2018 · Film
Mukkabaaz
Anurag Kashyap's sports drama about a small-town boxer in Uttar Pradesh who falls for the niece of the powerful local boxing federation chief and makes an enemy of him.
Reviewed by Movie Mandala, Sun, 18 Oct, 2026
Where to watch
IndiaAs of 18 October 2026, Mukkabaaz is streaming in India on Prime Video with a subscription.
- Checked Sun, 18 Oct, 2026Open ↗
The story
Shravan Singh wants to be a boxer, but in his town that means staying in the good books of Bhagwan Das Mishra, a local strongman who controls the district's boxing federation. Instead of training him, Bhagwan Das uses Shravan for errands and chores. When Shravan stands up to him and then falls in love with Sunaina, Bhagwan Das's mute niece, he is shut out of the state tournament. Determined to prove himself and win a job that will let him marry Sunaina, he leaves for Varanasi to train under a new coach.
Spoiler-free: only the set-up.
Who it suits
Sports fans who want something rougher than an underdog crowd-pleaser get a long film here, about two and a half hours. It is rated U/A but has bloody fights, caste politics and a mob attack, so it fits older teens and adults.
Curation to help you choose, not a review.
Background
Mukkabaaz was conceived by its lead actor, Vineet Kumar Singh, who wrote it with his sister Mukti Singh after seeing the struggles of athletes in India. Anurag Kashyap agreed to direct on the condition that Singh train as a real boxer, and Singh spent about a year training at the Netaji Subhas National Institute of Sports. Colour Yellow Productions and Phantom Films produced it, and it was released internationally as The Brawler.
The film premiered in the Special Presentations section of the 2017 Toronto International Film Festival and opened in India on 12 January 2018 on about 1,100 screens. Bollywood Hungama reports a total of ₹10.51 crore. At the 64th Filmfare Awards it received three nominations, including Best Actor (Critics) for Singh, and won Best Action. It was also the screen debut of Zoya Hussain.
The facts
- Language
- Hindi
- Hindi
- Hindi original
- Genre
- Sports drama, Romance
- Runtime
- 155 min
- Certificate
- U/A
- Director
- Anurag Kashyap
- Cast
- Vineet Kumar Singh, Zoya Hussain, Jimmy Shergill, Ravi Kishan
Questions people ask
- Where can I watch Mukkabaaz in India?
- As of 18 October 2026, Mukkabaaz is streaming in India on Prime Video with a subscription.
- Is Mukkabaaz in Hindi?
- Yes. Mukkabaaz is a Hindi-language film.
- Is Mukkabaaz suitable for children?
- Mukkabaaz has a CBFC U/A certificate, which means children under 12 should watch with a parent or guardian.
- How long is Mukkabaaz?
- Mukkabaaz runs for 2 hours 35 minutes (155 minutes).