2013 · Film
Kai Po Che!
Abhishek Kapoor's drama about three Ahmedabad friends who open a cricket shop and coaching academy in the early 2000s, adapted from Chetan Bhagat's novel The 3 Mistakes of My Life.
Reviewed by Movie Mandala, Sun, 18 Oct, 2026
Where to watch
IndiaAs of 18 October 2026, Kai Po Che! is streaming in India on Prime Video with a subscription.
With subscription
Checked Sun, 18 Oct, 2026Open ↗
The story
In Ahmedabad in 2000, three close friends want more than the lives laid out for them. Ishaan is a former district-level cricketer who lost out to selection politics, Govind has a head for numbers and business, and Omi is the nephew of a local Hindu politician. Together they open a small sports shop with a cricket coaching academy. Ishaan spots a gifted young batsman, Ali, and begins training him, while Govind starts tutoring Ishaan's sister Vidya. Gujarat's earthquake and growing religious politics soon test the business and the friendship.
Spoiler-free: only the set-up.
Who it suits
Friends-and-cricket stories sit at the centre of this one, which runs a little over two hours and carries a U certificate. The later stretch deals directly with the 2002 Gujarat riots and communal violence, so younger children may find it upsetting.
Curation to help you choose, not a review.
Background
Kai Po Che! is adapted from Chetan Bhagat's 2008 novel The 3 Mistakes of My Life. The title is a Gujarati kite-flying cry used during Uttarayan when one kite cuts another. UTV Motion Pictures produced it, and the story is set against the 2001 Gujarat earthquake, the 2002 Godhra train burning and the riots that followed. It was Sushant Singh Rajput's film debut.
The film premiered at the 63rd Berlin International Film Festival on 13 February 2013, the first Indian film in its World Panorama section, and opened in India on 22 February 2013 on about 1,000 screens. Wikipedia reports a budget of ₹30 crore and a worldwide gross of about ₹83 crore. At the 59th Filmfare Awards it received five nominations and won Best Screenplay for Abhishek Kapoor and Best Background Score for Hitesh Sonik.
The facts
- Language
- Hindi
- Hindi
- Hindi original
- Genre
- Buddy drama, Sports drama
- Runtime
- 126 min
- Certificate
- U
- Director
- Abhishek Kapoor
- Cast
- Sushant Singh Rajput, Rajkummar Rao, Amit Sadh, Amrita Puri
Questions people ask
- Where can I watch Kai Po Che! in India?
- As of 18 October 2026, Kai Po Che! is streaming in India on Prime Video with a subscription.
- Is Kai Po Che! in Hindi?
- Yes. Kai Po Che! is a Hindi-language film.
- Is Kai Po Che! suitable for children?
- Kai Po Che! has a CBFC U certificate, which means it is suitable for viewers of all ages.
- How long is Kai Po Che!?
- Kai Po Che! runs for 2 hours 6 minutes (126 minutes).