of investigative trials following an unprecedented crime.
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7. Drishya (2014)
Movie · Kannada · 2h 34m · U · Crime, Drama · IMDb 8.3 (922 votes)
TwistyEdge-of-seat
Rajendra is a family-oriented man and tries to keep them happy. However, when his family commits an accidental crime, he does everything to keep them out of harm's way.
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8. Shakhahaari (2024)
Movie · Kannada · 2h 26m · Crime, Drama · IMDb 7.5 (1.6K votes)
Edge-of-seatDark & grittyMatureTwisty
When the lives of some innocent people start getting intertwined in unforeseen situations they find themselves trapped in a murder mystery. This mysterious butchery infolds in a vegetarian restaurant run by a virtuous Chef Subbanna.
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9. Shivaji Surathkal: The Case of Ranagiri Rahasya (2020)
Movie · Kannada · 2h 4m · UA · Crime, Thriller · IMDb 7.1 (2.1K votes)
TwistyEdge-of-seatCold & detached
Shivaji Surathkal, who is the Sherlock Holmes of the Karnataka Police Department, is handed over a high-profile case – the murder of the Home Minister's son. This brings him to an eerie resort in Ranagiri, near Madikeri, which seems to throw Shivaji off his game.
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10. Kempe Gowda (2011)
Movie · Kannada · 2h 17m · Action, Thriller · IMDb 7.2 (1.0K votes)
An enraged and influential gangster plans the ultimate vengeance against an honest police officer.
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11. Aa Dinagalu (2007)
Movie · Kannada · 2h 16m · Drama, Crime · IMDb 8.4 (360 votes)
Edge-of-seatDark & gritty
Chetan loves Mallika but his father hires an underworld don, Kotwal, to break their relationship. Irked by his father's actions, Chetan approaches Kotwal's rival, Jayaraj, to defeat him.
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12. Dr. 56 (2022)
Movie · Kannada · 1h 45m · UA · Thriller, Science Fiction · IMDb 6.7 (2.5K votes)
Cold & detachedEdge-of-seatDark & grittyTwisty
Arjun is a theater artist who is suffering from an illness and has to take a pill every 56 minutes. Parallel to his misery is a murder investigation of three neurosurgeons lead by CBI officer Priya Krishna. Priya meets Dr Ashwath and the two go on an exposition about the medical mafia and its consequences.
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13. Killing Veerappan (2016)
Movie · Kannada · 2h 5m · Crime, Action · IMDb 7.0 (913 votes)
Edge-of-seatCold & detachedVisually stunningDark & gritty
A master strategist is appointed following Veerappan's unabashed spate of crimes and murders. The official puts in place Operation Cocoon, which involves setting up a network of spies and informers.
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14. Popcorn Monkey Tiger (2020)
Movie · Kannada · 2h 15m · A · Action, Crime · IMDb 7.2 (569 votes)
TwistyMatureDark & grittyEdge-of-seat
The story narrates details of two characters Seena and Devika experiencing crime in different phases of life by meeting different people who may make them realize human values and emotions or not.
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15. Gurudev Hoysala (2023)
Movie · Kannada · 2h 12m · U/A 13+ · Action, Thriller · IMDb 6.5 (1.1K votes)
Fast-pacedTwistyEdge-of-seat
Gurudev Hoysala, an upright police officer, gets involved in the inter-caste marriage of a Bhoomi and Ravi, only to realise later that Bhoomi is an influential landlord’s daughter.The situation heats up as the girl's father gets furious and starts an uproar in the town.
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16. Second Case of Seetharam (2026)
Movie · Kannada · 2h · U/A 16+ · Thriller, Crime · IMDb 6.4 (1.3K votes)
MatureDark & grittyTwistyEdge-of-seat
Inspector Seetharam, hoping to reunite with his estranged sister after years apart, must track down a brutal, psychotic serial killer terrorising the town of Anegadde.
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17. Shabdavedhi (2000)
Movie · Kannada · 2h 45m · UA · Crime, Drama · IMDb 7.8 (208 votes)
Cold & detachedDark & grittyEdge-of-seatSerious
Shabdavedi is about Sandeep Rajkumar, a strict police officer crusading against narcotics. The man is so straight that when his wife Jaya Prada refuses to reveal the identity of a key link in the drug ring that he is investigating. He beats her in lockup. Eventually he overcomes all the usual attempts to throw him off
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18. Drishya 2 (2021)
Movie · Kannada · UA · Crime, Drama · IMDb 7.3 (225 votes)
TwistyEdge-of-seat
Rajendra Ponnappa, a cinema hall owner, thrives in life but is a changed man. However, when his family gets entangled in a criminal investigation, he must protect them from the legal institution yet again.
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19. Shanti Kranti (1991)
Movie · Kannada · 2h 25m · U · Action, Thriller · IMDb 6.5 (210 votes)
Dark & grittyEdge-of-seatSerious
An honest police officer investigates an organ trafficking racket. He soon discovers that it is operated by Daddy, a criminal, under the guise of an orphanage.
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20. Govinda Govinda (2021)
Movie · Kannada · 2h 17m · Comedy, Thriller · IMDb 6.0 (680 votes)
FunnyTwisty
Three college slackers fake a friend's kidnapping to help her escape her strict father. The plan works... until it meets a stranger-than-fiction reality.
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21. Head Bush: Vol 1 (2022)
Movie · Kannada · 2h 18m · UA · Crime, Action · IMDb 6.0 (1.3K votes)
Dark & grittyCold & detachedEdge-of-seat
Head Bush revolves around Jayaraj, his friends, foes, police officers, and the politicians who changed the course of the political scenario of Bengaluru in the 1970s. The film focuses on the rise and rise of Jayaraj - from a teenager to a rowdy to a mass hero.
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22. LAW (2020)
Movie · Kannada · 2h · Crime, Thriller · IMDb 5.3 (390 votes)
MatureTwistyCold & detachedDark & gritty
Nandhini, a law student who is caught in a precarious situation, fights for justice for a gruesome crime involving herself.
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23. Bank Of Bhagyalakshmi (2025)
Movie · Kannada · 2h 32m · U/A 13+ · Comedy, Action · IMDb 5.2 (342 votes)
FunnyFast-pacedEdge-of-seatTwisty
A crew of five amateur thieves reunite for one final score in a village brimming with elections. With no experience and only a reckless plan, things dont go as expected. Will they make it out, or will the village remember them only as five fools who gambled with fate?
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24. Munduvareda Adhyaya (2021)
Movie · Kannada · 1h 42m · UA · Crime, Thriller · IMDb 4.4 (234 votes)
TwistyCold & detachedEdge-of-seatSerious
ACP Bala lands up in the midst of a murder mystery that has a lot more than what meets the eye. With many characters and twists, he's got himself a case that keeps getting intriguing with every reveal.
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25. Madhagaja (2021)
Movie · Kannada · 2h 12m · UA · Action, Crime · IMDb 5.0 (763 votes)
Dark & grittyEdge-of-seatTwistyFast-paced
Two warring lords are fighting over water and bloodshed. When the wife of one of them decides to send her son away from the land to a safe space, he returns to the same battlefield, much to her exasperation.
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26. Rippan Swamy (2025)
Movie · Kannada · 2h 20m · Crime, Thriller · IMDb 5.2 (1.2K votes)
TwistyEdge-of-seatCold & detached
In the fictional town of sanna koppa ,the story begins with santhosh's murder.as the investigation unfolds ,Rippan swamy dives into a gripping psychological rural thriller set amidst estate workers ,town homes and hidden conflicts.
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27. Kotigobba 3 (2021)
Movie · Kannada · 2h 20m · UA · Action, Crime · IMDb 5.5 (2.7K votes)
TwistyFast-pacedEdge-of-seatVisually stunning
Sathya, a philanthropist who now runs an orphanage, has to go to Poland for the treatment of young Janu. While there, an international criminal named Ghost carries out heists. Who is Ghost? And what has Sathya got to do with it all?
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28. The Villain (2018)
Movie · Kannada · 2h 55m · UA · Action, Crime · IMDb 4.9 (2.3K votes)
TwistyFast-pacedEdge-of-seatCold & detached
Rama or Ravana, whose ideologies work better? Two shrewd minds battle it out in a one-upmanship game. Who will win?
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29. Shesha 2016 (2026)
Movie · Kannada · 2h 2m · UA · Crime, Thriller · IMDb 4.7 (2.2K votes)
Fast-pacedEdge-of-seatCold & detachedDark & gritty
Shesha 2016 is a gripping crime thriller set over one chaotic night at a remote police station on the Karnataka-Kerala border. When an abusive officer is brutally murdered, a lone female cop gets trapped in a deadly cat-and-mouse game with a cryptic caller. It’s a gritty, fast-paced watch filled with intense suspense a
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30. Kabzaa (2023)
Movie · Kannada · 2h 16m · U/A 13+ · Action, Crime · IMDb 4.6 (15.7K votes)
Fast-pacedEdge-of-seatVisually stunningDark & gritty
During the British rule in India, Arakeshwara, an air force soldier and son of a freedom fighter Amareshwara,due to unavoidable circumstances, kills Khaleed, the don of Amarapura and thus gets trapped in the mafia world and later becomes the king of the underworld. However, trouble ensues for Arakeshwara as he has to d
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