Release calendarTop 250 moviesMost popular moviesBrowse movies by genreTop box officeShowtimes & ticketsMovie newsIndia movie spotlight
    What's on TV & streamingTop 250 TV showsMost popular TV showsBrowse TV shows by genreTV news
    What to watchLatest trailersIMDb OriginalsIMDb PicksIMDb SpotlightFamily entertainment guideIMDb Podcasts
    OscarsEmmysToronto Int'l Film FestivalHispanic Heritage MonthIMDb Stars to WatchSTARmeter AwardsAwards CentralFestival CentralAll events
    Born todayMost popular celebsCelebrity news
    Help centerContributor zonePolls
For industry professionals
  • Language
  • Fully supported
  • English (United States)
    Partially supported
  • Français (Canada)
  • Français (France)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • हिंदी (भारत)
  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español (España)
  • Español (México)
Watchlist
Sign in
  • Fully supported
  • English (United States)
    Partially supported
  • Français (Canada)
  • Français (France)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • हिंदी (भारत)
  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español (España)
  • Español (México)
Use app
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
  • Trivia
  • FAQ
IMDbPro

Mankatha

  • 2011
  • TV-MA
  • 2h 35m
IMDb RATING
7.7/10
17K
YOUR RATING
Ajith Kumar, Arjun Sarja, Trisha Krishnan, Andrea Jeremiah, Raai Laxmi, Premgi Amaren, Vaibhav Reddy, Anjali, and Mahat Raghavendra in Mankatha (2011)
Mankatha Trailer
Play trailer2:31
1 Video
39 Photos
ActionCrimeThriller

Vinayak, a suspended cop, helps a group of four men rob cricket betting money amounting to 500 crores INR. When it comes to splitting the amount, betrayal hits the team hard and a chase ensu... Read allVinayak, a suspended cop, helps a group of four men rob cricket betting money amounting to 500 crores INR. When it comes to splitting the amount, betrayal hits the team hard and a chase ensues.Vinayak, a suspended cop, helps a group of four men rob cricket betting money amounting to 500 crores INR. When it comes to splitting the amount, betrayal hits the team hard and a chase ensues.

  • Director
    • Venkat Prabhu
  • Writer
    • Venkat Prabhu
  • Stars
    • Ajith Kumar
    • Arjun Sarja
    • Trisha Krishnan
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    7.7/10
    17K
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Venkat Prabhu
    • Writer
      • Venkat Prabhu
    • Stars
      • Ajith Kumar
      • Arjun Sarja
      • Trisha Krishnan
    • 60User reviews
    • 4Critic reviews
  • See production info at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 3 wins & 8 nominations total

    Videos1

    Mankatha Trailer
    Trailer 2:31
    Mankatha Trailer

    Photos39

    View Poster
    View Poster
    View Poster
    View Poster
    View Poster
    View Poster
    View Poster
    + 32
    View Poster

    Top cast19

    Edit
    Ajith Kumar
    Ajith Kumar
    • Vinayak Mahadevan
    Arjun Sarja
    Arjun Sarja
    • Prithviraj
    • (as Arjun)
    Trisha Krishnan
    Trisha Krishnan
    • Sanjana Arumugam
    • (as Trisha)
    Premgi Amaren
    Premgi Amaren
    • Prem
    Vaibhav Reddy
    Vaibhav Reddy
    • Sumanth
    Anjali
    Anjali
    • Suchitra Sumanth
    Andrea Jeremiah
    Andrea Jeremiah
    • Sabitha Prithviraj
    Raai Laxmi
    Raai Laxmi
    • Sona
    • (as Lakshmi Rai)
    Aravind Akash
    • Faizal
    Ashwin Kakumanu
    • Ganesh
    Mahat Raghavendra
    Mahat Raghavendra
    • Mahat
    V. Jayaprakash
    V. Jayaprakash
    • Arumuga Chettiyaar
    Subbu Panchu
    Subbu Panchu
    • Kamal Ekambaram
    • (as Panchu Subbu)
    • …
    Boys Rajan
    • Special Squad Officer
    Ramya Subramanian
    Ramya Subramanian
    • Press Reporter
    • (as Vj Ramya)
    Tulasi
    • Chettiyar's Wife
    Vijay Vasanth
    • Special Appearance
    Kainaat Arora
    Kainaat Arora
    • Special Appearance
    • Director
      • Venkat Prabhu
    • Writer
      • Venkat Prabhu
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews60

    7.717.2K
    1
    2
    3
    4
    5
    6
    7
    8
    9
    10

    Featured reviews

    10mifrasmm

    Strictly No Rules

    Mankatha is an Ajith movie all the way. It is a complete action thriller that will narrate the match fixing sagas in international cricket matches.

    First time in Tamil cinema history Hero playing totally negative role. Only we show on Hollywood movies.

    Mankatha is a racy movie with many twists that keeps everyone glued to the screen till the end of the film. At the end of the movie the bloopers shown of the all the stars are quite a laugh riot.

    Undoubtedly Mankatha music composed by the popular Tamil music director Yuvan Shankar Raja is rocking Ajith fans already.
    afsalthodupuzha

    "Mankatha Is A Scintillating Entertainer All The Way"

    Mankatha is a true 'Entertainment Classic'.It is an adorable mix of Excellent Direction,Lead Performances, and Technical Perfection.Ajith,who has completed his 50th film has certainly done an excellent job and has managed to entertain his fans to the best possible way after a dull felt 'Aasal'.A big positive of the movie is that,all though Ajith's 50th film,all the actors were given ample screen space and platform to perform and the director requires a thumbs-up for boldly choosing a theme which portrays the actor in a negative shaded role,but making him the real king.The double climax of the movie has certainly proved out to be one of the best twisty ones in the recent times.A sure box office grosser,an 'Entertainment Extravaganza'.

    Ajith,fondly called as Tala,simply rocked the screens with his high-on-testosterone performance and has proved that he is the real 'Tala of action'.The psychic shades which is felt at times was amazingly portrayed by him.Action king Arjun has also given his best commitment and does an excellent job making his screen presence felt in par with Ajith,and even better at times,like during his intro.Ashwin Kakumanu,Mahat Raghavendra,Aravind,Vaibhav Reddy etc does good supporting performances and Premji Amaran dons the comedy department well.Trisha,Lakshmi Rai and Anjali have done their roles well even though their performances are shaded by the male leads.

    Some +ves::Thrilling Background Music,Good lead performances(All have done their parts well),Excellent climax and subsequent anti-climax. Direction by Venkat Prabhu without much loop-holes,It was nice to hear Arjun and Ajith referring to each other as "Action King" and "Thala" in the movie,respectively.

    Some -ves::A little drag in the first half,Some songs(Vaada Bin Laada,Balle Laka)seemed unnecessary and dull although the others were simply superb(Vilaiyadu Mankatha,Nee Naan,Machi Open The Bottle).

    Verdict::Mankatha is an example of all essential elements of a commercial entertainer-Action,Comedy,Music,Good Leads,Direction and Technical Perfection ,joining hands with each other.A must watch if you love entertainers.After all,its Mankatha Da"Ma Rating::8.5/10

    -Afsal
    10gpmforever

    Mankatha - 500 Crore likes... Give me more...

    Hi Guys, This is Ajith Kumar's 50th and released with high expectation.

    First of this movie is a Mass and Class movie. So Don't Compare this movie with award winning movies.

    First half is average & its not creating any impact to the audience but definitely its not the worst part. Lot of character introduction in First half. Bu some of the scenes in First half sparkles. After 10 minutes interval break, roller coaster ride will start. Jet speed. Ajth breaks the usual rule of tamil cinema heroes.

    He is the real baddie in this movie. Ajith age in this film is 40. So don't expect fast movement dance, youth look. Second Half is racy and some twists. No hero will accept this kind of role. Some ajith dialogues are very crude.

    Yuvan Sankar Raja BGM reminds some Hollywood movies in some part.. But its awesome.

    Second half Screen play is awesome. thanks Venkat Prabhu(Director)

    Overall, Watching this film is definitely worth 4 you money.

    My final punch: Very big treat for ajith fans. Good time pass movie for others.

    Note: Hey guys don't miss the making of mankatha after the end card.
    nair_vinod

    Mankatha - A Well-Played Game

    Mankatha is Ajith Kumar's 50th movie. Hence, there are high expectations. By watching the theatrical trailer, one's interest for the film will surely have soared. To those who came with high expectations, Mankatha did not disappoint. A well-packaged thriller from start to finish.

    Mankatha is about a suspended Maharashtra cop, Vinayak(Ajith) who teams up with Sumanth(Vaibhav), SI Ganesh(Ashwin Kakumanu), Prem(Premji) and Mahat(Mahat) to pull of a heist. Hot on their heels are Special Branch officer Prithviraj(Arjun) and the Arumuga Chettiyar's(Jayaprakash)men. A cat-and-mouse chase ensues with usual double-crosses which ends with a surprise twist.

    Ajith has done a wonderful job in Mankatha after disappointing performances in Aegan and Asal. After David Billa, his Vinayak Mahadevan character oozes style and substance. A tailor-made role for him. Arjun as Prithviraj is nothing new for us as we have seen him in such roles in the past. Vaibhav,Ashwin and Mahat did a decent job. Premji, as usual managed to evoke laughters here and there with his dialogues and antics. Premji's character reminds us of the 'Napster' from The Italian Job. Jayaprakash fits into the character of Arumuga Chettiyar with ease. Arvind Akash fits the bill as Faisal, Arumuga Chettiyar's henchman. Of the female leads, only Trisha and Lakshmi Rai had importance and did justice to their roles while Anjali and Andrea are wasted.

    The other highlight of the film is notably Yuvan Shankar Raja's music. Vilayadu Mankatha, Open the Bottle and Balle Lakka songs stand out and went with the flow of the movie. The two songs, Kannadi Nee and Vaada Bin Laada look mis-placed. The BGM is excellent and goes well with the mood of the film. Editing by Praveen-Srikanth is perfectly executed. Sakthi Saravanan's camera work captured the chase and gunfight scenes well but the colour tone seems to be dull in the first half. Silva's stunts are just the usual stuff and nothing is eye catching. The only drawback are the stunts itself where usage of visual effects can be clearly seen. Realistic stunts could have made the film better.

    In a nutshell, Mankatha is Ajith's game from start to finish. Influences of Hollywood films(RED,Italian Job) are evident but Ajith remains the show-stealer. A perfect 50th film and a wonderful treat for Thala's fans.
    10jayaraman21

    Springing surprises- Mankatha

    The headline says it all. In 'Mankatha', Ajith pulls it off with his impeccable style and excellent performance, which is aptly supported by a racy script and brilliant execution by director Venkat Prabhu and his team.

    If cricket was the USP of 'Chennai 28′, the director's first film, 'Mankatha' is also based on the sport but with a difference. It is all about betting, money and the men behind it.

    Ajith has appropriately chosen to do 'Mankatha' as his 50th film. It is a movie that has everything his fans would want. He shakes his legs vigorously, evokes laughter, does pulsating stunt sequences and utters catchy one-liners (with some of them going mute).

    The first-half belongs to Venkat Prabhu where he shows sparks of 'Saroja' and 'Goa', while the latter part is totally dominated by Ajith. As a merciless baddie behind money, Ajith oozes venom in his eyes. His body language and dialogue delivery compliments it very much. Though the movie has over a dozen characters, it's Ajith all the way. With his remarkable screen presence, he is at his coolest best.

    Coming to the story, 'Mankatha' revolves around a suspended cop Vinayak Mahadevan (Ajith) in Maharashtra police. He leads a happy life with his lover Sanjana (Trisha), daughter of an influential local goon Arumuga Chettiyar (Jayaprakash).

    Vinayak is a man who dares to do anything for money. But a fun-loving person, he lives his life in his own way.

    A suicide by a police officer investigating the betting mafia involved in Indian Premier League (IPL) hogs headlines. Assistant Commissioner of Police Prithvi (Arjun) takes charge to end betting scandal in the sport.

    Meanwhile, Arumuga Chettiyar comes to know that a sum of Rs 500 crore betting money for the finals of the IPL is coming to Mumbai. He uses his nexus with underworld in Mumbai and tries to route it through his recreation centre.

    Sumanth (Vaibhav) is Arumuga Chettiyar's protégé. He hatches a conspiracy to take away the money in the company of a police officer Ganesh (Ashwin). They are joined by Mahanth (Mahanth), who runs a bar in Mumbai and Prem (Premgi Amaran), a fun-loving IIT pass out.

    Coming to know of their plans, Vinayak steps in. He promises to help the team members and divide the booty between them. They even succeed in taking away the money and decide to wait for an appropriate time to share the fortune.

    In the meantime, a shocked Arumuga Chettiyar begins his hunt for the treasure and every move of him is closely followed by Prithvi. All hell breaks loose when Mahanth and Prem escape with the cash and Vinayak suspects Sumanth.

    Turn of events lead to Sumanth being captured by police and Prithvi forces him to turn an approver. Guns roar and losses occur on either side.

    Now Vinayak takes the centre-stage and with his wicked plans goes hammer and tongs to take away the booty. A surprise awaits him in the form of Prem and Sona (Lakshmi Rai). When Vinayak locates the treasure, Prithvi breathes under his neck. It is now battle of fists between them. Who emerged the winner is narrated with an interesting twist in the climax.

    All cheers to Ajith. The man after a long gap gets a role where he can perform with variety. He is at his best and his salt and pepper look is catchy and attractive.

    As a suave cop, a dreaded don or a adorable lover, he leaves his charm on screen. His uttering of one-liners to Arjun evokes applause. His imitating Premgi in few scenes brings the roof down in laughter.

    Arjun lives up to his Action King tag. He adds variety on screen and is cool and consummate as a police officer.

    Trisha appears in a few scenes besides a song and disappears. Andrea as Arjun's wife, Lakahmi Rai as call girl and Anjali in the role of Vaibhav's wife play blink-and-miss roles. Jayaprakash gets to play a decent part in the film. At places he reminds one of Kamal Haasan's role in 'Nayakan'. Vaibhav gets a meaty character and he utilises the opportunity.

    Both Ganesh and Mahanth are tailor-made for the roles, while Premgi is at his best in the film. He takes off from where he left in 'Goa'. At ease in coming out with comical one-liners, his admiration for Ajith is visible on screen.

    Watch out for good cinematography in such an action-packed film. Sakthi Saravanan has given a fresh colour to it. It's Yuvan Shankar Raja's mass tunes that elevates the mood. And he has shown difference in background score too (especially in the godown-fight scene in the second half)..

    Give due credit to Venkat Prabhu, the director who seems to have given a film that sits well on Ajith. He understood Ajith's strength and played it well. Who said he can only direct laughathons? With 'Mankatha', he has graduated to go higher places.

    On the whole, it's job well done by Venkat Prabhu, producer Dhayanidhi Alagiri and other members of the team. If at all there is a minus, it is the lengthy first half.

    I FELT LIKE WATCHING SACHIN TENDULKAR GONE OUT OF 99 WHEN ARJUN SHOOT AJITH. BUT WHILE COMING OUT OF THEATRE I FELT THALA MADE A RECORD SCORE OF 200 UNBEATEN.

    Best Emmys Moments

    Best Emmys Moments
    Discover nominees and winners, red carpet looks, and more from the Emmys!

    More like this

    Billa
    7.3
    Billa
    Yennai Arindhaal
    7.3
    Yennai Arindhaal
    Vaalee
    8.0
    Vaalee
    Arrambam
    7.0
    Arrambam
    Varalaaru
    7.3
    Varalaaru
    Veeram
    6.5
    Veeram
    Nerkonda Paarvai
    7.7
    Nerkonda Paarvai
    Vedalam
    6.3
    Vedalam
    Valimai
    6.0
    Valimai
    Billa II
    6.1
    Billa II
    Villain
    7.1
    Villain
    Thunivu
    6.1
    Thunivu

    Related interests

    Bruce Willis in Die Hard (1988)
    Action
    James Gandolfini, Edie Falco, Sharon Angela, Max Casella, Dan Grimaldi, Joe Perrino, Donna Pescow, Jamie-Lynn Sigler, Tony Sirico, and Michael Drayer in The Sopranos (1999)
    Crime
    Cho Yeo-jeong in Parasite (2019)
    Thriller

    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      The movie was released on 31-08-11 which adds up to 50,thus denoting the Lead actor's 50th film.
    • Goofs
      To pull the heist, V. removed the bolts attaching the tractor to the trailer while hanging from the undercarriage. After the switch, there's no way he could have reattached them while the vehicles were stopped at a police checkpoint to keep the change undetected until the drivers reached their destination.
    • Alternate versions
      The UK release was cut, the distributor chose to reduce the violence in three reels (gunshots, strong blows and injury detail) in order to obtain a 12A classification. An uncut 15 classification was available.
    • Connections
      References Mullum Malarum (1978)

    Top picks

    Sign in to rate and Watchlist for personalized recommendations
    Sign in

    FAQ17

    • How long is Mankatha?Powered by Alexa

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • August 31, 2011 (India)
    • Country of origin
      • India
    • Language
      • Tamil
    • Also known as
      • Đánh Bạc Với Cuộc Đời
    • Production company
      • Cloud Nine Movies
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • ₹400,000,000 (estimated)
    • Gross worldwide
      • $1,122,247
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      • 2h 35m(155 min)
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Dolby Surround 5.1
    • Aspect ratio
      • 2.35 : 1

    Contribute to this page

    Suggest an edit or add missing content
    • Learn more about contributing
    Edit page

    More to explore

    Recently viewed

    Please enable browser cookies to use this feature. Learn more.
    Get the IMDb App
    Sign in for more accessSign in for more access
    Follow IMDb on social
    Get the IMDb App
    For Android and iOS
    Get the IMDb App
    • Help
    • Site Index
    • IMDbPro
    • Box Office Mojo
    • License IMDb Data
    • Press Room
    • Advertising
    • Jobs
    • Conditions of Use
    • Privacy Policy
    • Your Ads Privacy Choices
    IMDb, an Amazon company

    © 1990-2025 by IMDb.com, Inc.