Watch Kuruthipunal [exclusive] -

Decades before OTT platforms normalized "dark and gritty" storytelling in India, Kuruthipunal was already there, standing alone in the 90s like a sore, bleeding thumb. And to this day, it remains arguably the finest film about state-sponsored violence ever made in Indian cinema. On the surface, the plot is a standard cat-and-mouse chase. Adhi (Kamal Haasan) is an IPS officer tasked with dismantling a brutal terrorist organization led by the sadistic Badra (Nassar). Along with his friend and fellow officer, Abbas (Arjun Sarja), they devise a plan to infiltrate the group.

The answer, brutally delivered by the end of the film, is a resounding no . Since the film is directed by PC Sreeram, arguably India's greatest cinematographer, the visual language is not just good—it is revolutionary. Watch Kuruthipunal today, and you will notice how little light there is. Most of the film takes place in dimly lit warehouses, claustrophobic apartments, and rain-soaked streets. watch kuruthipunal

Adhi goes undercover using the alias "Deva," but the mask begins to fuse with his face. To maintain his cover, he is forced to commit atrocities—watching innocent people get killed, participating in torture, and betraying his own moral compass. The film asks a deeply unsettling question: Can you fight a monster without becoming one? Decades before OTT platforms normalized "dark and gritty"