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Madras Cafe official poster

Madras Cafe(2013)

7.3/10
Hindi•130 mins•theatrical•

Madras Cafe is a 2013 Indian Hindi-language political action thriller film directed by Shoojit Sircar. It stars John Abraham as Vikram Singh, a RAW intelligence agent, alongside Nargis Fakhri, Raashi Khanna, and Prakash Belawadi. The story is set during the Sri Lankan civil war in the late 1980s and early 1990s, focusing on an Indian agent's mission to infiltrate a rebel group and prevent a political assassination. The film was praised for its realistic portrayal of war, tight screenplay, and absence of commercial Bollywood elements like songs and romance. It won 12 awards and received 16 nominations, including several for Best Film and Best Director. Produced by John Abraham and Ronnie Lahiri under the banners J.A. Entertainment and Rising Sun Films, the movie was released on 23 August 2013.

Filmed In:Sri Lanka
Mood:
darksuspensefulemotional
IMDbTMDBRotten TomatoesWikidata
Where to watch:
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Quick Facts

Streaming on
Prime Video
Theatrical Release
23 August 2013
Director
Shoojit Sircar
Language
Hindi
Runtime
2h 10m
Rating
7.3/10

Storyline

A RAW agent named Vikram Singh travels to war-torn Sri Lanka to break a powerful rebel group. He runs a small cafe as a cover while gathering intelligence. But he uncovers a deadly plot to assassinate a former Indian Prime Minister. With a journalist's help, he races against time to stop the attack.

“The truth is the only weapon.”

Film Details

7.3Rating
130Minutes
HindiLanguage
UACertificate
Release Date23 August 2013
Release Typetheatrical
Also Known AsJaffna · Madras Café · 마드라스 카페
Filmed InSri Lanka

Parental Guide

Violence
High
Language
Moderate
Sex / Nudity
Moderate
Drugs
Mild
Intensity
High

Where to Watch

P
PrimeSubscription
30 Days FreeThen ₹299 / month
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Vibe & Tags

Mood
darksuspensefulemotional
Themes
survivalcorruptionjusticeidentity
Tonegritty
Pacingslow-burn
Complexityrequires-attention
Audiencemultiplex
Best Withalone
Violence4
Emotion4
Humor1
Rewatchability3

Cast & Crew

#1
John Abraham, Actor in Madras Cafe
John AbrahamMajor Vikram Singh
→#2
Nargis Fakhri, Actor in Madras Cafe
Nargis FakhriJaya Sahni
→
#3
P
Piyush PandeyCabinet Secretary of India
→
#4
S
Siddhartha BasuRobin Dutt
→
#5
D
Dinesh PrabhakarRajshekaran
→
#6
A
Avijit DuttSwaroop
→
#7
L
Leena Maria PaulTamil Rebel
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#8
Rashi Khanna, Actor in Madras Cafe
Rashi KhannaRuby Singh
→#9
Prakash Belawadi, Actor in Madras Cafe
Prakash BelawadiActor
→#10
Udayabanu Maheshwaran, Actor in Madras Cafe
Udayabanu MaheshwaranActor
→#11
S
Shoojit SircarDirector
→
#12
R
Ronnie LahiriCrew
→
#13
S
Somnath DeyCrew
→

Reunion Meter

Frequent partnerships reunited for Madras Cafe

Cast reunions in this film: Rashi Khanna & Raashii Khanna (2 films together), John Abraham & Prakash Belawadi (2 films together), and Shoojit Sircar & Shantanu Moitra (2 films together).

Rashi Khanna
Rashi KhannaActor
2nd time
Raashii Khanna
Raashii KhannaActor
Rashi Khanna × Raashii Khanna — 2 films together →
John Abraham
John AbrahamActor
2nd time
Prakash Belawadi
Prakash BelawadiActor
John Abraham × Prakash Belawadi — 2 films together →
S
Shoojit SircarDirector
2nd time
S
Shantanu MoitraMusic Composer
Shoojit Sircar × Shantanu Moitra — 2 films together →

Trivia

  • The film's title was changed from 'Jaffna' to 'Madras Cafe' to avoid political sensitivity.
  • John Abraham performed his own stunts, including a risky underwater sequence without a body double.
  • It was shot in real conflict zones in Sri Lanka and Thailand to capture authentic war-torn settings.
  • Director Shoojit Sircar researched for over two years, consulting ex-RAW agents and conflict journalists.
  • The film faced protests and bans in some regions due to its portrayal of the Sri Lankan civil war.
  • It was one of the first mainstream Hindi films to use a non-linear narrative structure for a political thriller.
  • The crew used minimal makeup and natural lighting to maintain a gritty, documentary-style realism.

Frequently Asked Questions