Controversial Rajinikanth-starrer Kaala only Indian film on BFI's 21st-century greats list

To the surprise of many, Superstar Rajinikanth's 'controversial' movie Kaala has achieved significant recognition six years after its initial release in cinemas. It's the only Indian film in the coveted list of 25 films prepared by the prestigious British Film Institute (BFI).

The British publication conducts a poll called Sight and Sound every decade to determine the greatest films of all time. In the 2024 edition, Kaala has been picked as one of the most important films to be made in the 21st century. Written and directed by Pa Ranjith, Kaala was first released in 2018.

Kaala has been featured on the list along with classics like A History of Violence, Oldboy, and Get Out. This is an excellent recognition of the storytelling prowess of Pa Ranjith.

It's noteworthy that Kaala is one of the most contentious works in Rajinikanth's filmography. The politics of the movie seem to be diametrically opposite to the political beliefs of Rajinikanth in real life. Kaala delves into the nuances and rebellion of people who have been battling oppression for centuries.

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Rajinikanth essays the role of Kaala, a Godfather-like figure to helpless people living in Mumbai's biggest slum, Dharavi. A casteist politician, Haridev (Nana Patekar), has set his sights on the lands of Dharavi and uses all the tools at his disposal to take control of it and establish a "cleaner" city, his euphemism for driving poor people away from the city.

Kaala also stars Eswari Rao, Huma Qureshi, Samuthirakani, Pankaj Tripathi, Anjali Patil, K. Manikandan, and Sampath Raj, among others.

While Kaala garnered positive reviews from critics, the film didn't meet expectations in terms of box office collection. The film is now streaming on Amazon Prime Video.

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