Incredible India
by vogonify | created - 19 Jan 2011 | updated - 21 Jun 2022 | PublicNot the usual song and dance fare. Some are unusual song and dance fare but that's beside the point.
It is difficult to make a comprehensive list of great Indian films for many reasons:
1. Films are made in so many different languages
2. Not many come with subtitles
3. Quite a number of old films have either been lost to wear or have simply been lost.
4. Accessibility is still a major problem for non-mainstream films from before 2000.
I am as of now loath to include films like Pather Panchali or the rest of its Apu Trilogy brethren as they are so popular anyway. Maybe once this list goes close to a 100 films I'll do it. Of course, in no way does it mean they aren't great films.
Note: List not in any particular order
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1. Garuda Gamana Vrishabha Vahana (2021)
151 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller
Set in the backdrop of the coastal and cultural city of modern-day Mangaluru, Hari and his soulmate Shiva rise together to great heights only to face off as bitter enemies resulting to their own downfall and destruction.
Director: Raj B. Shetty | Stars: Raj B. Shetty, Rishab Shetty, Gopalkrishna Deshpande, Deepak Rai Panaje
Votes: 8,324
2. Sarpatta Parambarai (2021)
173 min | Action, Drama, Sport
When Sarpatta Parambarai is challenged to a do-or-die match, will Kabilan, a young labourer, put on the gloves himself and lead his clan to victory, or be dissuaded by his disapproving mother and dangerous politics?
Director: Pa. Ranjith | Stars: Arya, Pasupathy, John Kokken, Shabeer Kallarakkal
Votes: 25,281
3. Thinkalazhcha Nishchayam (2021)
109 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance
Set in Kanjahad, film narrates through the day before a traditional marriage engagement party Suja and Laxmikanth, fixed by Suja's father against her wishes.
Director: Senna Hegde | Stars: Sunil C.K., Sajin Cherukayil, Suchithra Devi, Ebi Ganesh
Votes: 2,339
4. Malik (I) (2021)
162 min | Action, Biography, Crime
A past ridden with crime, death and pain is recounted to Freddy, a juvenile criminal, who has been assigned to eliminate his estranged uncle Sulaiman, an aging patriarch, while behind bars.
Director: Mahesh Narayanan | Stars: Fahadh Faasil, Nimisha Sajayan, Vinay Forrt, Jalaja
Votes: 13,914
5. Local Kung Fu (2013)
92 min | Action, Comedy
Local Kung Fu's plot revolves around Charlie, "an ordinary boy from Guwahati with a delicate stomach", his girlfriend and a number of madcap characters such as a wannabe local don and a thief who is rumoured to roam naked.
Director: Kenny Basumatary | Stars: Kenny Basumatary, Amar Singh Deori, Bonny Deori, Johnny Deori
Votes: 338
Very funny action movie which seems to have been made with a cheap digital stills camera. A great example of low-budget, credible filmmaking.
6. Kothanodi (2015)
120 min | Fantasy, Horror
Four folk tales from Assam re-imagined as a narrative about four mothers, each facing demons of her own.
Director: Bhaskar Hazarika | Stars: Seema Biswas, Adil Hussain, Zerifa Wahid, Urmila Mahanta
Votes: 565
Four different stories, which could be seen either as social commentaries or fairy tales.
7. Aval Appadithaan (1978)
114 min | Drama
The film revolves around a solitary women, her plight and ordeal against evil society.
Director: C. Rudraiyaa | Stars: Sripriya, Kamal Haasan, Rajinikanth, Sivachandran
Votes: 292
The 70s was a cracking decade film-wise in India. Not just in Bengali and Malayalam, even Tamil, Kannada, Telugu and mainstream Hindi films were coming of age. Aval Appadithan featured two of the biggest stars of Tamil cinema in Rajinikant and Kamal Hassan, yet, in the late 70s, it was shot black and white, with what looks like an apology for a budget, but still blazed a trail of sorts with its feminist premise. The scene that stands out is where the documentary filmmaker that is Kamal seems to be filming an actual documentary. This is right in the middle of the dramatic narrative of the film and doesn't seem one bit out of place.
8. Thithi (2015)
123 min | Drama
In a South Indian village, a centenarian's funeral brings together his free-spirited son, inheritance-hungry grandson and girl-crazy great-grandson.
Director: Raam Reddy | Stars: Thammegowda S., Channegowda, Abhishek H.N., Pooja S.M.
Votes: 2,827
Three generations of fathers and sons and their many adventures leading up to a funeral.
9. Lucia (I) (2013)
Not Rated | 135 min | Drama, Sci-Fi, Thriller
A man suffering from insomnia is tricked into buying a drug, Lucia, that makes his desires come true in his dreams, blurring the line between fantasy and reality.
Director: Pawan Kumar | Stars: Sathish Neenasam, Sruthi Hariharan, Achyuth Kumar, Sabreen Baker
Votes: 13,385
A dream within a dream and all that... and a lot more. It is very much a great melodrama more than anything.
10. Sairat (2016)
Not Rated | 174 min | Drama, Romance
In interior Maharashtra, a fisherman's son and a local politician's daughter fall in love against the restrictions of caste hierarchy.
Director: Nagraj Manjule | Stars: Rinku Rajguru, Akash Thosar, Arbaz Shaikh, Tanaji Galgunde
Votes: 14,803
A charming love story which quietly turns into a ballsy examination of life on the run.
11. Gulaal (2009)
Not Rated | 140 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller
A law student witnesses deception, homicide, and crime after being elected as General Secretary of his college.
Director: Anurag Kashyap | Stars: Kay Kay Menon, Raj Singh Chaudhary, Raja Chaudhary, Jesse Randhawa
Votes: 15,914
This is the sort of film Anurag Kashyap excels in. Small, complex and evidently consisting of elements from his own experience.
12. Pushpaka Vimana (1987)
125 min | Comedy, Drama
An unemployed graduate who coincidentally encounters a rich unconscious man, and takes over his lifestyle by keeping him a prisoner. However, he is in for a twist as a contract killer is after him, assuming him to be the affluent man.
Director: Singeetam Srinivasa Rao | Stars: Kamal Haasan, Amala Akkineni, Tinnu Anand, Narayana P.L.
Votes: 3,814
A silent film in 1987, it is part homage to the troika of old comedy - Chaplin, Keaton and Lloyd and part reinvention of romance in cinema. Also, features a lot of Bangalore from that era.
13. Supermen of Malegaon (2008)
66 min | Documentary
Malegaon, a small town tucked away near the heart of India geographically, is fraught with communal tension and under severe economic depression. To escape the harsh reality of their world,... See full summary »
Director: Faiza Ahmad Khan | Stars: Shakeel Bharati, Farogh Jafri, Akram Khan, Shafique
Votes: 700
The college I studied was an hour away from Malegaon, but unfortunately, I didn't know about the flourishing local film industry until I graduated out. This is a poignant documentary about the same.
14. Nizhalkkuthu (2002)
Not Rated | 90 min | Drama
Kaliyappan, the last hangman of Travancore dynasty is dragging his remaining life by consuming alcohol and worshipping the Mother Goddess.
Director: Adoor Gopalakrishnan | Stars: Oduvil Unnikrishnan, Sukumari, Mallika, Thara Kalyan
Votes: 256
15. Satya (1998)
Not Rated | 170 min | Action, Crime, Drama
An innocent man is embroiled in underworld after being falsely charged and sets out to punish the perpetrators who subjected his life to misery.
Director: Ram Gopal Varma | Stars: J.D. Chakravarthi, Manoj Bajpayee, Urmila Matondkar, Paresh Rawal
Votes: 16,713
A landmark gangster movie in which no character could feel safe enough to last till the end.
16. Accident (1985)
121 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller
Young man kills people sleeping on the footpath while driving under influence. Young man's influential father struggles to silence the police investigation and media coverage.
Director: Shankar Nag | Stars: Anant Nag, Shankar Nag, Ashok Mandanna, Srinivasa Prabhu
Votes: 253
Shankar Nag's best film, perhaps.
17. Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro (1983)
Not Rated | 132 min | Comedy, Crime, Drama
Two photographers, who are employed by a magazine editor to expose the scandalous activities of the rich, come across corruption by a builder and accidentally photograph a murder.
Director: Kundan Shah | Stars: Naseeruddin Shah, Ravi Baswani, Bhakti Barve, Satish Shah
Votes: 14,727
Satirical black comedy that ages better with every passing year.
18. Kammatti Paadam (2016)
Not Rated | 177 min | Action, Drama
Krishnan, who has been living away from his family and friends in Mumbai, gets a call from his friend Ganga in Kerala, out of the blue. He senses danger, and leaves for Kammattipadam, where both of them grew up.
Director: Rajeev Ravi | Stars: Dulquer Salmaan, Vinayakan, Shaun Romy, Anil Nedumangad
Votes: 4,998
Story of two friends from slightly different social strata who grow up together into violence. A beautifully shot film, this tends to go on forever. But there is merit in some of the aimlessness as you slowly begin to get a sense of the more common social narratives like friendship and love in this tough environment.
19. Chanakya (1990– )
45 min | Drama, History
This is a historical saga of establishing the Mauryan Empire in India
Stars: Chandra Prakash Dwivedi, Kurush Deboo, Dinesh Shakul, Prakash Dwivedi
Votes: 2,788
Showed up the inept productions of Ramayan and, to a lesser extent, Mahabharat, as Chandraprakash Dwivedi brought chaste Hindi and wordy dialogues to Sunday mornings.
20. The Seventh Horse of the Sun (1992)
Not Rated | 130 min | Drama, Romance
On a lazy afternoon, a man shares his memories of a storyteller friend who once narrated a convoluted love story with intertwined plots. As these plots unravel, reality mixes with fiction.
Director: Shyam Benegal | Stars: Rajit Kapoor, Raghubir Yadav, Siraj Ahmed, Rakesh Dhar
Votes: 977
21. Bhavni Bhavai (1981)
135 min | Comedy, Drama
The atrocities on lower caste people displayed using folklore and ancient kingdom story. The digging of a step well in drought prone area and the exploitation of its lower caste people by the kingdom in a satirical manner.
Director: Ketan Mehta | Stars: Smita Patil, Naseeruddin Shah, Mohan Gokhale, Om Puri
Votes: 150
22. Jana Aranya (1975)
131 min | Drama
A bright and idealistic young man steels himself for the dog-eat-dog business world, only to flounder in a job market packed with thousands of other hopefuls.
Director: Satyajit Ray | Stars: Pradip Mukherjee, Rafique Ahmed, S. Bagchi, Ajit Banerjee
Votes: 1,820
23. Malgudi Days (1986–2006)
Drama
Based on the works of R.K. Narayan, Malgudi Days chronicles the lives of people living in the fictitious town of Malgudi.
Stars: Venki, Anant Nag, Sudheendra, Rajaram
Votes: 4,216
Directed by Shankar Nag and made in Hindi, every bad Kannada film since his unfortunate passing is a cry of sadness.
24. Printed Rainbow (2006)
Not Rated | 15 min | Animation, Short
Trapped in the monotony of our lives, bounded by physical incapabilities, how many avenues can you count and count on to escape? What is a child? Why do you long to be one?
Director: Gitanjali Rao
Votes: 115
25. Gangs of Wasseypur (2012)
Not Rated | 321 min | Action, Comedy, Crime
A clash between Sultan and Shahid Khan leads to the expulsion of Khan from Wasseypur, and ignites a deadly blood feud spanning three generations.
Director: Anurag Kashyap | Stars: Manoj Bajpayee, Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Tigmanshu Dhulia, Richa Chadha
Votes: 103,880
Indian cinema's tribute to the Tarantinos and Ritchies of the world. The result is more colourful.
26. In Which Annie Gives It Those Ones (1989 TV Movie)
112 min | Comedy
Annie struggles to to clear his bachelor's degree with one final hurdle-The Thesis. It's his final attempt to clear it. Can he?
Director: Pradip Krishen | Stars: Roshan Seth, Arjun Raina, Arundhati Roy, Rituraj
Votes: 1,387
A curio piece student film.
27. Jigarthanda (2014)
Not Rated | 171 min | Action, Comedy, Crime
An aspiring director targets a ruthless gangster because he wants to make a violent gangster film. His discreet attempts to research the gangster fail miserably. Finally when he gets caught snooping, things hit the fan.
Director: Karthik Subbaraj | Stars: Siddharth, Bobby Simha, Lakshmi Menon, Nassar
Votes: 13,547
A complex mix of crime and comedy.
28. Pisasu (2014)
Not Rated | 114 min | Drama, Horror, Mystery
A violinist experiences paranormal experience in his flat after a death of a girl who he tries to save due to accident. Later he realises that actually the spirit is helping him and he tries to find out who killed the girl by accident.
Director: Mysskin | Stars: Naga, Prayaga Martin, Radha Ravi, Raj Kumar
Votes: 2,258
Starts as a staple genre horror but turns the tables and becomes something else altogether.
29. Virumandi (2004)
Not Rated | 175 min | Action, Crime, Drama
A temperamental farmer gets embroiled in a bloody clan feud in a southern Tamil Nadu village.
Director: Kamal Haasan | Stars: Kamal Haasan, Abhirami, Pasupathy, Napolean
Votes: 7,773
Last 15 minutes dilute it somewhat but still a terrific film.
30. Gunda (1998)
Not Rated | 129 min | Action, Comedy, Crime
When a coolie's family is murdered by a group of gangsters and politicians, he swears revenge on them.
Director: Kanti Shah | Stars: Mithun Chakraborty, Mukesh Rishi, Mohan Joshi, Shakti Kapoor
Votes: 10,939
The ultimate B movie that doesn't pull any punches.
31. Nayakan (1987)
Not Rated | 145 min | Crime, Drama
A common man's struggles against a corrupt police force put him on the wrong side of the law. He becomes a don, who is loved and respected by many, but his growing power and influence exact a heavy toll.
Director: Mani Ratnam | Stars: Kamal Haasan, Saranya Ponvannan, Delhi Ganesh, Janakaraj
Votes: 22,999
A re-incarnation of The Godfather, but only slightly better and melodramatic.
32. Pathetic Fallacy (1958)
102 min | Drama
Bimal is a taxi-driver in a small town. His taxi is his only companion and, although very battered, it is the apple of Bimal's eye. The film shows the love of taxi driver Bimal and his pathetic vehicle Jagaddal.
Director: Ritwik Ghatak | Stars: Kali Bannerjee, Gangapada Basu, Satindra Bhattacharya, Tulsi Chakraborty
Votes: 617
Story of a man and his taxi.
33. O Kadhal Kanmani (2015)
Unrated | 139 min | Drama, Musical, Romance
Two young lovers are compatible in every way - they even agree that marriage is futile. However, their emotions are not so easily managed, especially when they witness the unconditional love of the older couple with whom they live.
Director: Mani Ratnam | Stars: Dulquer Salmaan, Nithya Menen, Prakash Raj, Leela Samson
Votes: 6,747
34. Garm Hava (1974)
146 min | Drama
In post-partition India, a Muslim businessman and his family struggle for their rights in a country which was once their own.
Director: M.S. Sathyu | Stars: Balraj Sahni, A.K. Hangal, Geeta Kak, Jamal Hashmi
Votes: 829
A very strong partition drama based on an Ismat Chugtai short story. Includes a brilliant Balraj Sahni performance and a great qawwali.
35. Jalsaghar (1958)
Not Rated | 95 min | Drama, Music
Depicts the end days of a decadent zamindar (landlord) in Bengal, and his efforts to uphold his family prestige even when faced with economic adversity.
Director: Satyajit Ray | Stars: Chhabi Biswas, Gangapada Basu, Padmadevi, Kali Sarkar
Votes: 6,765 | Gross: $0.09M
36. Agneepath (1990)
Not Rated | 174 min | Action, Crime, Drama
A young boy's quest for revenge leads him to become a gangster as an adult, and with each day he becomes more and more like his enemies. Can he find vengeance and redemption?
Director: Mukul Anand | Stars: Amitabh Bachchan, Mithun Chakraborty, Madhavi, Neelam Kothari
Votes: 9,461
This was towards the end of Amitabh Bachchan's "Anger" phase, but it perhaps was his best. One of the rumours spread by my classmates in school then was that his voice was modeled on a dreaded gangster's who in turn slapped the superstar for doing so. Many of the dialogues in the film are juicier than that rumour. Bachchan chews this role bare to its bones.
37. Rat-Trap (1982)
121 min | Drama
The protagonist is trapped within himself and is unable to comprehend the changes taking place around him.
Director: Adoor Gopalakrishnan | Stars: Jalaja, Karamana Janardanan Nair, Rajam K. Nair, Mavelikara Ramachandran
Votes: 567
There's nothing like the glory days of the past, even if it means being trapped like a rat in a cage.
38. Uttama Villain (2015)
171 min | Comedy, Drama
Manoranjan, a superstar, is counting his last days due to brain tumor. How he goes about his final wish of doing a comedy film with his mentor Margadarsi forms the crux of the story.
Director: Ramesh Aravind | Stars: Kamal Haasan, K. Balachander, K. Viswanath, Nassar
Votes: 3,709
It could be Kamal Hassan's most autobiographical film, and it has the expected missteps and excesses he seems to ignore these days, but boy, what writing! He could have called this film A Multi-Layered Analysis of an Artist. But that would be too excessive even for him.
39. Bhuvan Shome (1969)
Not Rated | 96 min | Comedy, Drama
A lonely bureaucrat goes on holiday to a Gujarat village where a young peasant woman helps him see beyond his job and develop a newfound empathy for people.
Director: Mrinal Sen | Stars: Utpal Dutt, Suhasini Mulay, Shekhar Chatterjee, Sadhu Meher
Votes: 581
40. Ondanondu Kaladalli (1978)
Not Rated | 156 min | Action, Adventure, Drama
A mercernary sets out to assist a tribal chieftain to defeat the chieftain's brother who is now an opponent and an enemy.
Director: Girish Karnad | Stars: Shankar Nag, Sushilendra Joshi, Vasant Rao Nakod, Rekha Sabnis
Votes: 179
Where Girish Karnad invoked Kurosawa...
41. Khandhar (1984)
106 min | Drama
Subhash is a photographer from the city, who has come to take pictures of some old temples and ruins in a village. Ruins fascinate him. While in the village, he gets acquainted with a young... See full summary »
Director: Mrinal Sen | Stars: Shabana Azmi, Annu Kapoor, Pankaj Kapur, Sreela Majumdar
Votes: 309
Not so well-known Mrinal Sen film about ruins, both architectural and others.
42. Donkey in a Brahmin Village (1977)
90 min | Drama
A donkey strays into a village dominated by the upper caste Brahmins.
Director: John Abraham | Stars: S. Gopal, Krishnaraj, Sri Lalitha, Savithri Rajan
Votes: 178
A brahmin brings home a donkey and makes an ass of tradition.
43. Subarnarekha (1965)
Not Rated | 143 min | Drama
A man (Abhi Bhattacharya) opposes the love between his sister and the orphan (Satindra Bhattacharya) they adopted years earlier.
Director: Ritwik Ghatak | Stars: Madhavi Mukherjee, Bijon Bhattacharya, Abhi Bhattacharya, Indrani Chakrabarty
Votes: 1,337
Hope and tragedy aren't too far away from each other in this gut-wrenching classic.
44. Thevar Magan (1992)
145 min | Action, Drama, Romance
The urbane son of a village chieftain struggles between his personal aspirations and those of his family.
Director: Bharathan | Stars: Kamal Haasan, Shivaji Ganesan, Nassar, Revathi
Votes: 8,027
An ensemble cast in a remarkable film about many things set in rural Tamil Nadu.
45. The Wolf and the Goat (2013)
Not Rated | 141 min | Action, Crime, Thriller
A kid saves a dangerous dying fugitive and triggers off a chase between the hunter and the hunted and soon, the definitions blur.
Director: Mysskin | Stars: Mysskin, Sri, Adithya Menon, Bharath
Votes: 2,973
Oddball mix of bravura film-making and overlook-able missteps, this is offbeat cinema at its adolescence.
46. Apoorva Sagodharargal (1989)
157 min | Action, Comedy, Drama
Appu and Raja are twins who were separated at birth, grow up in different localities. Appu's quest for revenge begins upon learning that his father was killed by four criminals.
Director: Singeetam Srinivasa Rao | Stars: Kamal Haasan, Nagesh, Srividya, Gautami
Votes: 4,562
A significant milestone in the Indian Masala Movie Evolution story, this is one of the most enjoyable film experiences of the time, of all time.
47. Michael Madana Kama Rajan (1990)
Not Rated | 162 min | Comedy
A comedy of errors with identical quadruplets, separated at birth, coming together as adults.
Director: Singeetam Srinivasa Rao | Stars: Kamal Haasan, Urvashi, Komal Mahuvakar, Kushboo
Votes: 5,064
Kamal Hassan doubled his efforts from Apoorva Sahodarargal and played four people. He and his team still managed to make a laugh riot. Tamil, as a language, lent itself to a lot of the comedy here and if you had to pick one word to describe this film (for no apparent reason), it would be Clever.
48. Charulata (1964)
Not Rated | 117 min | Drama, Romance
The lonely wife of a newspaper editor falls in love with her visiting cousin-in-law, who shares her love for literature.
Director: Satyajit Ray | Stars: Soumitra Chatterjee, Madhavi Mukherjee, Shailen Mukherjee, Shyamal Ghoshal
Votes: 7,202 | Gross: $0.08M
49. Court (2014)
116 min | Drama
When an aging activist is arrested, the lives of the accused, the lawyers, and the judge intertwine to reveal bigotry that underscores the judicial system.
Director: Chaitanya Tamhane | Stars: Vira Sathidar, Vivek Gomber, Geetanjali Kulkarni, Pradeep Joshi
Votes: 5,277
Mostly shot with no movements of the camera, this is a strange film. Lifelike, is also a word that comes to mind.
50. Dweepa (2002)
Not Rated | 132 min | Drama
Nagi is the pillar of her small family that includes her husband and her rigid father-in-law. Faced with the possibility of losing her home due to the construction of a dam, Nagi proves her strength.
Director: Girish Kasaravalli | Stars: Soundarya, Avinash, M.V. Vasudeva Rao, Harish Raj
Votes: 283
It is apparently a comment on dams and their effect on people around it. But it is a lot more than just social commentary. You could argue that some of the filmmaking is heavy handed, but it has a strong story which overrides much of this. It helps that the lead actors are excellent.
51. Shiva (1989)
Not Rated | 161 min | Action, Crime, Drama
Shiva is disgusted by the corruption in and around his new college, and along with his friends, he decides to take a stand against the status quo.
Director: Ram Gopal Varma | Stars: Nagarjuna Akkineni, Amala Akkineni, Raghuvaran, J.D. Chakravarthi
Votes: 3,897
I've seen the Hindi version which is an almost frame-by-frame remake of the original Telugu one. This film is perhaps the first of the nice-guy-turns-gangster movies and it is a sort of prelude to Ram Gopal Verma's own Satya, now that you see it. Shiva (the film) is definitely rough (in the unpolished sense), but it is still just as exciting to watch Shiva (the protagonist) take a bicycle chain in hand and effectively cut his link with his past. A curious difference between the Telugu and Hindi versions is a scene where Shiva and his police officer would-be-brother-in-law play a game. In Telugu, they play chess, in Hindi, it is carrom.
52. Sagara Sangamam (1983)
160 min | Drama, Music, Musical
A classical dancer, Balakrishna, faces many struggles, but is eventually redeemed.
Director: K. Viswanath | Stars: Kamal Haasan, Jaya Prada, Sarath Babu, Sailaja S.P.
Votes: 3,576
Another Telugu film. Another Kamal Hassan film. K Viswanath directed this melodrama about a poor man who wants to be a Bharatanatyam dancer. He becomes one, but not in a way that would change his life for the better. This came at a time Kamal Hassan was at an extraordinary phase of his career. Either he was picking great films or they became so because of him. In this case, it probably was always an excellent film. He made it better. Another reason why films like these should be celebrated is because of the way songs and dances are used. They make you want to watch them and they seem an inseparable part of the narrative. Rare case of Indian cinema getting its own formula right.
53. Kuruthipunal (1995)
Not Rated | 143 min | Action, Drama, Thriller
Suave and scintillating, this fast-paced action thriller follows the adventures and investigations of a group of honest police officers, who go undercover to bring down a terror network.
Director: P.C. Sreeram | Stars: Kamal Haasan, Arjun Sarja, Nassar, Gautami
Votes: 4,676
This is a remake of Drohkaal, the Govind Nihalani film. Quite a lot of people prefer this to the original, which I am yet to see. For now, this makes the list.
54. Ardh Satya (1983)
130 min | Crime, Drama
A newly appointed police rookie deals with corruption, romance, and brutality.
Director: Govind Nihalani | Stars: Om Puri, Smita Patil, Amrish Puri, Shafi Inamdar
Votes: 2,043
A story of valour, cowardice, and half truths. This surprisingly is even now underrated.
55. Kaun? (1999)
90 min | Mystery, Thriller
While alone in the house, a woman hears news of serial killer on the loose. And then a stranger rings the doorbell...
Director: Ram Gopal Varma | Stars: Urmila Matondkar, Manoj Bajpayee, Sushant Singh
Votes: 5,067
Kaun. This should never really work: 3 actors, 1 house and it's a horror film. But it does work. The importance of Ram Gopal Verma of the 90s is huge in the context of Indian mainstream cinema.
56. Kodiyettam (1978)
137 min | Drama
Sankarankutty, a village simpleton, lives a carefree life, indulges in childish pursuits, lives off the money given to him by his sister (working elsewhere as a servant), and eats quite ... See full summary »
Director: Adoor Gopalakrishnan | Stars: Bharat Gopy, K.P.A.C. Lalitha, Thikkurissy Sukumaran Nair, Azeez
Votes: 126
About that road to maturity...
57. Ek Hota Vidushak (1992)
145 min | Comedy, Drama
Aburao is a famous clown in Tamasha world, but will be soon addicted to the world of fame.
Director: Jabbar Patel | Stars: Mohan Agashe, Satish Alekar, Laxmikant Berde, Priya Arun Berde
Votes: 123
This is an uneven film about a tamasha artist's life. Laxmikant Berde, one of the most loved actors of his time, plays this entertainer who doesn't seem to have a goal to aim at. Some of the plot devices used to fast-track the apparent development and demonstration of his talent are quite juvenile, but you just quickly buy into it because of Berde's goofy appeal. There are plenty of songs (either as part of the stage shows or as film shoots) and they liven and lengthen the film simultaneously.
58. Blue Skies, Green Waters, Red Earth (2013)
137 min | Adventure, Drama, Romance
Kasi and Suni go for the ride from Kerala to Nagaland in search of Kasi's girlfriend. En route, they encounter different people who change their lives forever.
Director: Sameer Thahir | Stars: Dulquer Salmaan, Sunny Wayne, Bala Hijam Ningthoujam, Shane Nigam
Votes: 4,245
A very inconsistent film, it is what you get when you cross Motorcycle Diaries with a love story. I loved the idea of a long trip cutting across the length of India, with characters from many different places and languages mingling with each other. Blue skies and green oceans may be the love of today's Bullet-riding, DSLR-wielding, Ladakh-visiting youngsters, but the red earth was the love of the previous generation of Kerala's youth. In some ways, this is a passing of the baton.
59. Masaan (2015)
109 min | Drama
Along India's Ganges River, four people face prejudice, a strict moral code and a punishing caste system as they confront personal tragedies.
Director: Neeraj Ghaywan | Stars: Richa Chadha, Sanjay Mishra, Vicky Kaushal, Pankaj Tripathi
Votes: 31,318
Excellent film about life, loss, death and rebirth in the ghats of Varanasi.
60. Bangalore Days (2014)
Not Rated | 171 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance
A fun roller coaster ride about three young people, Aju, Divya and Kuttan who are cousins, reach Bangalore to dream, discover and explore.
Director: Anjali Menon | Stars: Dulquer Salmaan, Nivin Pauly, Nazriya Nazim, Fahadh Faasil
Votes: 22,540 | Gross: $0.13M
A lot of good in this, but mainly that it says nice things about Bangalore.
61. Andha Naal (1954)
130 min | Crime, Mystery, Thriller
After an engineer is shot dead, several people around him relate different versions and the related incidents that may have led to the murder.
Director: Sundaram Balachander | Stars: Shivaji Ganesan, Pandari Bai, Jawar N. Sitaraman, T.K. Balachandran
Votes: 478
A Rashomon-like whodunit which has a cult of its own.
62. Beladingala Baale (1995)
Not Rated | 152 min | Drama, Fantasy, Romance
An anonymous, mysterious caller who claims to be a huge fan of Revanth, the Chess Grandmaster from India, challenges him in many ways. It results in an inner quest for him as he literally sets out to track down the elusive caller.
Director: Sunil Kumar Desai | Stars: Anant Nag, Ramesh Bhat, Loknath, Shivaram
Votes: 269
Like many Indian films of such ilk, this too suffers from problems both content-wise and technically. Yet, it is a very strange little film and even if a lot of its missteps cannot be overlooked, it still works in some odd way.
63. Kirumi (2015)
104 min | Crime
Kathir is a selfish youth in search of a job. Despite being married and having a child, he is waiting for a job offer that he feels meets his standards. Meanwhile, his wife Anitha is the ... See full summary »
Director: Anucharan Murugaiyan | Stars: Charlie, David Solomon Raja, Marimuthu, Tamilselvi
Votes: 423
The terrific journey of a nobody to become somebody.
64. Premam (2015)
156 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance
A young man has three opportunities to find love. Will the third time be the charm?
Director: Alphonse Puthren | Stars: Nivin Pauly, Sai Pallavi, Madonna Sebastian, S.V. Krishna Shankar
Votes: 23,820 | Gross: $0.18M
Quirky film about past loves and growing up in Kerala.
65. Ugly (2013)
Not Rated | 128 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
The case of a missing girl takes us through a journey of human greed and brushes upon the egos and repressed emotions of the characters.
Director: Anurag Kashyap | Stars: Rahul Bhat, Ronit Roy, Tejaswini Kolhapure, Vineet Kumar Singh
Votes: 23,519
A scary story of a kidnapping.
66. The Fourth Direction (2015)
115 min | Drama, History
Fear and paranoia pervade life in rural Punjab of the '80s, before and after Operation Blue Star, as separatists clash with security forces.
Director: Gurvinder Singh | Stars: Suvinder Vicky, Gurpreet Bhangu, Rajbir Kaur, Kanwaljeet Singh
Votes: 282
A film where apparently disconnected stories are told at varying lengths. Nothing much happens in this but the backdrop is Punjab in 1984 around the militancy and Operation Bluestar. Though it is technically a three-act structure the film follows, this is nothing like what you'd expect in a narrative. Even though the goings on are at the pace of normal life (aka, slow), I somehow found this riveting.
67. Iraivi (2016)
160 min | Crime, Drama
A drama about an alcoholic filmmaker and his friends who bring trouble to the women in their lives.
Director: Karthik Subbaraj | Stars: S.J. Suryah, Vijay Sethupathi, Bobby Simha, Anjali
Votes: 3,699
A men-and-women tale that weaves itself in and out of some heavy-handedness, but is still a very interesting film.
68. Visaaranai (2015)
Not Rated | 117 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller
Four labourers are tortured by the police to confess to a theft they have not committed.
Director: Vetrimaaran | Stars: Dinesh, Samuthirakani, Anandhi, Murugadass
Votes: 12,082
Story about short cuts the police take and the four young men who get caught in the resulting net of lies.
69. Udta Punjab (2016)
Not Rated | 148 min | Action, Crime, Drama
A story that revolves around drug abuse in the affluent north Indian State of Punjab and how the youth there have succumbed to it en-masse resulting in a socio-economic decline.
Director: Abhishek Chaubey | Stars: Shahid Kapoor, Alia Bhatt, Kareena Kapoor, Diljit Dosanjh
Votes: 32,248
This film got into major problems with authorities and there is good reason for it. Not often in Indian cinema do you have A-listers heading a film that ruffles political feathers. Though there isn't anything discomfiting for grown up film watchers, it is extremely disturbing in that most of it is said to be true. A must watch.
70. Placebo (I) (2014)
Not Rated | 96 min | Documentary, Drama, Fantasy
AIIMS experiences an outrage of student union which leads to complete nerve damage of limb of sahil. Curious about the patterns of compulsion, his brother decides to stay back on campus and view the illusion of medical life.
Director: Abhay Kumar
Votes: 366
A story of a college hostel which invites smart minds and plays tricks with them.
71. Haraamkhor (2015)
90 min | Drama, Romance
A selfish, manipulative schoolteacher takes advantage of a schoolgirl's vulnerability to gratify his dark, narcissistic desires.
Directors: Shlok Sharma, Jatinkumar Jagdishbhai Patel | Stars: Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Shweta Tripathi, Trimala Adhikari, Mohammad Samad
Votes: 4,438
72. Local Kung Fu 2 (2017)
125 min | Action, Comedy
Local Kung Fu 2 is an action adaptation of William Shakespeare's Comedy of Errors with a twist One pair of twins - the pair who grew up in Guwahati - knows fighting, whereas the other pair - from Tezpur - don't.
Director: Kenny Basumatary | Stars: Kenny Basumatary, Utkal Hazowary, Tony Deori Basumatary, Suneet Bora
Votes: 87
Not as funny as the first one but still carries interesting ideas and laugh out loud moments. Based on Comedy of Errors, the story follows two leads who also have identical twins in another city. They are chased around by myriad oddballs and while the initial portions drag whilst establishing this crowd, the second half settles down into a fun movie. I really wish the film-making was better this time around. Most scenes are staged flat and look quite dull. It isn't until the film hits its straps that you stop noticing these inadequacies. This is a unique franchise in Indian cinema as Kenny Basumatary and co. still retain the freshness of their first venture and continue to straddle many disparate genres for purposes of comedy. What they need is someone to put in some proper money if and when they want to make Local Kung Fu 3.
74. Story of an Egg (2017)
124 min | Comedy, Drama
Janardhan a 28 year old Kannada Lecturer from Mangalore who is quite an introvert comes to know from an astrologer that he would attain sanyasa (embrace asceticism) if he doesn't get ... See full summary »
Director: Raj B. Shetty | Stars: Raj B. Shetty, Prakash Thuminad, Usha Bhandary, Deepak Rai Panaje
Votes: 1,610
75. Newton (2017)
Not Rated | 106 min | Comedy, Drama
A government clerk on election duty in the conflict ridden jungle of Central India tries his best to conduct free and fair voting despite the apathy of security forces and the looming fear of guerrilla attacks by communist rebels.
Director: Amit Masurkar | Stars: Rajkummar Rao, Pankaj Tripathi, Anjali Patil, Raghubir Yadav
Votes: 21,217
A brilliant little film in the backdrop of Naxal violence. A lesser film could have easily been banned for its rather gutsy portrayal of the police and the government. That it was accepted wholeheartedly by the country is a testament to its quality.
76. Vikram Vedha (2017)
Not Rated | 147 min | Action, Crime, Drama
Vikram, a no-nonsense police officer, accompanied by Simon, his partner, is on the hunt to capture Vedha, a smuggler and a murderer. Vedha tries to change Vikram's life, which leads to a conflict.
Directors: Gayatri, Pushkar, Gowtham Selvaraj | Stars: Madhavan, Vijay Sethupathi, Shraddha Srinath, Kathir
Votes: 50,543
77. Delhi Belly (2011)
Not Rated | 103 min | Action, Comedy, Crime
Three struggling room-mates unknowingly become potential prey of a ruthless gangster.
Directors: Abhinay Deo, Akshat Verma | Stars: Imran Khan, Vir Das, Kunaal Roy Kapur, Shenaz Treasury
Votes: 32,275 | Gross: $1.53M
78. Thondi Muthalum Driksakshiyum (2017)
Not Rated | 135 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller
Prasad and Sreeja enter wedlock and move to a new place to continue the rest of their lives. Unfortunate events begin to take place after Prasad, a small-time thief, robs Sreeja's gold chain during a bus journey.
Director: Dileesh Pothan | Stars: Fahadh Faasil, Suraj Venjaramoodu, Nimisha Sajayan, Alencier Ley Lopez
Votes: 8,056
79. Angamaly Diaries (2017)
Not Rated | 132 min | Action, Comedy, Thriller
Vincent Pepe who wanted to be a powerful leader of a righteous gang that ruled the city, like his seniors. And then there's the rival clan with the malicious gangsters of Angamaly a locale on which the film is based.
Director: Lijo Jose Pellissery | Stars: Antony Varghese, Reshma Rajan, Binny Rinky Benjamin, Amrutha Anna Reji
Votes: 6,697
80. Andhadhun (2018)
Not Rated | 139 min | Crime, Mystery, Thriller
A series of mysterious events change the life of a blind pianist, who must now report a crime that he should technically know nothing of.
Director: Sriram Raghavan | Stars: Tabu, Ayushmann Khurrana, Radhika Apte, Anil Dhawan
Votes: 102,720 | Gross: $1.37M
81. 96 (II) (2018)
Not Rated | 158 min | Drama, Romance
Two high school sweethearts meet at a reunion after 22 years and reminisce about their past.
Director: C. Prem Kumar | Stars: Vijay Sethupathi, Adithya Bhaskar, Trisha Krishnan, Gouri Kishan
Votes: 37,083
82. Sudani from Nigeria (2018)
Not Rated | 123 min | Comedy, Sport
Story of an African football player and a local football club manager from Malappuram, Kerala.
Director: Zakariya | Stars: Soubin Shahir, Samuel Abiola Robinson, Savithri Sreedharan, Sarasa Balussery
Votes: 4,967
83. Pariyerum Perumal (2018)
Not Rated | 154 min | Drama
A law student from a lower caste begins a friendship with his classmate, a girl who belongs to a higher caste, and the men in her family start giving him trouble over this.
Director: Mari Selvaraj | Stars: Kathir, Anandhi, Yogi Babu, Lijeesh
Votes: 18,403
84. Tumbbad (2018)
Not Rated | 104 min | Drama, Fantasy, Horror
A mythological story about a goddess who created the entire universe. The plot revolves around the consequences when humans build a temple for her first-born.
Directors: Rahi Anil Barve, Anand Gandhi, Adesh Prasad | Stars: Sohum Shah, Jyoti Malshe, Anita Date-Kelkar, Ronjini Chakraborty
Votes: 58,977
85. Vada Chennai (2018)
Not Rated | 164 min | Action, Crime, Drama
A young carrom player in north Chennai becomes a reluctant participant in a war between two warring gangsters.
Director: Vetrimaaran | Stars: Dhanush, Ameer Sultan, Radha Ravi, Daniel Balaji
Votes: 19,658
86. The Disciple (2020)
TV-MA | 129 min | Drama, Music
Self-doubt, sacrifice and struggle converge into an existential crisis for a devoted classical vocalist as the mastery he strives for remains elusive.
Director: Chaitanya Tamhane | Stars: Aditya Modak, Arun Dravid, Sumitra Bhave, Deepika Bhide Bhagwat
Votes: 3,064
87. Vikram (2022)
Not Rated | 175 min | Action, Crime, Drama
A special investigator discovers a case of serial killings is not what it seems to be, and leading down this path is only going to end in a war between everyone involved.
Director: Lokesh Kanagaraj | Stars: Kamal Haasan, Vijay Sethupathi, Fahadh Faasil, Narain
Votes: 74,357
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