India produces more than a thousand films every year, and the Hindi film industry accounts for a major portion of that figure. With over 100 years of film history, Bollywood movies offer a variety of genres including comedy, horror, sci-fi, action and adventure. From Kamal Amrohi to Guru Dutt to Hrishikesh Mukherjee to Satyajit Ray to Gulzar and Anurag Kashyap, Indian movies have had filmmakers who offered novel artistic perspectives and shaped the cinematic way of life.
Top Hindi Movies
It all began with Dadasaheb Phalke's silent film Raja Harishchandra in 1913 — four years after Hollywood created world’s first sound film, The Jazz Singer. The same year, Ardeshur Irani’s Alam Ara was released and became India’s first talkie. Hindi movies have helped shape the idea of India for Indians as well as the world over the past decades. The 1950s’ films supported the government’s vision of portraying India’s aesthetics and morals while the ‘70s were a rebellious response to the conditions of the common man. Quite early, the parallel cinema movement in India defined an alternative perspective of the country and the people even as mainstream Bollywood movies catered mainly to entertainment. Led by filmmakers such as Satyajit Ray, Mrinal Sen, Ritwik Ghatak, Adoor Gopalakrishnan, some significant movies from parallel cinema include Ardh Satya, Mirch Masala, Bazaar, and Ankur.
In terms of box office business, Bollywood movies typically earn a couple of hundred million dollars every year. According an Ormax Media report, Hindi movies alone made $641.2 million in 2023. The top five all-time highest-grossing Hindi movies include Aamir Khan’s Dangal, Shah Rukh Khan’s Jawaan and Pathan, Salman Khan’s Bajrangi Bhaijaan and Ranbir Kapoor’s Animal. Apart from the spicy entertainers that Bollywood is typically known for, Hindi filmmakers have churned out several cinematic gems that have a high entertainment value and are often universal in their subjects. In this article, I list thirty all-time great films that mainstream Hindi cinema has delivered. The films have been listed in ascending order of their release date.
Acchut Kanya (1936)
Written by Niranjan Pal, Acchut Kanya is a reformist take on the caste system. Franze Osten directed the 1936 film. Devika Rani is featured in the film alongside Ashok Kumar. Acchut Kanya is about the friendship and romance between so-called upper and lower castes of society. The story follows the typical trope of the haves being indebted to the have-nots: An accident leads to an upper caste man being indebted to the lower caste man. Their kids fall in love but marry different people due to the pressure of society, and the subsequent turn of events forms the story of the film.
A raw portrayal of the caste system combined with some class act by Kumar and Rani make it a good watch even today. The treatment of the caste system may not be the same in today’s era. Nonetheless, the way we often find ways and grounds to discriminate against each other remains the same. The film is available on the streaming platform Mubi.
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Neecha Nagar (1946)
Directed by Chetan Anand, Neecha Nagar is written by Hayatullah Ansari and Khwaja Ahmad Abbas. It released in 1946 and featured Anand's wife Uma Anand, alongside Kamini Kaushal, Rafiq Anwar, Rafi Peer and Zohra Sehgal. The film is an adaptation of the Russian play The Lower Depths by Maxim Gorky.
Neecha Nagar was the first Indian film to bag the Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival. Based on Ansari’s book of the same name, the film tells the story of a rebellion that hopes to save a downtown area from becoming the pathway for the sewage line for the uptown region. The film details the Gandhian way of life in the face of atrocities, and the price one needs to pay for choosing that path. Gandhi’s principles may not be very popular in today’s times, but the film offers a moralistic approach to facing adversities. It is available on Amazon Prime Video. The film never released in Indian theatres, but was aired on the national TV channel, Doordarshan, in the 80s.
Mother India (1957)
Released in 1957, Mother India tells the story of a strong Indian woman and is a remake of Mehboob Khan’s 1940 film Aurat. Directed by Khan, Mother India is about Radha (Nargis) who is married to a man (Raaj Kumar) deep in debt because of their wedding. She is soon left alone to fend for her sons (Sunil Dutt and Rajendra Kumar) when her husband runs away after losing his hands in an accident. The film has a rating of 86% on Rotten Tomatoes and 7.8 IMDb. It won the National Film Award for Best Hindi film that year and was also nominated for the 30th Academy Awards in Best Foreign Language Film category.
Mother India benefits majorly from a solid performance by Nargis who rises to great heights each time she is put in crucial moments of the narrative. Radha is one of the strongest women characters that Hindi cinema has seen. Here is a woman who chooses to submit to the needs of her husband and in-laws, even her sons and the moneylender; but never does she compromise on her principles. Whether fighting the maternal urge to feed the children, or the one to keep her son alive, she overcomes all the emotions to emerge righteous. Dutt’s dialogue ‘Lala Mere Ma Ke Kangan Wapas kar de’ is an iconic one from the film. Bollywood stars Ranveer Singh, Akshay Kumar, Amitabh Bachchan and Hrithik Roshan featured in a rap song pegged on the dialogue in 2015. Amazon Prime Video offers options to rent or buy the film. In India, it is available on Eros Now channel on Amazon Prime Video and Shemaroo Movies. With nearly a $800,000 box office collection, Mother India was the top-grossing Hindi film of 1957.
Pyaasa (1957)
Legendary filmmaker Guru Dutt made Pyaasa in 1957 and the masterpiece is a poignant exploration of the plight of the artist in a materialistic world. The film's protagonist, Vijay (Dutt), is a struggling poet whose work is unappreciated by the masses. Waheeda Rehman also features in the film. It has 8.3 rating on IMDb and 100% on Rotten Tomatoes.
Pyaasa offers a scathing critique of contemporary society which values commercial success over artistic merit. The film holds strong even six decades later. The brilliant performances by Dutt and Rehman enhance the melancholic mood of the movie, as their chemistry captures the loneliness and isolation of unappreciated artists. The critical tone of Pyaasa is a strong rebuke to a society that often fails to recognize the value of the individual, even today. The film is streaming on Amazon Prime Video. When it released, Pyaasa had a dismal show at the box office and made a mere $350,000 collection.
Mughal-e-Azam (1960)
Directed by K Asif, Mughal-e-Azam arguably defined romantic love in Bollywood when it released in 1960. Featuring Prithviraj Kapoor, Dilip Kumar and Madhubala, the movie tells the tragic love story of Prince Salim and his Anarkali. IMDb has a rating of 9 for the film, which scores 92% on Rotten Tomatoes.
The film is based on the legendary love story of Emperor Akbar’s son Saleem and a court dancer Anarkali. Dilip Kumar plays the prince while Madhubala is the dancer. Akbar, essayed by Prithviraj Kapoor, is the biggest roadblock in the love story which has a tragic end. Apart from the love story which highlighted themes of politics versus love, the movie also explored other aspects of the society. Kumar’s rebellious character often underlines the importance of the voice of dissent for a successful society to function well. The film is available to stream on Amazon Prime Video. Made at a grand budget of more $10 million, Mughal-e-Azam was the costliest Hindi film ever for a long time. It had a wide release and made a record collection of more than a $850,000 worldwide, breaking the previous record of top grossing Hindi film (Mother India).
Chupke Chupke (1975)
Hrishikesh Mukherjee made several movies in the ‘70s that stayed away from the trend of being preaching or angry, but also remained on the right side of morality while providing wholesome entertainment. The film has an 8.3 rating on IMDb and 91% on Rotten Tomatoes.
This 1975 film is a remake of a Bengali film named Chhadmabeshi and boasts of a multi-star cast. Amitabh Bachchan and Jay Bachchan were cast opposite each other; and Dharmendra, Sharmila Tagore, Om Prakash, Usha Kiran, David Abraham Cheulkar, Asrani, and Keshto Mukherjee also played lead roles in the movie. The warm equations among family and friends, the simple and realistic humor, and some strong performances make the film a class apart in light-hearted cinema. It is available on Amazon Prime Video. The film earned a decent $300,000 at the ticket windows in India, according to Box Office India.
Shatranj Ke Khiladi (1977)
Directed by Satyajit Ray, the 1977 Indian film is based on legendary Hindi novelist Munshi Premchand's short story by the same name. It was India’s official entry to the Oscars but did not make it to the nominations. Shatranj Ke Khiladi was the only feature Hindi film that Ray made. It bagged two National Film Awards and three Filmfare Awards, with 91% score on Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an IMDb score of 7.5.
Sanjeev Kumar and Saeed Jaffrey feature in the movie alongside Amjad Khan, Richard Attenborough, Shabana Azmi, Farooque Shaikh, Farida Jalal, David Abraham and Tom Alter. Indian star Amitabh Bachchan narrated the movie. The film told the story of two rich men in a princely state of India, at a time when rebels were trying their best to free the country from foreign rule. The filmmaker highlighted the cowardice and self-centered nature of the rich which often has bad results for their society. The movie is available on Amazon Prime Video. The film faced major delays in release and could not make remarkable impact at the box office.
Chashme Buddoor (1981)
Written and directed by Sai Paranjpye, Chashme Buddoor featured Deepti Naval, Farooq Shaikh and Saeed Jaffrey in lead roles. The 1985 film also stars Ravi Baswani, Rakesh Bedi and Leela Mishra in important roles. It has an IMDb rating of 7.9.
Paranjpye introduced the sweet and warm chemistry of lead pair Shaikh and Naval with Chashme Buddoor. Set in the serene backdrop of south Delhi from a time when the world functioned at a leisurely slow pace. The film revolves around three roommates — two of them trying their best to woo the new girl in their neighborhood while the third one, a silent and academic type, effortlessly strikes the right chord with her. The film offers fresh and light entertainment for those looking for nostalgia. It is streaming on Amazon Prime Video. The film is also available for rent on Apple TV. The film made a good collection of nearly $400,000.
Arth (1982)
Mahesh Bhatt made a sensitive and transformative movie with his 1982 film, Arth. He wrote as well as directed the film which bagged two National Film Awards and three Filmfare awards. Shabana Azmi, Smit Patil, Kulbhushan Kharbanda, Rohini Hattangadi and Raj Kiran played lead roles in the film. It has a rating of 7.8 on IMDb.
A semi-autobiographical film, Arth talks about important issues of independance and self-worth, especially for women. Woven in a complex story of extra-marital affair gone wrong, Arth perfectly captures the situation of the men and women involved. The need for women to realize their worth beyond the dependency of a husband or boyfriend remains even today. The film is available in lower-grade prints on YouTube. Arth grossed roughly $400,000 at the box office.
Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro (1983)
Kundan Shah came up with Bollywood’s best satire — Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro — in 1983. The Hindi movie stars Pankaj Kapur, Om Puri, Satish Shah, Naseeruddin Shah, Neena Gupta, Satish Kaushik, Ravi Baswani and Bhakti Barve. It bagged a National Film Award and one Filmfare Award, and has ratings of 8.3 on IMDb and 93% on Rotten Tomatoes.
Inspired by the 1966 film Blow Up, Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro is about two photographer friends who accidentally witness a murder and are caught amidst a murky deal between the local corporator, businessmen and media. Blow Up director Michelangelo Antonioni gets a sly mention in the Hindi film. Every moment in Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro is comedy, and each one equally highlights the stark issues facing society. Global topics such as the never-ending industries versus poor fiasco to corrupt businessmen and politicians ensure the film is a great watch even today. It is streaming on Amazon Prime Video. Given the revolutionary subject and treatment of the film, Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro did not get any major publicity and had a damp run at the box office.
Saaransh (1984)
Mahesh Bhatt’s 1984 film Saaransh marked the debut of Anupam Kher, who played the role of a 65-year-old teacher living alone with his wife. The old man lost his son in an accident and is caught amid various struggles to fight the emotional and materialistic problems that block his way. Rohini Hattangadi plays Kher’s wife in the film, and Soni Razdan and Alok Nath also feature in the movie.
Saaransh explores the pathos of the loss of young son, the struggles of aging parents fighting the odds at the wrong end of bureaucracy, and the turmoil of an independent woman living life while challenging norms set by the society. Kher was not even 30-year-old when he essayed the role of a senior citizen. Kher and Hattangadi deliver career-best performances while Razdan, too, does an impressive job. Saaransh won one National Film Award and three Filmfare Awards and has a rating of 8.1 on IMDb. It is streaming on Amazon Prime Video and is available for rent on Apple TV. The film made around $300,000 at the box office.
Khamosh (1985)
The 1985 film remains the best murder mystery in Hindi cinema to date. Directed by Vidhu Vinod Chopra, Khamosh stars Shabana Azmi, Naseeruddin Shah, Amol Palekar, Pankaj Kapur, and Soni Razdan. It has an IMDb rating of 7.5.
Khamosh revolves around a film crew that reaches the Indian Valley of Kashmir for shooting. Soon, people are found dead, one by one, leading to fear and chaos among the entire team. Strong performances and a tight script allow the audience to get completely engrossed in the narrative. The film had a limited release, reportedly because no distributor was willing to bet on the unconventional plot. It is now available on Mubi.
Ijaazat (1986)
Based on Subodh Ghosh’s Bengali story Jatugriha, the film starred Anuradha Patel, Rekha and Naseeruddin Shah in lead roles. Legendary poet-lyricist Gulzar wrote and directed the film. IMDb rates the film 8.3 while it has a score of 97% on Rotten Tomatoes. The film bagged two National Film Awards and one Filmfare Award.
Ijaazat is about a divorced couple who got married for the sake of their families. Gulzar’s poetic portrayal of complex human relationships in this 1986 film is a haunting reminder of heartbreaks. On one side, we get to see a passionate love which is least bothered about the world, and on the other, we witness mature love that comes only with life experience. It has an authentic portrayal of both sides. The movie is available on Mubi.
Salaam Bombay (1988)
Released in 1988, Mira Nair’s Salaam Bombay has 93% rating on Rotten Tomatoes and 7.9 on IMDb. It features Irrfan, Nana Patekar, Chanda Sharma, Shafiq Syed, Raghuvir Yadav and Anita Kanwar. It talks about the daily lives of kids living in the slums of Bombay. Salaam Bombay was nominated for the Academy Award in Best International Feature Film Category that year and also bagged the Caméra d'Or and Audience awards at the Cannes Film Festival. It also won India’s National Film Award for Best Hindi Feature Film, and a few other awards at international film festivals.
Nair’s film shows Shaif Syed’s Krishna trying to find his little space in the Indian city of Bombay where he lands after being left behind in a village by a circus troupe. The filmmaker contrasts the glamour of the city with the surroundings and reality of the protagonist, highlighting the wide gap between the rich and the poor. The film is available on Amazon Prime Video.
Ek Doctor Ki Maut (1990)
Directed by Tapan Sinha, Ek Doctor Ki Maut tells the story of a passionate scientist who sacrifices his personal life to invent a vaccine for leprosy, only to be sidelined by the country’s corrupt bureaucracy. Sinha co-wrote the story with Rampada Chowdhury. Pankaj Kapur plays the lead role of the scientist while Shabana Azmi is his onscreen wife. Irrfan Khan features in the film as a journalist while Vijayendra Ghatge, Deepa Sahi and Anil Chatterjee also play important roles in the movie. The film has a rating of 8.3 on IMDb and won three National Film Awards.
Loosely based on the real-life incidences relating to Indian scientist Dr Subhash Mukhopadhyay, the film intricately weaves in the struggles of an honest and intelligent person fighting corruption. It also includes the turmoil of the family and spouse of such a dedicated person caught in amid corruption. It is available on Amazon Prime Video. The film could not make an impression at the box office and scored below $200,000.
Andaz Apna Apna (1994)
Rajkumar Santoshi’s Andaz Apna Apna is a light-hearted take on the comedy of exchanged identities. Featuring Salman Khan, Aamir Khan, Raveena Tandon and Karishma Kapoor in lead roles, the film has gained cult status over time and is considered one of the most-loved Hindi comedies of all time.
Andaz Apna Apna is about two men who cross each other’s path and become human versions of Tom and Jerry because of circumstances. The realistic and witty lines helped the film which also boasts of great comic timing. When it released in 1994, Andaz Apna Apna had an unremarkable run at the ticket windows following limited publicity and promotions. The fact that it clashed with another film named Andaz (a hit film featuring Anil Kapoor) also contributed the box office fate. Many dialogues and scenarios are part of popular memes in pop-culture. It has a rating of 8 on IMDb and is available on Amazon Prime Video. Andaz Apna Apna was a clear flop at the box office and the collections stayed below $300,000.
Bandit Queen (1994)
Shekhar Kapur’s 1994 film Bandit Queen is the story of real-life dacoit-turned-politician Phoolan Devi. Seema Biswas played the lead role alongside Nirmal Pandey, Raghubir Yadav and Manoj Bajpayee. It bagged one National Film Award and two Filmfare Awards. The film has a 7.1 rating on IMDb and on 97% Rotten Tomatoes. The film traces the story of a Dalit girl married at a young age and soon banished from her village for not giving in to the sexual advances of the powerful men. Her several encounters with malicious men including cops, and the murders involved make Bandit Queen a tough watch. However, the film gives a reality check of the caste and gender dynamics. The film is available on Amazon Prime Video. Globally, Bandit Queen made an average score of $400,000.
A Wednesday (2008)
Neeraj Pandey made his directorial debut with a thriller that brought Naseeruddin Shah face-to-face with Anupam Kher. Pandey wrote and directed A Wednesday which also features Jimmy Shergill, Aamir Bashir and Deepal Shaw. The film has a rating of 8.1 on IMDb and 89% on Rotten Tomatoes.
A Wednesday is the story of a common man managing to break all security circles to register his protest against a lack of safety in a society that is always prone to bomb threats and gun attacks. It is a taut narrative told in an entertaining manner. The film is streaming on Netflix and is available for rent on Google Movies and Amazon Prime Video. A Wednesday had a good box office run and it collected nearly $350,000.
Dev D (2009)
Anurag Kashyap’s Dev D, a modern take on legendary Bengali novel Devdas by Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay, received wide critical acclaim when it released in 2009. Abhay Deol played the lead role of aka Devdas while Kalki Koechlin was the Chandramukhi and Mahie Gill played Paro in the film. Apart from the love story portraying the pathos of jilted lovers, Dev D also highlights the hypocrisy of the society.
Unlike the original story, Dev, Chandramukhi and Paro in Dev D do not suffer under the restrictions of society and family - they make their own choices and are victims of their own choices. The women characters are not sobbing their hearts out but taking the charge of their lives. Unlike Chattopadhyay’s Paro, Kashyap’s heroine decides for herself that she’d not marry someone disrespecting her. Chandramukhi, too, is not as much a victim of her circumstances.
Dev D won a National Film Award that year, and a few others, including six Filmfare Awards. It is streaming on Netflix, and is available for rent on Apple TV, YouTube and Amazon Prime Video. It collected nearly a little less than $2 million.
Udaan (2010)
Directed by Vikramaditya Motwane, the 2010 film premiered at Cannes Film Festival that year. It features Ronit Roy, Rajat Barmecha and Ram Kapoor in lead roles. The film bagged seven Filmfare Awards. It has a rating of 8.1 on IMDb and 89% on Rotten Tomatoes.
Focusing on the repercussions of strict parenting, Udaan is a deep dive into the emotional struggles of teens. It celebrates the nature of rebellion. Roy’s sharp performance as the strict father cut deep into hearts and takes the movie a few notches higher. It is streaming on Netflix and is available for rent on Amazon Prime Video. Given the small budget, Udaan had a limited release and earned nearly $500,000.
Kahaani (2012)
Sujoy Ghosh’s suspense thriller features Vidya Balan in the lead role and impressed viewers when it hit theatres in 2012. The film has a rating of 8.1 on IMDb and 100% on Rotten Tomatoes. Ghosh co-wrote the film with Advait Kala and Suresh Nair. Parambrata Chattopadhyay, Indraneil Sengupta and Nawazuddin Siddiqui play pivotal roles in the movie. Saswata Chatterjee essays an interesting role in the movie which got him a lot of critical acclaim.
Made on a shoe-string budget of $960,000, Kahaani was conceived and developed by Ghosh, who co-wrote the film with Advaita Kala. The film tells the story of a pregnant woman searching for her husband in the busy lanes of India’s Kolkata during the festival of Durga Puja. Balan’s character explores feminism and motherhood in a male-dominated society. It is available for streaming on Amazon Prime. According to Box Office Mojo, the film collected roughly $450,00 globally.
Ugly (2013)
Anurag Kashyap directed this chilling thriller which came out in 2013. It features Rahul Bhat, Ronit Roy and Tejaswini Kolhapure in lead roles. Surveen Chawla also stars in the movie. The film has a 7.9 rating on IMDb and 69% score on Rotten Tomatoes. Ugly is about a missing child suffering a dysfunctional family. The father and his twisted equations with people around him make it a riveting story. The film focuses on emotions and human follies and is available on Hotstar. The film made nearly $800,000.
Haider (2014)
Vishal Bhardwaj has adapted many Shakespeare’s plays for the Hindi cinema audience and Haider remains the best among those. Tabu, Irrfan Khan, Shraddha Kapoor and Kay Kay Menon also state in the film alongside Shahid Kapoor who plays the titular role. The actors delivered strong performances that are delightful to watch.
Loosely based on bard’s tragedy, Hamlet, the 2014 film has an IMDb rating of 8 and Rotten Tomatoes score of 89%. Set in the politically and geographically troubled valley of Kashmir in India, Haider tells the story of a young man caught in the middle of cross-border tensions and politics. With impeccable artists in all spheres of filmmaking, including music, dialogue and costume design, Haider won five National Film Awards and five Filmfare Awards that year. It is available on Netflix. Haider made a decent $5.8 million at the global box office.
Aligarh (2015)
Hansal Mehta’s 2015 biographical drama focuses on the basic rights of all genders and sexualities. The film stars Rajkummar Rao and Manoj Bajpayee in lead roles. It premiered to a standing ovation at the Busan Internatinal Film Festival and has a 100% score on Rotten Tomatoes and 7.8 on IMDb.
Featuring Rao and Bajpayee in lead roles, the film is a solid take on the status and situation of gay men in the society. Simultaneously, the film also manages a warm layer to the narrative, keeping a very endearing love story intact. Bajpayee’s honest portrayal of professor Ramchandra Siras adds to the charm of the movie. The makers also use a Lata Mangeskar songs from the yesteryears to add to the emotional aura of the scenes. The movie is streaming on Jio Cinema and ZEE5 and is also available on Apple TV for rent. Due to crontroversies surrounding the film’s release, it had a very few screens and could only manage below $500,000 at the global box office.
Manjhi The Mountain Man (2015)
Nawazuddin Siddiqui (of Gangs of Wasseypur, Kick fame) delivered one of his best performances when he featured as a villager in Ketan Mehta’s 2015 film Manjhi The Mountain Man. Based on the real life story of India’s Dashrath Manjhi, the film also stars Radhika Apte, Tigmanshu Dhulia and Pankaj Tripathi.
Mehta co-wrote the film with Anjum Rajabali, Mahendra Jhakar and Varadraj Swami. The film is about the struggles and eventual victory of Manjhi who carved a path in a portion of the Rajgir Hills near Gaya. Known as the “Mountain Man,” Manjhi achieved the feat by himself in 22 years by digging up the hills using a chisel and hammer. He took up the task after his wife died as she could not reach the nearest hospital in time because of the hills. His achievement reduced the distance of 55km to 15km.
While the narration feels extra dramatic at times, the inspiring and emotional story packed with powerful performances by Siddiqui and Apte makes the film an impressive watch. Manjhi The Mountain Man is streaming on Netflix, and is available for rent on Apple TV, Google Play Movies, and YouTube. It managed a little above $2 million global gross collection at the box office.
Masaan (2015)
Directed by Neeraj Ghaywan, Masaan marked the debut of Vicky Kaushal. Set in the real-life backdrop of the ghats (banks) of Benaras in India, the 2015 film tells the story of a man (Kaushal) who works at the crematorium in the city. Richa Chaddha and Pankaj Tripathi also feature in the film alongside Shweta Tripathi.
An authentic movie set in the backdrop of an Indian small town, Masaan offers deep philosophical insights into the futility of life, hope and more. The movie is also layered with universal human emotions that can warm up hearts even after the release. After bagging two awards at the Cannes Film Festival, Masaan also won a National Film Award that year. It has a rating of 93% on Rotten Tomatoes. IMDb has a rating of 8.3 for the film. It is streaming on Amazon Prime Video. In theatres, the movie managed a global gross that remained below $600,000.
Mukkabaaz (2017)
Vineet Kumar Singh (Gangs of Wasseypur fame) delivered his best in this 2017 film. Singh wrote the story along with his sister Mukti and took it to Anurag Kashyap. The film has an IMDb rating of 8 and Rotten Tomatoes score of 89%.
Mukkabaaz is the story of an aspiring boxer and his inter-caste love caught amid local politics. The story is an intriguing one, with authentic north-Indian caste-dynamics placed subtly in the narrative. A career-best performance from Singh adds to the film’s experience. Mukkabaaz also features Jimmy Shergill. The movie is streaming on ZEE5 and is available for rent on Apple TV. With a limited release across select screens, the film managed mere $1.9 million at the global ticket windows.
Qarib Qarib Singlle (2017)
Directed by Tanuja Chandra, Qarib Qarib Singlle is a sweet and warm love story of people who have experienced life and are slightly disillusioned by the aspect of rose-tinted romance. Chandra co-wrote the film with Ghazal Dhaliwal. Featuring Parvathy and Irrfan Khan in lead roles, the movie also stars Neha Dhupia in a significant part. Rotten Tomatoes score for the film is 89% while IMDb has a rating of 7.9 on it.
Qarib Qarib Singlle is a warm love story devoid of mush and irrational romantic moments we often watch in romantic movies. It offers a fresh perspective to viewing the ideas of love, companionship, second chances and life in general. The dialogues are light-hearted and brilliant performances by the actors make it a cozy watch. It is streaming on Netflix. Qarib Qarib Singlle made nearly $3 million at the global box office.
Thappad (2020)
Anubhav Sinha directed this hard-hitting movie in 2020. Featuring Taapsee Pannu in the lead role, Thappad has since stirred several debates on the abuse that women often face, even within families. Dia Mirza, Pavail Gulati, Ratna Pathak Shah, Tanvi Azmi, Ram Kapoor and Manav Kaul also star in the film. It has a rating of 7 on IMDb and 93% on Rotten Tomatoes.
A simple homemaker in love with her husband, her mother-in-law and her daily life finds herself questioning her own worth one fine day. She decides to call it quits after her husband slaps her at a party and everyone else chooses to stay silent and brush it off. The fight that follows focuses more on highlighting the patriarchal setup which ensures women are not respected; and does not simply point fingers at the husband. A universal topic finds an authentic portrayal in the film with intricate details of the surroundings. In an interesting sequence, Pannu’s character refuses to press any fake charges to add gravity to her case. She insists on being taken seriously and demands justice on the basis of what she actually faced. The movie is available on Amazon Prime Video. The film grossed nearly $5 million worldwide at the ticket windows, according to Box Office Mojo.
Laapata Ladies (2024)
Indian filmmaker Kiran Rao returns to direction after more than a decade and her second film has already garnered great appreciation globally. Written by Bilpab Goswami, Divyanidhi Sharma and Sneha Desai, Laapata Ladies boasts of a 100% score on Rotten Tomatoes while it has a rating of 8.1 on IMDb. Released in March 2024, the film has been produced by Aamir Khan Productions and is presented and distributed by Jio Studios.The film features Nitanshi Goel, Sparsh Shrivastava and Pratibha Ranta in lead roles. Ravi Kishan, Chhaya Kadam and Durgesh Kumar also play importan roles in the movie.
Set in the north Indian Hindi hinterlands, Laapata Ladies boasts of a strong performance by Kishan. The film traces the story of two women lost right after their weddings. Through the journey of their husbands searching for their newly-wedded wives, Laapata Ladies gives a sneak peak into patriarchal mindset that restricts both men and women from exercising their full potential. It also avoids demonizing anyone - the men or the society are not the villains in this movie. The film roughly made around $3.2 million at the global box office (Data: Sacnilk) and is now streaming on Netflix.
Bottom Line
Our list of all-time best Hindi films includes movies from different genres. These films have not only paved way for filmmakers, but also defined the purpose of art and cinema. It was a difficult task to list just a few from more than nine decades of Hindi movies. Would you like to add more? How many of these have you watched? Do share your personal favorites with us!