There have been quite a few speculations about Kaala's running time, and no one had a clear idea about the exact runtime of the film.

The official censor certificate copy of the film has been released. The film has been certified with a 'U/A' certificate with a runtime of 166.59 minutes (2 hours 46 mins 59 sec). It must be noted that Pa Ranjith-Rajinikanth's previous film Kabali had a runtime of 2 hours and 33 minutes.