KD: The Devil
2026 Indian film by Prem
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KD: The Devil is a 2026 Indian Kannada-language action thriller film written and directed by Prem and produced by Venkat K. Narayana for KVN Productions. The film stars Dhruva Sarja in the title role, alongside Sanjay Dutt, Shilpa Shetty, V. Ravichandran, Ramesh Aravind, Reeshma Nanaiah and Nora Fatehi. The music was composed by Arjun Janya, while the cinematography and editing were handled by William David and Sanketh Achar, respectively.[2]
| KD: The Devil | |
|---|---|
Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Prem |
| Written by | Prem |
| Produced by | Venkat K. Narayana |
| Starring | |
| Cinematography | William David |
| Edited by | Sanketh Achar |
| Music by | Arjun Janya |
Production company | |
Release date |
|
Running time | 141 minutes[1] |
| Country | India |
| Language | Kannada |
KD: The Devil was theatrically released on 30 April 2026. It received negative reviews from the critics.
Plot
Kaalidasa, also known as Kaali or KD, who begins as a small-time, good‑natured individual with modest ambitions—often depicted as a kerosene dealer or petty criminal living within a close-knit social and family circle. His life changes when a series of missteps and external circumstances push him into contact with powerful crime syndicates. Influenced by his admiration for the feared don Dhaak Deva and further complicated by his relationships—particularly with his principled brother Dharma and his assertive love interest Lakshmi—Kaali gradually becomes drawn into a world defined by violence, loyalty, and shifting power dynamics. Kaali’s involvement in the underworld intensifies into a broader struggle for survival and identity.
Kaalidas is fan of Deva (Sanjay Dutt) and saves him and his wife Sathya (Shilpa Shetty) from an attack in a movie theatre. Later, Kaali defeats Deva in a friendly wrestling match and the news goes viral. Deva wants to stand in elections against a party that is supported by Kaali's brother. As the news of Kaali beating Deva spreads, Deva's right hand Kavi attacks Kaali's fiancee and humiliates her. When Kaali went to Deva for justice, Deva dismisses him and orders his men to kill all of Kaali's family in 24 hours. Kaali got courage later when goons attacks his family and kills all of them. He, along his elder brother goes to Deva, where kaali chops Deva's head. He takes it to police station where Sathya comes to take Deva's head. Sathya announces that whoever kills Kaali will get all of Deva's empire and will win her, to which, shockingly, Kaali's brother responds. Kaali's brother was in love with Sathya for a long time. Kaali was taken to police custody while we get to know Kaal Bhairava (Sudeep) will come to save Kaali in part 2- KD- Evil's kingdom which we doubt will ever come.
Cast
- Dhruva Sarja as Kaalidasa "KD"
- Sanjay Dutt as Dhaak Deva
- Shilpa Shetty as Satyavati
- V. Ravichandran as Annayyappa
- Ramesh Aravind as Dharma
- Reeshma Nanaiah as Machhlakshmi
- P. Ravi Shankar as Soorappa, IPS
- Nora Fatehi as Senorita in item number "Sarse Ninna Seraga Sarse"
- Sudeepa as Kaala Bhairava "KB" (cameo appearance)
Production
Actor Dhruva Sarja announced his new project with director Prem and producer Venkat K. Narayana under the KVN Productions, on 18 April 2022, tentatively titled #KVN4.[3] The film's title as KD: The Devil was announced on 20 October 2024.[4] Reeshma Nanaiah joined the cast to play the female lead.[5] Sanjay Dutt,[6] Shilpa Shetty,[7] V. Ravichandran, Ramesh Aravind and Nora Fatehi[8] joined the cast in important roles. Principal photography of the film began after a muhurat shot on 24 April 2022 and filming commenced on 22 October 2024.[3]
Soundtrack
| KD: The Devil | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Soundtrack album by | ||||
| Genre | Feature film soundtrack | |||
| Language | Kannada | |||
| Label | Anand Audio | |||
| Arjun Janya chronology | ||||
| ||||
The music of the film was composed by Arjun Janya. The music rights of the film were acquired by Anand Audio.[2] The first single titled "Shiva Shiva" was released on 24 December 2024.[9] The second single titled "Settagalla" was released on 29 March 2025.[10]
| No. | Title | Lyrics | Singer(s) and Artist(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Shiva Shiva" | Manjunath BS | Prem, Kailash Kher | 3:37 |
| 2. | "Settagalla" | Prem | Mika Singh | 3:40 |
| 3. | "Annthamma Jodetthu Kano" | Manjunath B.S. | Prem | 3:57 |
| 4. | "Sarse Ninna Sarega Sarse" | Prem | Aishwarya Rangarajan | 3:55 |
| 5. | "Nuggi Hodi" | Prem | Shankar Mahadevan | 4:08 |
| 6. | "Come On Kaali" | Prem | Anthony Daasan | 3:15 |
Release
Theatrical
KD: The Devil was theatrically released on 30 April 2026 after facing multiple delays.[11][12] The film received an A (adults only) certificate from the CBFC due to gory violence.[1]
Home media
The film began streaming on ZEE5 from 5 June 2026 in Kannada and dubbed versions of Tamil, Telugu and Malayalam languages.[13]
Reception
Sruthi Ganapathy Ramanol, writing for The Hollywood Reporter India commented that "Excess is the real devil here".[14] Latha Srinivasan of NDTV gave 2 stars out of 5 and said that "The film makes a big entrance but doesn't keep you hooked till the end".[15]
Susmita Sameera reviewing for The Times of India gave 2.5 stars out of 5 and writes that "Overall, KD – The Devil delivers a mixed cinematic experience"[16] Vivek M.V. of The Hindu observed that "With a semblance of story and a decent character arc for the protagonist, ‘KD’, starring Dhruva Sarja and directed by Prem, is aimed at lovers of loud ‘masala’ movie lovers who care less for depth in writing."[17]
Jagadish Angadi of Deccan Herald feels that "Despite a star-studded ensemble, including veterans such as Doddanna and Dattanna, and a guest appearance by Sudeepa, the film does little justice to its talent pool."[18] Sanjay Ponnappa of India Today rated it 2.5 stars out of 5 and said that "This Dhruvl Sarja-Sanjay Dutt-starrer period action drama is entertaining in bits but is mostly loud, messy and violent."[19]
Controversy
The film's director Prem and production house KVN Productions faced criticism over the lyrics of the song "Sarse Ninna Seraga Sarse", which was released as the third single from the soundtrack.[20] The music video of the song, which prominently featured a Hindi-language version of the song, starred Nora Fatehi and Sanjay Dutt. The song faced backlash, while online users expressed their ire towards the lyrics, labeling them as “vulgar” and “suggestive”.[21][22][23][24] The song was soon removed from YouTube.[25]
Sequel
In the film's end credits, a proposed sequel titled KD 2: Evil's Kingdom was announced.[26]