[3] Featuring Shiva Rajkumar in the central role touted to be based on N. K. Senthamarai Kannan, the then Superintendent of police, with the Indian Special Task Force, and the spy who masterminded Operation Cocoon.

[5][6][7][8] Upon its wide release, critics praised the performances, background score, cinematography, screenplay, casting, and direction while becoming a box office success,[9][10] and subsequently got screened in Kannada cinema section at the 9th Bengaluru International Film Festival 2017.

In 1991, Veerappan and his chief Intel, Gandhi (Sadh Orhan), behead IFS Officer P. Srinivas (Gadda Viji).

On the other hand, a team of loyal undercover cops led by Rambo Krishna (K Gopalakrishnan), leave Palar base of STF, near M. M. Hills, 100 kilometres (62 mi) from Kollegal of Karnataka along with a team of 41 members which includes police from two states, forest officials, forest watchers and informers.

Veerappan gang plants landmines on the road in more than 14 places to halt their approach, and during the Palar blast, K.Gopalakrishnan, standing on the foot board of the jeep is thrown out, and suffers severe injuries, leaving the police to retaliate and ultimately prevent the snatching of arms.

After few failed attempts, including the one led by another undercover cop (Gundragovi Satya), disguised as a subordinate to Muslim underworld Don-Kadaani (Ramesh Pandit), to negotiate an arms deal with Veerappan's gang, the STF team led by master-strategist, and an ex-spy turned timberyard owner-Kumar (Srikanth Iyyengar), finally succeed on 18 October 2004.

Killing Veerappan is produced by B. V. Manjunath, B. S. Sudhindra, E. Shivaprakash, and Ram Gopal Varma under the production house of ZED3 Pictures & G.R.

[22] Ravishankar scored the film's background music and co-composed for the soundtrack along with Rajasekhar, Munna Kasi, Sathya Kashyap and Sandy.