Best action movies in Kannada

Looking for some adrenaline pumping action? The Kannada film industry has left us spoilt for choice with the many films they have churned out over the years. It can be said without a doubt that over the top action sequences have been instrumental in the success of some of the most commercially successful films. We have drawn up a list of some of the best action movies this industry has to offer.

'Shankar Guru' is a 1978 movie starring Dr Rajkumar in a riple role, Kanchana, Jayamala, and Padmapriya. This movie was very well received by the Kannada audience with everything from its high octane action sequences to its song ‘Love me or hate me’ becoming an instant hit in the industry back then. The movie follows a man, who gets separated from his family and the events leading up to his reunion with his son, that is packed with thrilling sequences, comedy and romance. The film considered as one of the best action movies in the history of Kannada cinema was remade in Hindi with Amitabh Bachchan in the lead and in Tamil with Sivaji Ganesan taking on the protagonist's role.

'Simhada Mari Sainya' is a 1981 action movie directed by Rajendra Singh Babu and starring Arjun Sarja, Amrish Puri, Master Bhanuprakash, Master B. R. Prasanna Kumar, Indira, Rekha, Master T. S. Dinesh Babu, Sundar Krishna Urs and Amrish Puri in a negative role. The film marked Arjun's debut as a child artist. The story is about a group of brave children who venture into the forest to bring back kidnapped children. One of the highlight action scenes in the film sees Sarja climbing a helicopter which is 500 feet above the ground. Chellapilla Satyam composed music for the movie.

The film 'Huli Hebbuli' tells the story of an innocent man who loses his memory after which he is framed for crimes he hasn’t committed. This movie was directed by Vijay in the year 1987 and starred Shankar Nag and Tiger Prabhakar in the lead roles.

'Kaddipudi' is among the best action movies directed by Duniya Soori, starring Shivarajkumar and Radhika Pandith in lead role. The movie is about a goon who reluctantly enters the underworld but later chooses to leave it all behind and takes a vow to put an end to crime and lead a regular life. But, his past catches up to him and in turn, gives the audience some amazing action sequences.

'Ugramm' is one of the best action super hit movies in Sandalwood which raised the bar in the action-thriller genre. This movie, directed by Prashanth Neel and staring Srimurali and Haripriya, was the first Kannada film to release in Tokyo and saw a decent opening in the USA, UK, and southeast Asia. In Karnataka, it ran for 100 days. It is believed that it was the film's screenplay that attracted the audience.

'Tagaru' became one of the best crime action flicks in Sandalwood when it hit screens in 2018. Starring Shivarajkumar in a lead role, the movie directed and written by Duniya Soori, is one of the biggest commercial blockbusters in the industry. Produced by KP Srikanth, the film had music by Charan Raj and was the first Kannada movie to release in Kenya and Japan. Tagaru stars Shivarajkumar, Devaraj, Dhananjay, Vasishta N. Simha, Manvitha and Bhavana. The movie, which is about the clash between the police and the underworld earned Dhananjay and Vasishta N Simha huge recognition for their performances.

'KGF', directed by Prashanth Neel and starring Yash and Srinidhi Shetty in lead roles, created a huge buzz, not just in Sandalwood, but all across India. The movie released in five languages - Kannada, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, and Hindi, and was a hit, thus becoming the first Kannada movie to achieve this feat. The movie tells the story of a fierce rebel who rises against brutal oppressors and becomes a symbol of hope for the downtrodden.