Despite the criticisms, the film performed exceptionally well at the box office, particularly in rural and semi-urban centers where the theme of financial justice resonated deeply. It was also dubbed into Telugu as Mallanna and Hindi as Shiva Ka Insaaf , expanding its reach across India. Today, Kanthaswamy is remembered as a bold, stylized precursor to the modern Indian superhero genre.
The story follows Kanthaswamy, a CBI Economic Offences Wing officer in Chennai. By day, he appears to be a standard government official. By night, however, he transforms into a masked superhero who grants the wishes of the needy who send letters to the local Lord Murugan temple. Dubbed by the director as a “Robinhood-type” figure, the protagonist fights corruption while donning a unique, anthropomorphic rooster costume. kanthaswamy tamil
A sincere CBI officer, Kanthaswamy, secretly dons a flamboyant costume to rob corrupt politicians and government officials. He redistributes the stolen wealth to poor villagers who have been cheated of their land rights. A fiery village woman (Shriya) gets caught in his mission, leading to action, comedy, and romance. The story follows Kanthaswamy, a CBI Economic Offences
The plot thickens when a routine CBI raid uncovers a massive stash of black money belonging to an arrogant and powerful entrepreneur, Pallur Paramajothi Ponnusamy alias PPP (Ashish Vidyarthi), and his partner Rajmohan (Mukesh Tiwari). This discovery puts a target on Kanthaswamy’s back. As the CBI officer, he officially investigates PPP's illicit empire. Simultaneously, as his masked alter ego, he continues his secret mission, which begins to clash with his official duties. This conflict is heightened by the romantic interest he develops in Subbulakshmi (Shriya Saran), a fashion designer who becomes entangled in his dangerous world. Dubbed by the director as a “Robinhood-type” figure,