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Kill gears up for release: From Animal to Mirzapur, 5 most violent Indian titles ahead of the Lakshya-led gorecore ullu-web-prime.com

The Karan Johar and Guneet Monga produced Kill has registered a blockbuster start with its lap at the film festival circuit, namely the Toronto International Film Festival. The almost unanimous awe-stricken reactions to the film from critics and audiences alike has presumably set it up for a strong box office run. This also serves as a big sigh of relief for actor Lakshya Lalwani who has suffered the shelving of multiple big banner projects. Also starring Raghav Juyal, the Nikhil Bhat directorial has been picked up for an official Hollywood remake by John Wick franchise collaborators Lionsgate and 87Eleven Entertainment, days prior to its worldwide release. With things looking good for India’s ‘most violent’ film, let’s revisit the Indian content-scape’s tryst with gorecore.

Animal

Sandeep Reddy Vanga’s Animal released in December last year and soon turned into the poster boy for the phrase, ‘all publicity is good publicity’. The Ranbir Kapoor-starrer was blasted front, right and center in lieu of the apparently glorified portrayals of misogyny, misplaced machismo and of course, gore. It still however, managed to power its way through to the top, emerging as among the highest Indian worldwide grossers of the year, reportedly minting ₹917.82 crores worldwide.

Highlights from the film for all the gore enthusiasts reading this, is the keynote montage of an axe wielding, bleeding Ranbir taking on an army of 100 men with blood flying everywhere. Among other moments worth a mention is the post-credits scene where his doppelganger hacks 2 men to death — a literal bloodbath if there was ever any. Vanga has also promised to hit the accelerator when it comes to violence with the sequel Animal Park, so there’s much to look forward to with the franchise.

Delhi Crime 2

The Emmy winning Delhi Crime (2019), featuring Shefali Shah in the lead as DCP Vartika Chaturvedi featured the aftermath of the ghastly 2012 Delhi gang rape and murder as its premise. While the first season focused more on the due process involved in bringing justice to the victim, the second season upped the ante with the horrors it depicted on screen.

Delhi Crime 2 (2022) saw much of the primary cast return, this time to catch the very real Kachcha Baniyan Gang, hacking the elderly of the national capital to brutal deaths. Not just gore, the strong plot and powerful performances make this a must-watch.

Rudra: The Edge of Darkness

Based on the televised version of author Neil Cross’ Luther, Ajay Devgn’s Rudra: The Edge of Darkness premiered on March 4, 2022. Though the series largely flew under the radar those who gave it a watch were very well aware of the bang for buck it promises. Spoiler alert: a particularly disturbing scene involves the antagonist drinking the victim’s blood. Just 6-episodes long, Rudra also stars Raashii Khanna, Atul Kulkarni and Esha Deol.

Pushpa: The Rise

Sukumar’s now-iconic Pushpa: The Rise (2021) is not exactly known for the gore. But that can largely be attributed to Allu Arjun’s magnanimous screen presence in tow with leading lady Rashmika Mandanna. The OG Pushpa features several blood-soaked scenes. Be it Pushpa shooting himself in his hand, seeing a severed arm, a bloody stub of a shoulder or extremely graphic fight sequences, the film delivers thoroughly on the blood and guts.

That being said, Pushpa 2: The Rule is up for a release on December 6, promising to befittingly take the saga ahead.

Mirzapur

Fans of Mirzapur-verse are counting down hours as they inch closer to July 5, the slated release date for the third season of the wildly popular web series. The Pankaj Tripathi, Ali Fazal and Divyenndu led show premiered in 2018 and almost instantly established a wildly loyal fanbase. More than Mirzapur being ‘gorecore’, the raw violence is actually rather seminal to the plot as well as character building in the series making it that much more of a fruitful watch.

If you’re still looking for more such recommendations, there are some classic titles that inevitably make the cut to be crowned the goriest of them all. Nawazuddin Siddiqui and Vicky Kaushal’s Raman Raghav 2.0 (2016) is based on the real-life serial killer’s descent into madness.

Following close behind is Anushka Sharma’s NH10 (2015) wherein a couple’s attempt to intervene in a ‘family affair’ goes horribly wrong — this one carries strong inspiration from the similarly themed Hollywood indie project, Eden Lake (2008).

Also making this list of reccos is Rani Mukerji’s Mardaani 2 (2019). A huge step up from the first film, the misogyny-fueled murder sprees are well-complimented with equally graphic bloody sequences.