The Best Hindi Movies on Netflix in India [July 2020]
From Talvar to The Lunchbox.
Netflix's series of the best Hindi-language movies continues to be very contemporary with little illustration for decades past. The list below has simply seven movies from the 20th century. And it continues to make creatively questionable decisions on the authentic film front, delivering titles that come across as Bollywood outcasts that located no other company willing to fund them. Hopefully, it will do better with what's coming up, from the likes of Shah Rukh Khan, Ajay Devgn, Vikramaditya Motwane, and Dibakar Banerjee. But until that happens, the best Hindi films on Netflix are those produced by other Indian studios, be it Reliance, UTV, Viacom18, or Aamir Khan Productions amongst others.
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To pick the best Hindi-language movies on Netflix, we relied on Rotten Tomatoes and IMDb ratings, and different critics reviews, to create a shortlist. The latter two were preferred because RT does not provide a complete representation of critiques for Indian films. Additionally, we used our own editorial judgement to add or remove a few. This list will be up to date once every few months, if there are any worthy additions or if some films are removed from the service, so bookmark this page and keep checking in. Here are the high-quality Hindi films currently available on Netflix in India, sorted alphabetically.
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3 Deewarein (2003)
A documentarian (Juhi Chawla) befriends three demise row inmates — a lawyer and a poet (Jackie Shroff), a happy-go-lucky elder fellow (Naseeruddin Shah), and a bad-tempered man (Nagesh Kukunoor) — but her motives are not as plain as they seem. Kukunoor also writes and directs. The film is regularly for its realism, though some found the ending to be nonsensical.
3 Idiots (2009)
In this satire of the Indian education system's social pressures, two buddies recount their college days and how their third long-lost musketeer (Aamir Khan) inspired them to suppose creatively and independently in a heavily-conformist world. Co-written and directed by Rajkumar Hirani, who stands accused in the #MeToo movement.
Aamir (2008)
Adapted from the 2006 Filipino film Cavite, a young Muslim non-resident Indian physician (Rajeev Khandelwal) returning from the UK is forced to comply with terrorists' demands to carry out a bombing in Mumbai after they threaten his family. Feature debut for Khandelwal and writer-director Raj Kumar Gupta. Noted for its realism Alphonse Roy's cinematography.
Andaz Apna Apna (1994)
Two slackers (Aamir Khan and Salman Khan) who belong to middle-class households vie for the affections of an heiress, and inadvertently become her protectors from a local gangster in Rajkumar Santoshi's cult comedy favourite.
andaz apna apna Andaz Apna Apna
Andhadhun (2018)
Inspired by the French quick film L'Accordeur, this black comedy thriller is the story of a piano player (Ayushmann Khurrana) who pretends to be visually impaired and is caught in a web of twists and lies after he walks into a homicide scene. Tabu and Radhika Apte star alongside. It relies a little too much on a sequence of coincidences, which might break the film, depending on how you view the endgame twist.
Article 15 (2019)
Ayushmann Khurrana performs a cop in this exploration of casteism, religious discrimination, and the current socio-political situation in India, which tracks a lacking persons' case involving three teenage girls of a small village. A hard-hitting, well-made movie, though ironically, it was criticised for being casteist itself, and presenting an outsider's perspective.
Axone (2020)
Through the lens of the titular aromatic fermented product — pronounced aa-khoo-nee, it translates as “strong smell” — writer-director Nicholas Kharkongor explores the stereotypes held by, the racism of, and the insular nature of Indians closer to their counterparts from the Northeast in a light-hearted fashion. Sayani Gupta and Vinay Pathak star.
Bareilly Ki Barfi (2017)
After a free-spirited, young woman (Kriti Sanon) in small-town Uttar Pradesh chances upon an eponymous e book whose protagonist reads exactly like her, she sets out about trying to locate the author (Rajkummar Rao) with the help of the printing-press owner and novel writer (Ayushmann Khurrana). Many critics loved Rao's work, while some found trouble with its unsubtle script.
Barfi! (2012)
Set in the 1970s amidst the hills of Darjeeling, writer-director Anurag Basu tells the tale of three people (Ranbir Kapoor, Priyanka Chopra, and Ileana D'Cruz) as they examine to love while battling the notions held by society. It has been praised for its heartwarming nature, however also criticised for its narrative handling and forced prettiness, with one critic going so a long way to call it “facile and plastic”.
The Blue Umbrella (2005)
Based on Ruskin Bond's 1980 eponymous novella, the story of a young girl in rural Himachal Pradesh whose blue umbrella will become the object of fascination for the entire village, driving a shopkeeper (Pankaj Kapur) to desperation. A National Award winner directed by Vishal Bhardwaj.
Chameli (2003)
The titular street-smart prostitute (Kareena Kapoor) befriends an funding banker (Rahul Bose) after his car breaks down on the way back home in the red-light district. Kicked off via the late director Anant Balani, and then completed by Sudhir Mishra after his death. Free to watch.
Chupke Chupke (1975)
Hrishikesh Mukherjee remakes the Bengali film Chhadmabeshi, about a newly-wedded husband (Dharmendra) who decides to play pranks on his wife's (Sharmila Tagore) supposedly clever brother-in-law. Amitabh and Jaya Bachchan also star.
Dangal (2016)
The extraordinary true story of novice wrestler Mahavir Singh Phogat (Aamir Khan) who trains his two daughters to become India's first world-class female wrestlers, who went on to win gold medals at the Commonwealth Games. Though entertaining, inspiring, and boasting of fine performances, it reinforces patriarchy and is overlong with bloat and repetition.
dangal Dangal
Delhi Belly (2011)
Three struggling pals and flatmates (Imran Khan, Kunaal Roy Kapur, and Vir Das) are unwillingly caught in the trap of a deadly crime syndicate in India's capital. Praised for its comedy, pacing, imagination, and goofiness, though some took difficulty with its overreliance on scatological humour. It's largely in English, and though a Hindi dub exists, it's now not on Netflix.
Dev.D (2009)
Anurag Kashyap offers a modern-day reimagining of Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay's Bengali romance classic Devdas, in which a man (Abhay Deol), having damaged up with his childhood sweetheart, finds refuge in alcohol and drugs, before falling for a prostitute (Kalki Koechlin).
Dhanak (2016)
This National Award-winning film from writer-director Nagesh Kukunoor is the story of two siblings — a 10-year-old girl and her visually-impaired, eight-year-old brother — who set out on a 300-km experience across the desert of Rajasthan to find actor and goodwill ambassador Shah Rukh Khan, believing he can assist with a cornea transplant.
Dil Chahta Hai (2001)
Farhan Akhtar's directorial debut about three inseparable childhood friends whose wildly different approach to relationships creates a pressure on their friendship remains a cult favourite. Aamir Khan, Saif Ali Khan, and Preity Zinta star.
Dil Se.. (1998)
Shah Rukh Khan plays a radio journalist who falls for a mysterious revolutionary (Manisha Koirala) in this 0.33 and final instalment of writer-director Mani Ratnam's thematic trilogy that depicted a love story against a political backdrop. Here, it's the insurgency of Northeast India. Also acknowledged for A.R. Rahman's work, especially the title track and “Chaiyya Chaiyya”.
Gurgaon (2017)
Set in the titular Haryana city, this neo-noir thriller explores gender inequality and the dark underbelly of the suburban wastelands thru a story of a real estate tycoon's (Pankaj Tripathi) undisciplined son who kidnaps his own sister to pay off a playing loss. Its grittiness didn't particularly suit audiences, however critics were more appreciative.
Guru (2007)
Mani Ratnam wrote and directed this rags-to-riches story of a ruthless and ambitious businessman (Abhishek Bachchan) who does not let anything stand in his way as he turns into India's biggest tycoon. Loosely inspired through the life of Dhirubhai Ambani. Bachchan was praised for his performance. Aishwarya Rai co-stars, but she had a a lot lesser role.
guru Guru movie 2007
Haider (2014)
Vishal Bhardwaj's Shakespearean trilogy concluded with this modern-day adaptation of Hamlet, that is also primarily based on Basharat Peer's 1990s-Kashmir memoir Curfewed Night. Follows a young man (Shahid Kapoor) who returns home to investigate his father's disappearance and finds himself embroiled in the ongoing violent insurgency.
Hamid (2019)
Set amidst the most militarised region in the world, a young Kashmiri boy tries to contact his father, who he's told is with Allah, by means of dialling a number that he somehow learns. Based on Mohd. Amin Bhat's play “Phone No. 786”. Won a National Award, though some critics determined it to be slightly simplistic.
Hazaaron Khwaishein Aisi (2003)
Set against the politically-charged backdrop of the Emergency in the 1970s, writer-director Sudhir Mishra's film revolves round three friends (Kay Kay Menon, Chitrangada Singh, and Shiney Ahuja) whose lives are transformed in the wake of the turbulent period.
I Am Kalam (2010)
Nila Madhab Panda's feature directorial debut is the story of an clever and impoverished boy (Harsh Mayar), who befriends the son of a once noble family, and is inspired by the lifestyles of India's late President A. P. J. Abdul Kalam — whose family was also negative in his childhood — to pursue an education. Mayar won a National Award.
Ittefaq (2017)
Inspired by the 1969 Yash Chopra film of the identical name, which itself was a remake of the 1965 film Signpost to Murder, an acclaimed writer (Sidharth Malhotra) and a younger homemaker (Sonakshi Sinha), the only witnesses and suspects in a double murder, present different variations of events to the investigating officer (Akshaye Khanna).
Jaane Tu... Ya Jaane Na (2008)
Imran Khan made his acting debut — in writer Abbas Tyrewala's directorial debut — as Jai, a mild-mannered, peace-loving younger man, who's the opposite of his best friend Aditi (Genelia D'Souza). The two start to search for a partner post-college, oblivious and ignorant of how perfect they are for each other, as their pals and family know very well.
Jhankaar Beats (2003)
The directorial debut for Kahaani director Sujoy Ghosh focused on two R.D. Burman followers and copywriters in an advertising agency, played by Sanjay Suri (My Brother... Nikhil) and Rahul Bose (Shaurya), who crew up with their boss' guitarist son (Shayan Munshi) to win a music contest they have lost twice.
Jodhaa Akbar (2008)
Definitely overlong at three and a half hours, this 16th-century epic is the story of the eponymous Mughal emperor (Hrithik Roshan) and the Rajput princess (Aishwarya Rai), whose political marriage turns into authentic love, as he realises she's every bit his equal. Simply told yet effective, its message is an increasing number of important in an increasingly intolerant India. Ashutosh Gowariker directs.
Kaamyaab (2020)
National Award-winning director Hardik Mehta concocts a tribute to Bollywood's personality actors with this tale of a washed-up actor (Sanjay Mishra) who comes out of retirement after realising that he's one film away from the magic quantity of 500, hoping to end on a memorable high.
Kahaani (2012)
A pregnant woman (Vidya Balan) travels from London to Kolkata to search for her missing husband in writer-director Sujoy Ghosh's National Award-winning thriller thriller, battling sexism and a cover-up along the way. The film loves to outwit its audience, however proves to be quite dumb with computers and intelligence agencies, as a critic noted. It was once also criticised for its spoon-fed, lacklustre end.
kahaani Kahaani 2012 movie Vidya Balan
Kaminey (2009)
Oft described as Vishal Bhardwaj's Pulp Fiction, Shahid Kapoor plays estranged twins — one with a lisp and the different who stutters — with an opposite work ethic, whose lives impossibly converge as they are dragged into Mumbai's underworld nexus of mobsters and politicians. Priyanka Chopra co-stars. Much praised for its style, smarts, and complex characters.
Kapoor & Sons (2016)
After their grandfather (Rishi Kapoor) suffers a cardiac arrest, two estranged brothers return to their childhood home the place they must deal with several more household problems. Alia Bhatt, Ratna Pathak Shah also star. Noted for being a modern-age family drama and a step forward for LGBTQ representation, although it's melodramatic at the end and relies too plenty on exposition.
Khosla Ka Ghosla! (2006)
After a powerful property dealer (Boman Irani) holds a middle-class, middle-aged man's (Anupam Kher) newly-purchased property to ransom, his son and his son's friends devise a plot to dupe the swindling squatter and pay him returned with his own money. Dibakar Banerjee's directorial debut.
Koshish (1972)
Gulzar remade the 1961 Japanese film Happiness of Us Alone with Sanjeev Kumar and Jaya Bhaduri (now Bachchan) as a deaf and mute couple, charting their lives across two many years from their courtship through the birth of their two children. Praised for its restraint and its landmark depiction of disability on Indian screen, each Gulzar and Kumar won National Awards.
Lagaan (2001)
Set in a small drought-wrecked Indian town during the top of the British Raj, a village farmer (Aamir Khan) stakes everyone's future on a game of cricket with the well-equipped colonisers, in exchange for a tax reprieve for three years. From director Ashutosh Gowariker, it was nominated at the Oscars.
Lage Raho Munna Bhai (2006)
In this sequel to the 2003 authentic (also on the list), the eponymous Mumbai underworld don (Sanjay Dutt) starts to live by the teachings of Mahatma Gandhi to provoke a radio jockey (Vidya Balan) he's smitten with. Noted for its ability to balance the message with entertainment, even as some felt it dumbed down Gandhism. Co-written and directed by means of Rajkumar Hirani, who stands accused in the #MeToo movement.
Lakshya (2004)
Farhan Akhtar followed Dil Chahta Hai with this (overlong) coming-of-age romantic war drama about an aimless and irresponsible young Delhi man (Hrithik Roshan) who joins the Indian Army — the movie was set against a fictionalised version of the 1999 Kargil War — to make his household and close ones proud of him. Amitabh Bachchan, Preity Zinta co-star.
Lootera (2013)
Set in early 1950s West Bengal as the zamindari system is abolished, an aspiring author and daughter of a zamindar (Sonakshi Sinha) falls for a conman posing as an archaeologist (Ranveer Singh). Vikramaditya Motwane directs this drama inspired by O. Henry's 1907 short story “The Last Leaf”. Heavily praised for its visuals, however the love story wobbles.
lootera Lootera
The Lunchbox (2013)
An unlikely mistake by Mumbai's famously efficient lunchbox service system results in an unusual friendship between a younger housewife (Nimrat Kaur) and an older widower (Irrfan Khan) about to retire from his job. Feature debut for writer-director Ritesh Batra, who was heavily praised for the exploration of loneliness and the handling of the transferring love story.
Lust Stories (2018)
Four directors — Anurag Kashyap, Zoya Akhtar, Dibakar Banerjee, and Karan Johar — helm four different components of this anthology drama that focuses on the romantic lives of four women, delving into love, power, status, and naturally, lust. Noted for its authenticity and portraying real women on screen. A Netflix Original.
Manto (2018)
The existence of Pakistani author Saadat Hasan Manto (Nawazuddin Siddiqui) — one of the finest Urdu writers of the 20th century — earlier than and after the Partition of British India, whose acclaimed life in then-Bombay is uprooted and finds his work being challenged in Lahore. Nandita Das directs.
Mard Ko Dard Nahi Hota (2018)
Born with a rare condition that does not allow him to feel physical pain, a boy who grew up staring at martial arts films trains to protect the vulnerable and longs to meet the one-legged man who received a 100-men fight. Praised for being a fun ride that trades on film nostalgia, even though it doesn't aspire to be more than a crowd-pleaser.
Masaan (2015)
Neeraj Ghaywan ventures into the heartland of India to explore the lifestyles of four people in his directorial debut, all of whom must combat issues of caste, culture and norms. Winner of a National Award and the FIPRESCI Prize at Cannes.
Masoom (1983)
Shekhar Kapur's directorial debut was an uncredited adaptation of Erich Segal's 1983 novel “Man, Woman and Child”, in which the blissful existence of a family is disrupted after an orphan boy — born of the husband's (Naseeruddin Shah) affair with another woman — comes to stay with them. It's a real tear-jerker, mind you, and problematic in a few places.
Munna Bhai M.B.B.S. (2003)
After his dad and mom find out their son has been pretending to be a doctor, a good-natured Mumbai underworld don (Sanjay Dutt) tries to redeem himself by enrolling in a medical college, the place his compassion brushes up against the authoritarian dean (Boman Irani). Co-written and directed by Rajkumar Hirani, who stands accused in the #MeToo movement.
No One Killed Jessica (2011)
Based on the 1999 Jessica Lal murder case, an activist-journalist (Rani Mukerji) groups up with the victim's sister (Vidya Balan) to bring the entitled son of a prominent politician to justice. Praised with the aid of most critics, though some took issue with its heavy-handedness.
no one killed jessica No One Killed Jessica
Oye Lucky! Lucky Oye! (2008)
Dibakar Banerjee's second directorial project is about the charismatic eponymous thief (Abhay Deol), who after being arrested, recounts his life that began in a poor, suburban West Delhi household and how he grew to be a media sensation with a spree of burglaries.
Paan Singh Tomar (2012)
A true story of the eponymous soldier and athlete (Irrfan Khan) who won gold at the National Games, and later turned into a dacoit to unravel a land dispute. Won top honours for film and actor (Khan) at National Awards.
Parinda (1989)
Jackie Shroff, Nana Patekar, Anil Kapoor, Madhuri Dixit, and Anupam Kher star in this crime drama that finds two brothers (Shroff and Kapoor) caught on the contrary sides of a gang war, after one's boss (Patekar) orders the death of the other's friend. Vidhu Vinod Chopra directs.
Peepli [Live] (2010)
With elections around the corner, a farmer about to lose his land due to an unpaid authorities loan seeks help from an apathetic politician, who suggests he take his own existence to benefit from a government programme that helps families of useless farmers. An incisive satire of farmers' suicides in India, and the media and political circus surrounding it. Produced by Aamir Khan and wife Kiran Rao.
Pink (2016)
A lawyer (Amitabh Bachchan) comes out of retirement to assist three women (Taapsee Pannu, Kirti Kulhari, and Andrea Tariang) clear their names in a crime involving a politician's nephew (Angad Bedi). Won a National Award. Faulted for giving more space to the male lead, proper from the poster to the dialogues, which stands in irony to the film's empowering, feminist message.
PK (2014)
A satirical comedy-drama that probes religious dogmas and superstitions, through the lens of an alien (Aamir Khan) who is stranded on Earth after he loses his personal communicator and befriends a TV journalist (Anushka Sharma) as he tries to retrieve it.
Rang De Basanti (2006)
Aamir Khan leads the ensemble cast of this award-winning film that focuses on four younger New Delhi men who turn into revolutionary heroes themselves whilst playacting as five Indian freedom fighters from the 1920s for a docudrama.
rang de basanti Rang De Basanti
Sadma (1983)
Balu Mahendra remade his very own 1982 Tamil film Moondram Pirai with Kamal Haasan, Sridevi, and Silk Smitha reprising their roles from the original. It's the story of a young woman (Sridevi) with retrograde amnesia who regresses to a kid's mental state and ends up in a brothel, where she's rescued through a lonely school teacher (Haasan).
Secret Superstar (2017)
Though frequently melodramatic, this coming-of-age story — produced by way of Aamir Khan and wife Kiran Rao — of a Muslim girl from Vadodara who dreams of being a singer dealt with vital social issues and broke several box workplace records during its theatrical run.
Soni (2019)
A short-tempered young policewoman and her cool-headed girl boss must contend with ingrained misogyny in their daily lives and even at work, where it influences their coordinated attempts to tackle the rise of crimes towards women in Delhi. A Netflix Original.
Stree (2018)
Based on a Karnataka urban legend — though transported to small-town Madhya Pradesh in the movie — this Raj Nidimoru and Krishna D.K.-written comedy horror follows a women's clothing tailor (Rajkummar Rao) who falls for a mysterious woman (Shraddha Kapoor), who frequently disappears.
Swades (2004)
Shah Rukh Khan stars a successful NASA scientist in this based on a true story drama, who returns home to India to take his nanny to the US, rediscovers his roots and connects with the nearby village community in the process. Khan and director Ashutosh Gowariker, who also co-wrote, were praised for their work, even though it's definitely overlong with a runtime of over 200 minutes.
Taare Zameen Par (2007)
Sent to boarding school in opposition to his will, a dyslexic eight-year-old is helped by an unconventional art teacher (Aamir Khan) to overcome his incapacity and discover his true potential. Feature directorial debut for Khan, only one since. Noted for its touchy depiction of disability; although the script was called weak, devoid of actual drama, and its treatment of said disability simplistic.
Talaash (2012)
Aamir Khan, Rani Mukerji, and Kareena Kapoor lead the forged of this psychological crime thriller, in which a police officer (Khan) must confront his past to solve a high-profile murder, which entails a sex worker (Kapoor) and his grieving wife (Mukerji). Co-written by using Zoya Akhtar and Reema Kagti, also director. Largely praised, though some think it tries to do too much.
Talvar (2015)
Meghna Gulzar and Vishal Bhardwaj mix forces to tell the story of the 2008 Noida double murder case, in which a teenage girl and the family's employed servant were killed, and the inept police bungled the investigation. Uses the Rashomon effect for a three-pronged take.
talvar Talvar movie
Tu Hai Mera Sunday (2016)
Five thirty-something friends battle to find a place in Mumbai where they can play soccer in peace in this light-hearted rom-com tale, which explores gender divides and social mores along the way.
Udaan (2010)
Vikramaditya Motwane made his directorial debut with this coming-of-age story of a teenager who is expelled from boarding school and returns domestic to the industrial town of Jamshedpur, where he must work at his oppressive father's factory.
Udta Punjab (2016)
With the eponymous Indian state's drug disaster as the backdrop, this black comedy crime film depicts the interwoven lives of a junior policeman (Diljit Dosanjh), an activist doctor (Kareena Kapoor), a migrant worker (Alia Bhatt), and a rock superstar (Shahid Kapoor).
Waiting (2016)
An elderly psychology professor (Naseeruddin Shah) and a young advertising agent (Kalki Koechlin) befriend and remedy each other after they find themselves in comparable situations at a hospital: waiting on their respective comatose partners.
Wake Up Sid (2009)
A wealthy Mumbai businessman's carefree, spoiled son (Ranbir Kapoor) experiences a impolite awakening after he fails his college final exams, and then begins to take on greater responsibility and be more independent with the assist of an aspiring writer friend (Konkona Sen Sharma) who moved from Kolkata. Ayan Mukerji's directorial debut.
A Wednesday! (2008)
Neeraj Pandey's film is set between 2pm and 6pm on a Wednesday, naturally, when a frequent man (Naseeruddin Shah) threatens to detonate five bombs in Mumbai unless four terrorists accused in the 2006 Mumbai teach bombings case are released.
Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara (2011)
Hrithik Roshan, Farhan Akhtar, and Abhay Deol star as three childhood friends who set off on a bachelor trip throughout Spain, which becomes an opportunity to heal past wounds, fight their worst fears, and fall in love with life. Zoya Akhtar directs, as Katrina Kaif and Kalki Koechlin co-star. Called fresh, delightful, and aesthetically pleasing — it feels like an advert for Spain at times; faulted for its pacing, runtime, and contrived nature.
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