Best South Indian movies of all time: From Allu Arjun's Pushpa to Mohanlal's Empuraan

South Indian movies have come a long way, and carved a niche in the Indian cinema, as well as garnering critical acclaim worldwide. Here we have curated top-tier South Indian cinema, including Marco, DJ Tillu, Vikram, and more, available on OTTplay Premium. However, beyond these gems, your here we unlock a vast library of best South Indian movies of all time from various other streaming platforms, offering a comprehensive entertainment experience all in one place.

Beyond box office, South Indian movies that also ruled the OTT platforms:

Pushpa: The Rise (Prime Video)

Pushpa 2: The Rule (Netflix)

Cast: Allu Arjun, Rashmika Mandanna, Fahadh Faasil, Jagapathi Babu, Rao Ramesh, Saurabh Sachdeva

This blockbuster Telugu film series follows the story of Pushpa Raj, a labourer-turned-red sandalwood smuggler, sparks resentment as he climbs the ranks in the illicit trade in the whole South. Tensions escalate when the police crack down on his operation, triggering a violent confrontation that puts Pushpa's empire on the brink. Pushpa 2 grossed Rs 1743 crore at the box office in 2024, and became the third highest-grossing film of all time, after Dangal and Baahubali 2: The Conclusion.

L2: Empuraan (JioHotstar)

Cast: Mohanlal, Prithviraj Sukumaran, Jerome Flynn, Abhimanyu Singh, Tovino Thomas, Manju Warrier

Behind the external facade of normalcy, a man secretly reigns as the mysterious mastermind behind a notorious global crime syndicate that's scheming its vast and intricate web of illicit operations from the dark shadows. This political drama is the sequel to the 2019 Mohanlal-starrer, Lucifer, that became the highest-grossing Malayalam movie till date with a collection of Rs 266 crore.

Marco (SonyLIV)

Cast: Unni Mukundan, Yukti Thareja, Kabir Duhan Singh, Jagadish, Ishaan Shoukath, Anson Paul

The Adattu family, an infamous household name in Kerala's gold trade, is shakened by a shocking incident. George, the family patriarch, vows to unravel the truth and track down the culprits. Meanwhile, his younger brother, Marco, sets out on a parallel blood-shedding mayhem, following a distinct path to uncover the secrets that have shaken their family's foundation.

2.0 (Prime Video)

Cast: Rajinikanth, Akshay Kumar, Amy Jackson, Adil Hussain, Sudhanshu Pandey, Kaizaad Kotwali

Released in 2018, this sci-fi action drama is the highest-grossing Tamil movie till this date. The movie made Rs 724 crore worldwide. The movie highlights an epic clash between Chitti, a reassembled humanoid robot, and Pakshi Rajan, a bird-human hybrid, driven by revenge against cell phone users, whom he blames for the deaths of birds allegedly caused by radiation. 2.0 is the second instalment of the 2010's Enthiran film series.

DJ Tillu (Aha, SonyLIV)

Cast: Siddu Jonnalagadda, Neha Shetty, Prince Cecil, Muralidhar Gaud, Pragathi, Praneeth Reddy Kallem

Bala Gangadhar Tilak, fondly known as DJ Tillu, is a young aspiring disco jockey with big dreams. However, one fine day, his life takes an unexpected turn when he meets, and falls head over heels for Radhika, an unknown woman, setting off a chain of events that changes everything. The second installment of this Telugu drama, Tillu Square, is available on Netflix.

Vikram (ZEE5)

Cast: Kamal Haasan, Vijay Sethupathi, Arjun Das, Fahadh Faasil, Karthi, Gayathrie

A talented and skilled special officer dives into a complex case that involves a peculiar masked gang of serial killers. But as he unravels the web of clues, he unexpectedly finds himself face-to-face with Chennai's notorious drug kingpin. The 2022 Tamil drama is a spiritual successor to the 1986 Tamil movie of the same name, which also starred Kamal Haasan in the lead.

Manjummel Boys (JioHotstar)

Cast: Soubin Shahir, Khalid Rahman, Sreenath Bhasi, Deepak Parambol, Ganapathi, Jean Paul Lal

This Malayalam drama is the second highest-grossing movie after Empuraan, with a collection of Rs 250 crore worldwide. The story follows a group of friends, called as Manjummel boys, and their adventurous journey that takes a thrilling turn when one of them falls into Guna Caves, sparking a desperate fight for survival that puts their bond of friendship to the ultimate test.

KGF: Chapter 1 (JioHotstar, Prime Video)

KGF: Chapter 2 (Prime Video)

Cast: Yash, Srinidhi Shetty, Roopa Rayappa, Raveena Tandon, Sanjay Dutt, Archana Jois, Garuda Ram, Prakash Raj

Rocky sets out to achieve power and wealth to honour a promise made to his sick mother. His journey takes him to the face-paced streets of Mumbai, where he becomes entangled with the city's infamous gold mafia, navigating a complex world of crime and loyalty that will test his resolve and shape his destiny. This action drama is the highest-grossing movies from Kannada cinema till date, with a collection of Rs 1250 crore worldwide.