2023 · Film
Jailer
Nelson Dilipkumar's Tamil action comedy in which Rajinikanth plays a retired jailer who goes after an idol-smuggling gang after his police officer son disappears.
Reviewed by Movie Mandala, Sun, 18 Oct, 2026
Where to watch
IndiaAs of 18 October 2026, Jailer is free to watch in India on Prime Video.
Free
Shown as 'Watch for free'; select Hindi from the five audio tracks. Do not confuse it with the 2023 Malayalam film Jailer.
Checked Sun, 18 Oct, 2026Open ↗
The story
Muthuvel Pandian is a retired jailer living a quiet family life in Tamil Nadu, doting on his grandson and teased for his ordinary routine. His son Arjun, an honest assistant commissioner of police, is investigating a ring that smuggles temple idols, led by the eccentric and ruthless Varman. When Arjun suddenly goes missing and the gang begins threatening the rest of the family, Muthuvel decides to deal with them himself, revealing a side of his past his family never knew.
Spoiler-free: only the set-up.
Who it suits
Rajinikanth fans and anyone who likes star-driven action with dark comedy will be the main audience. Although rated U/A, it has graphic, gory violence that the censor board asked to be trimmed, and it runs close to three hours.
Genres:ActionCrimeComedyThriller
Curation to help you choose, not a review.
Background
Jailer is an original story written and directed by Nelson Dilipkumar and produced by Sun Pictures. Mohanlal, Shiva Rajkumar and Jackie Shroff appear in cameos.
It opened in cinemas on 10 August 2023 in Tamil, with a Hindi-dubbed version in a limited release. It began streaming on Prime Video and Sun NXT on 7 September 2023, and the Hindi version had its TV premiere on Star Gold on 12 November 2023. A sequel, Jailer 2, opened in cinemas on 15 October 2026.
The film grossed an estimated ₹605–650 crore worldwide, becoming the highest-grossing Tamil film of 2023 and the second-highest-grossing Tamil film overall. It was the first film to collect ₹264 crore in Tamil Nadu. A public-interest petition in the Madras High Court challenged its U/A certificate over the violence.
The facts
- Language
- Tamil
- Hindi
- Hindi dub available
- Genre
- Action comedy, Crime thriller
- Runtime
- 169 min
- Certificate
- U/A
- Director
- Nelson Dilipkumar
- Cast
- Rajinikanth, Ramya Krishnan, Vinayakan, Vasanth Ravi, Tamannaah Bhatia
Questions people ask
- Where can I watch Jailer in India?
- As of 18 October 2026, Jailer is free to watch in India on Prime Video.
- Is Jailer available in Hindi?
- Yes. Jailer was made in Tamil, and a Hindi-dubbed version is available on Prime Video.
- Is Jailer suitable for children?
- Jailer has a CBFC U/A certificate, which means children under 12 should watch with a parent or guardian.
- How long is Jailer?
- Jailer runs for 2 hours 49 minutes (169 minutes).