Last updated: 5 May 2026


To battle monsters, become a monster.
Tamil · Action, Crime, Thriller
2h 39m · 8 Jan 2020
Music: Anirudh Ravichander | DOP: Santosh Sivan | Writer: Ranjeet Bahadur, John Mahendran, A.R. Murugadoss
Ratings
Our Rating
2.5
Darbar follows the story of Aaditya Arunachalam, a powerful and fearless police officer in Mumbai who is tasked with taking down a notorious crime syndicate. The narrative weaves through his professional challenges and personal struggles, including his relationship with his daughter. As Aaditya fights corruption and crime, the story explores themes of justice, loyalty, and redemption, culminating in a high-octane confrontation with the antagonists.
Darbar is a quintessential mass entertainer tailored to Rajinikanth's larger-than-life persona, blending action, drama, and emotional elements. The story is straightforward but packed with typical commercial cinema tropes, focusing on the hero's journey against crime and corruption. The screenplay by A. R. Murugadoss attempts to balance high-octane action sequences with emotional beats, though the pacing tends to slow down in the second half due to repetitive scenes and predictable plot developments.
The first half is engaging with a mix of punchy dialogues, stylized action, and character introductions that establish the stakes effectively. However, the second half loses some momentum, with the narrative becoming formulaic and stretched. The songs composed by Anirudh Ravichander are catchy and well-placed, adding energy and mass appeal, while the background score complements the intense moments, enhancing the overall cinematic experience.
Cinematography by Santosh Sivan captures the urban landscape vividly, and the production values are high, reflecting the film's big-budget scale. Despite its flaws in screenplay tightness and predictability, Darbar succeeds as a commercial entertainer primarily due to Rajinikanth's screen presence and the technical finesse in action and music departments.
Rajinikanth: Dominant and charismatic as the tough cop Aaditya, carrying the film with his signature style and screen presence.
Nayanthara: Offers a solid supporting role with emotional depth as Aaditya's wife.
Suniel Shetty: Effective as the antagonist, bringing intensity to the villainous role.
Nivetha Thomas: Plays the daughter with innocence and charm, adding emotional weight.
Yogi Babu: Provides comic relief with his timing and quirky character.
Strengths
Weaknesses
A. R. Murugadoss delivers a commercial potboiler tailored for Rajinikanth fans, blending action and emotion with his trademark style. While the direction is confident in staging action and mass moments, the screenplay lacks tightness and innovation, resulting in a predictable narrative arc. Murugadoss balances the star's persona with the film's commercial requirements but misses opportunities for deeper storytelling.
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Our Rating
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| Type | Value |
|---|---|
| Positive | 40% |
| Neutral | 30% |
| Negative | 30% |
Critics appreciated Rajinikanth's performance and the technical aspects like music and cinematography but pointed out the film's predictable plot and pacing issues. The film received mixed to average reviews, with praise for its entertainment value but criticism for its lack of narrative depth.
Final Box-Office Result
Darbar released on 8 January 2020 (2020).
Darbar is declared a FLOP at the box office.
Budget of Darbar is approximately ₹150 Crore.
Darbar is available on Prime Video, Prime Video, Prime Video, Prime Video from 22 February 2020.
Darbar directed by A. R. Murugadoss. Produced by Allirajah Subaskaran.
Darbar stars Rajinikanth, Nayanthara, Suniel Shetty, Nivetha Thomas, Yogi Babu.
Tollybo rates Darbar 2.5/5. Verdict: FLOP.
Music for Darbar composed by Anirudh Ravichander.
Darbar — Genre: Action, Crime, Thriller, Runtime: 159 minutes, Language: Tamil.