Top 15 Best Kannada Movies on Prime Video, Hotstar, and More; from Kgf, Kantara to Rakshit Shetty’s Ulidavaru Kandanthe

With that being said, today we take a look at 15 of the best Kannada movies that are a great starter pack for anybody who’s looking to enter into the beautiful world of Kannada cinema. From well-known blockbusters and cult classics to lesser-known masterpieces, there’s a little something for everybody on this list. 

15 Best Kannada movies streaming on OTT

1. Sapta Sagaradaache Ello: Side A & Side B (2023)

• Writer-Director: Hemanth Rao
• Runtime: 2 hours 22 minutes & 2 hours 28 minutes
• IMDB & 8.1/10
• Cast: Rakshit Shetty, Rukmini Vasanth, Chaitra Achar
• Genre: Romance/Drama
• Where to watch: Prime Video

An instant classic from Hemanth Rao and team, Sapta Sagaradaache Ello is more a poem, than it is a film. A heartbreaking tale that has tremendous repeat value, watch it for its cinematic beauty, watch it because it will tear your heart into beautiful tiny little pieces

2. Hostel Hudugaru Bekagiddare (2023)

• Writer-Director: Nithin Krishnamurthy
• Runtime: 2 hours 16 minutes
• IMDB
• Cast: Nithin Krishnamurthy, Prajwal BP, Rishab Shetty, Pawan Kumar
• Genre: Comedy/Drama
• Where to watch: ZEE5

.

A truly unique film and a rare attempt at the Cinéma vérité genre, Hostel Hudugaru Bekagiddare is a hilarious ride that stands tall because of its technical finesse.

3. Kantara (2022)

• Writer-Director: Rishab Shetty
• Runtime: 2 hours 30 minutes
• IMDB
• Cast: Rishab Shetty, Saptami Gowda, Achyut Kumar
• Genre: Action/Thriller
• Where to watch: Netflix/ Prime Video

One of, if not the best cinematic experiences in 2022, Kantara is a truly divine, spectacular film. Great storytelling, top-notch performances, and a gripping narration make Kantara the phenomenon that it has now become.

4. KGF Chapter 1 & 2 (2018 and 2022)

• Writer-Director: Prashanth Neel
• Runtime: 2 hours 35 minutes & 2 hours 48 minutes
• IMDB & 8.3/10
• Cast: Yash, Srinidhi Shetty, Sanjay Dutt, Raveena Tandon
• Genre: Action/Thriller
• Where to watch: Disney+Hotstar & Prime Video

A franchise that requires no introduction, a franchise that holds the record for the highest-grossing Kannada movie, the KGF series of films are what you call complete ‘Paisa Vasool’ commercial entertainers.

5. Garuda Gamana Vrishaba Vahana (2021)

• Writer-Director: Raj B Shetty
• Runtime: 2 hours 31 minutes
• IMDB
• Cast: Raj B Shetty, Rishab Shetty, Gopal Deshpande
• Genre: Crime/Thriller
• Where to watch: ZEE5

Garuda Gamana Vrishaba Vahana is an utterly realistic gangster drama with spiritual themes rooted in the culture of Mangaluru. It is the film that got Raj B Shetty nationwide acclaim and established him as a force to be reckoned with.

6. Mufti (2017)

• Writer-Director: Narthan
• Runtime: 2 hours 32 minutes
• IMDB
• Cast: Shiva Rajkumar, Sri Murali, Shanvi Srivastava
• Genre: Action/Thriller
• Where to watch: ZEE5

Remember when people went gaga over actor Shiva Rajkumar’s screen presence in Rajinikanth’s Jailer? Watch Mufti to truly find out what screen presence means in this highly stylized action thriller. Shiva Rajkumar eats up every frame he’s in and absolutely commands your attention. 

7. Kirik Party (2016)

• Writers: Rakshit Shetty, Rishab Shetty and ‘The Seven Odds’
• Director: Rishab Shetty
• Runtime: 2 hours 39 minutes
• IMDB
• Cast: Rakshit Shetty, Rashmika Mandanna
• Genre: Romance/Comedy
• Where to watch: Jio Cinema

A film that paved the way for Rashmika Mandanna, Kirik Party is a near-perfect buddy comedy film that was one of the first Kannada movies to penetrate the other Southern industries.

8. Godhi Banna Sadharana Mykattu (2016)

• Writer-Director: Hemanth Rao
• Runtime: 2 hours 24 minutes
• IMDB
• Cast: Rakshit Shetty, Anant Nag, Achyut Kumar, Sruthi Hariharan
• Genre: Family/Thriller
• Where to watch: Disney + Hotstar

Another Rakshit Shetty film on this list of the best Kannada movies and can you blame us? When an old man with Alzheimer’s disease goes missing, a negligent and emotionally detached son has to find him before it’s too late. 

9. Thithi (2015)

• Writer-Director: Raam Reddy
• Runtime: 2 hours 3 minutes
• IMDB
• Cast: Chennagowda, Singri Gowda, Pooja S
• Genre: Comedy/Drama
• Where to watch: Youtube

Thithi is a brilliant satirical village comedy that presents the tale of how three generations of sons react to the death of the oldest in their family. This film about death and its many ugly shades has an abundance of life in it.

10. Rangitaranga (2015)

• Writer-Director: Anup Bhandari
• Runtime: 2 hours 29 minutes
• IMDB
• Cast: Nirup Bhandari, Radhika Narayanan, Sai Kumar
• Genre: Mystery/Thriller
• Where to watch: MX Player

One of the best mystery thrillers to ever be made in Kannada cinema, Rangitaranga is a criminally underrated film that deserves much more praise.

11. Ugramm (2014)

• Writer-Director: Prashanth Neel
• Runtime: 2 hours 11 minutes
• IMDB
• Cast: Sri Murali, Haripriya, Tilak
• Genre: Action/Thriller
• Where to watch: ZEE5

Ugramm is Prashanth Neel’s debut directorial and follows a similar story to that of Salaar Part 1: Ceasefire. It is a highly stylized action flick that has evolved into a cult classic now, but was met with underwhelming responses when it was first released.

12. Ulidavaru Kandanthe (2014)

• Writer-Director: Rakshit Shetty
• Runtime: 2 hours 34 minutes
• IMDB
• Cast: Rakshit Shetty, Rishab Shetty, Kishore
• Genre: Mystery/Crime
• Where to watch: Youtube

Ulidavaru Kandanthe is a top-notch film from Rakshit Shetty in his directorial debut. It follows the Rashomon style of narration, with each character presenting a different view of the same story. 

13. Lucia (2013)

• Writer-Director: Pawan Kumar
• Runtime: 2 hours 15 minutes
• IMDB
• Cast: Sruthi Hariharan, Sathish Ninasam, Achyuth Kumar
• Genre: Thriller/ Sci-fi
• Where to watch: Sun NXT

Lucia is a path-breaking indie film from Kannada cinema that was made solely through crowdfunding. It follows the story of an insomniac who is tricked into buying a drug named Lucia that blurs the line between reality and imagination. 

14. Mungaru Male (2006)

• Writer-Director: Yograj Bhat
• Runtime: 2 hours 23 minutes
• IMDB
• Cast: Ganesh, Pooja, Anant Nag, Diganth
• Genre: Romance/Musical
• Where to watch: Disney + Hotstar

Mungaru Male is an iconic Kannada film and is a great starter for anyone looking to watch a cozy, comforting romantic comedy.

15. Om (1995)

• Writer-Director: Upendra
• Runtime: 2 hours 30 minutes
• IMDB
• Cast: Shiva Rajkumar, Prema
• Genre: Action/Crime
• Where to watch: Online

Om is undeniably one of the most significant films to come out in the Kannada Film Industry. The film holds the record for the most re-releases, with a whopping amount of 550 re-releases in the span of nearly 30 years. But what is crazier about Om is that it featured real-life gangsters like Bekkina Kannu Rajendra and Tanveer in key roles. It is truly a unique film and one that you should watch to see how Upendra made his eccentric films.

ALSO READ: Rakshit Shetty starrer romantic drama film Sapta Sagaradaache Ello to re-release on Valentine's Day