7 Stylish South Films to Watch on OTT: Mahesh Babu’s 1 Nenokkadine to Prithviraj Sukumaran’s Ranam

South Indian films often rely on a stylized approach to crafting and presenting action cinema, adding a unique layer of richness to their storytelling. If you’re wondering what to watch online this weekend, here’s a list of stylish South Indian films worth checking out.

7 Stylish South Indian Action Movies

1. 1: Nenokkadine

• Cast: Mahesh Babu, Kriti Sanon, Nassar, Pradeep Rawat, Sayaji Shinde, Kelly Dorji, Posani Krishna Murali, Anand
• Director: Sukumar
• Genre: Psychological Action Thriller
• Runtime: 2 hours and 50 minutes
• Language: Telugu
• Where to watch: SunNXT

1: Nenokkadine follows Gautham, a popular rockstar with schizophrenia who remembers his parents being harmed by three men during his childhood. Believing he has already avenged them, he later realizes that many of his memories were hallucinations caused by his condition.

As he struggles to distinguish reality from illusion, Gautham teams up with a journalist to uncover the truth about his past, eventually exposing a dark conspiracy tied to his origins.

2. Anniyan

• Cast: Chiyaan Vikram, Sadha, Vivek, Prakash Raj, Nedumudi Venu, Nassar, Cochin Haneefa, Kalabhavan Mani
• Director: S. Shankar
• Genre: Psychological Action Thriller
• Runtime: 3 hours and 1 minute
• Language: Tamil
• Where to watch: SunNXT

Anniyan follows Ramanujam aka Ambi, a meek and law-abiding lawyer suffering from Dissociative Identity Disorder. Frustrated by corruption and civic apathy, his suppressed anger gives rise to two alternate personalities: Anniyan, a ruthless vigilante, and Remo, a flamboyant fashion model.

The rest of the film explores the chaos these personalities cause and their impact on society.

3. Big B

• Cast: Mammootty, Manoj K. Jayan, Bala, Sumeet Naval, Nafisa Ali, Shereveer Vakil, Pasupathy, Vijayaraghavan, Innocent, Mamta Mohandas
• Director: Amal Neerad
• Genre: Action Thriller
• Runtime: 2 hours and 10 minutes
• Language: Malayalam
• Where to watch: Prime Video

Big B revolves around Bilal John Kurishingal and his three adopted brothers, who reunite in Kochi to investigate the death of their foster mother, Mary. As they uncover shocking truths, the brothers wage a gritty and stylish war against an underworld syndicate to avenge her.

The movie is an unofficial remake of Four Brothers and is regarded as one of the defining films of the Malayalam New Wave movement.

4. Vishwaroopam

• Cast: Kamal Haasan, Rahul Bose, Shekhar Kapur, Pooja Kumar, Andrea Jeremiah, Nassar, Jaideep Ahlawat
• Director: Kamal Haasan
• Genre: Spy Action
• Runtime: 2 hours and 28 minutes
• Language: Tamil
• Where to watch: JioHotstar

Vishwaroopam follows Wisam Kashmiri, an undercover RAW agent living in New York City disguised as an effeminate Kathak dance teacher named Vishwanath. However, when his wife hires a private detective to investigate him, his true identity is accidentally exposed to a group planning a massive attack.

5. Salaar: Part 1 - Ceasefire

Set in the dystopian city-state of Khansaar, Salaar: Part 1 - Ceasefire revolves around the intense bond between childhood friends Deva and Vardharaja Mannar. When a betrayal threatens Varadha’s rule, he calls upon Deva for help, triggering a battle for the throne.

6. Enthiran

• Cast: Rajinikanth, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Danny Denzongpa, Santhanam, Karunaas, Cochin Haneefa, Kalabhavan Mani, Delhi Kumar, Raaghav, Devadarshini
• Director: S. Shankar
• Genre: Sci-fi Action
• Runtime: 2 hours and 50 minutes
• Language: Tamil
• Where to watch: SunNXT

Enthiran revolves around Dr. Vaseegaran, a brilliant scientist who creates a highly advanced humanoid android named Chitti. However, things spiral out of control after the robot begins developing human emotions.

The remainder of the film explores the complex relationship between creator and creation.

7. Ranam

• Cast: Prithviraj Sukumaran, Rahman, Isha Talwar, Giju John, Ashwin Kumar, Arun Baby Mathew, Celine Joseph, Shivajith Padmanabhan
• Director: Nirmal Sahadev
• Genre: Neo-noir Action Crime Drama
• Runtime: 2 hours and 16 minutes
• Language: Malayalam
• Where to watch: JioHotstar

Ranam follows Aadhi, a psychologically scarred mechanic and expert getaway driver living in Detroit. Trapped in the city’s criminal underbelly, he works as an enforcer for dreaded mafioso Damodar Ratnam in an attempt to clear his debts.

The story explores Aadhi’s yearning to escape the life of crime and the price he must pay for redemption.

The above-mentioned titles are just some of the many stylish South Indian action films available to stream on OTT platforms.

ALSO READ: Peddi: Ram Charan, Janhvi Kapoor’s sports action drama to be 3 hours and 9 minutes long? Find out