2026 · Film
G.D.N
Krishnakumar Ramakumar's biopic starring R. Madhavan as G. D. Naidu, the self-taught Coimbatore inventor and industrialist behind India's first indigenous electric motor.
Released Fri, 7 Aug, 2026
Reviewed by Movie Mandala, Wed, 21 Oct, 2026
Where to watch
IndiaAs of 21 October 2026, G.D.N is streaming in India on Netflix with a subscription.
- Checked Wed, 21 Oct, 2026Open ↗
The story
In the late 1950s, the inventor G. D. Naidu is locked in a fight with the Income Tax Department over a huge tax demand. The story then goes back to his teenage years in a village near Coimbatore, where the sight of a British official's motorcycle sparks a lifelong fascination with machines. Working odd jobs to buy one, the young Naidu goes on to a cotton mill, a bus company and a string of inventions, while standing up to the colonial authorities along the way.
Spoiler-free: only the set-up.
Who it suits
A gentle, family-friendly biopic for anyone who likes stories of inventors and self-made Indians, and for fans of Madhavan's *Rocketry*. It is rated U/A 7+ and runs about two and a half hours.
Genres:DramaTrue storiesHistorical
Curation to help you choose, not a review.
Background
G.D.N tells the life story of Gopalswamy Doraiswamy Naidu, the Coimbatore engineer and entrepreneur often called the Edison of India, who started the United Motor Service bus company and built India's first indigenous electric motor. Krishnakumar Ramakumar directed it and co-wrote the screenplay with R. Madhavan, who produced it under Tricolour Films with Varghese Moolan Pictures. Govind Vasantha composed the background score.
The film opened in cinemas on 7 August 2026 and, per Wikipedia, did not succeed at the box office. It began streaming on Netflix on 4 September 2026, less than a month later, in Tamil with Hindi, Telugu, Malayalam and Kannada dubs. On Netflix it reached No. 3 on India's weekly film Top 10 and stayed in the list for four weeks.
The facts
- Language
- Tamil
- Hindi
- Hindi dub available
- Genre
- Biographical drama
- Runtime
- 147 min
- Certificate
- U/A 7+
- Director
- Krishnakumar Ramakumar
- Cast
- R. Madhavan, Sathyaraj, Jayaram, Priyamani, Dushara Vijayan
Questions people ask
- Where can I watch G.D.N in India?
- As of 21 October 2026, G.D.N is streaming in India on Netflix with a subscription.
- Is G.D.N available in Hindi?
- Yes. G.D.N was made in Tamil, and a Hindi-dubbed version is available on Netflix.
- Is G.D.N suitable for children?
- G.D.N has a CBFC U/A 7+ certificate, which means it is suitable for viewers aged 7 and above; younger children should watch with a parent.
- How long is G.D.N?
- G.D.N runs for 2 hours 27 minutes (147 minutes).