Tamil director Mari Selvaraj brings a powerful sports drama inspired by the life of Manathi Ganesan, a former Indian kabaddi player. Kittan Velusamy is the fiery underdog at the centre of the story. The opening quickly pulls you into his difficult world as his father urges him to give up the sport, fearing it will only bring danger.

“Swear you’ll never play kabaddi again!” he pleads, as tension builds between them. But Kittan isn’t someone who gives in. He is like a bull breaking free, running straight into a life filled with struggle and resistance. This is the core of the film, where kabaddi becomes more than a game. It becomes a lifeline, a fight and a flicker of hope.

Set in the 1990s’ rural Tamil Nadu, the film traces the arduous journey of Kittayya or Kittan (Dhruv Vikram), a spiri

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