(This article was updated on January 28, 2024.) From Titli (2014) to Tumbbad (2018), here are some of the best Bollywood movies on Amazon Prime Video.
The Indian film industry, worth $2.1 billion, churns out close to 800 films a year (that’s 2 films a day!) significantly overshadowing Hollywood (at least, by volume if not anything else), which produces 475 films in a year. And with quite a few online streaming services, that boast a staggering library of content from originals to web shows, it can be hard to keep up with them all.
With 3000 plus Hindi films streaming on Amazon Prime alone, picking your next binge watch can be a tedious task. And so, we’re here to the rescue! We’ve put together an exhaustive list of the best Hindi movies on Amazon Prime Video in India. From heartwarming dramas and high-octane action thrillers to soulful romances and insightful social commentaries, we bring you the best Hindi movies on Amazon Prime, sorted chronologically.
So, grab your favorite snack, settle into your coziest spot and let’s go! Bookmark this page to keep up with the latest Hindi movies, moving in and out of Prime. Note: these films were playing as of January 28, 2024.
Bollywood Movies on Amazon Prime Video
1. Sherni (2021)
Made with brilliant sensitivity, Amit V. Masurkar’s Sherni raises poignant questions about man-animal conflict and doesn’t provide easy answers. It leaves you with a disturbing truth about the systemic corruption and indifference. There are a few good men and women in the system who are trying to do the right thing. To let animals be, to let them reclaim their right to exist. This is a story of one such officer and her humanity and empathy for other living beings. Vidya Balan excels in an unglamorous role of a conscientious forest officer. In a world of timorous and predatory men, she is a Sherni!
2. Gully Boy (2019)
Zoya Akhthar’s Gully Boy is the 8 Mile of Bollywood. It celebrates the true essence of rap. The film is a bare, raw and fierce portrayal of life for the less fortunate. It functions as a bildungsroman, weaving a heart-touching tale of an ordinary man who rises up to be clad in the vestiture of stardom. Ranveer Singh plays Murad Ahmad, a budding street rapper, who overcomes oppression in the personal as well as social spaces. One up for Zoya Akhtar who takes the reins and steers Gully Boy to incredible perfection.
3. Raazi (2018)
Meghna Gulzar’s Raazi is a taut thriller that is helped by an edge-of-the-seat narrative and a fine ensemble of actors. The film is set during the Indo-Pakistan war of 1971. The narrative chronicles the true story of a young Kashmiri girl trained as a spy and sent behind enemy lines ahead of the Indo-Pak war. Alia Bhatt as Sehmat renders some fine, jaw-dropping moments. She brings out the innocence and brazenness with equal conviction. Watch Raazi for Meghna Gulzar’s compelling storytelling, supported by brilliant performances — Jaideep Ahlawat, Vicky Kaushal, Shishir Sharma, Rajit Kapur, Amruta Khanvilkar.
4. Tumbbad (2018)
A parable on greed and how it devours its children, this is such a visual extravaganza that you begin to marvel at the audacity of the filmmakers. Their audacity to dream beyond the obvious and to go where most Hindi films are afraid to go — a dark, stylised, surrealistic netherworld! The film needs to be seen on the large screen to internalize the intensity of its cinematic expanse. Do rope down the womb of Mother Earth to experience an eternal human conflict. Beautifully shot, it ain’t really a horror show. Beyond horror lies the forever struggle between man’s need and his greed. One of the most important movies to have come out of India in 2018, Tumbbad deserves deep appreciation for its ambition and craft.
5. Newton (2017)
Amit Masurkar’s Newton is a darkly comic examination of a frail democratic process. Rajkummar Rao spectacularly plays the titular character, a young idealist who does things by the book. His disciplinarian attitude lands him the duty of election officer in the conflict-torn region of the Maoists. Airlifted to the middle of a jungle, Newton is tasked to register the votes of 76 locals. Armed with rules and ideals, he finds himself at odds with the chaotic reality.
Director Amit Masurkar strikes a perfect balance between satirical humor and tense interplay. Masurkar subtly renders how there’s a lot to democracy than symbolic gestures of the polling booth and voting machine. While Rao offers a standout performance, Pankaj Tripathi’s pragmatic and weary military officer character was equally good.
6. Kapoor and Sons (2016)
There’s an understated ease in how the characters play out and the screenplay unfolds in Shakun Batra’s ‘Kapoor and Sons’. This isn’t your staple Bollywood family drama. The characters are unerringly drawn, real and relatable. The director doesn’t start defining them as soon as he introduces them to us. He lets them be. They mold along the way through the circumstances and situations they find themselves in. And the situations don’t seem contrived. Every scene fluidly ties into the next. And the whole is a well-knit coming together of these parts. This is a mainstream family drama done right! Kapoor and Sons is also streaming on Netflix.
7. Parched (2016)
This is a cinema that provokes. It can shatter one’s cozy beguiling numbness and shakes and rattles the feudal, patriarchal mindset. Leena Yadav’s ‘Parched’ is a celebration of the sisterhood of oppressed women, united by their empathy, their deep caring for each other and the desire to reword the grammar of their lives. Set in a dusty rural village in the Northwestern India, the film introduces into the harsh atmosphere of forced child marriages, spousal rape, poverty, etc. Leena attempts to showcase how women continue to live and survive in such a tightly controlled world.
8. Dil Dhadakne Do (2015)
By this point, Zoya Akhtar had firmly established herself as one of the leading directorial talents of her generation. With a star-studded cast featuring Anil Kapoor, Shefali Shah, Priyanka Chopra, Ranveer Singh, Anushka Sharma and Farhan Akhtar, Zoya takes the problems of upper-class Indian society and turns it into a touching, heart-warming and every bit entertaining family drama about love and relationships. Dil Dhadakne Do revolves around the wealthy Mehra family who arranges a get together with family and friends through a European cruise trip. The dysfunctionality in the Mehra family creates plenty of conflicts during the trip.
9. Dum Laga Ke Haisha (2015)
Sharat Katariya’s Dum Laga Ke Haisha is a stereotype-breaking film that helps cement a new concept of love. Or rather a new way of looking at it — one that is rarely explored on the silver screen. This original story is rather unassuming that manages to entertain as well as make you ponder over. It’s a romantic drama which possesses some of the familiar cinematic beats. Both Bhumi Pednekar and Ayushmann Khurana turn in stellar performances that radiate the sincerity, seriousness and honesty with which the film is written and staged.
10. Titli (2014)
Titli’s titular character wants to break free from his gangster family and start life afresh as a law-abiding citizen. However, things change when his family gets him married. Soon enough, Titli gets caught up in the criminal family’s flawed, devious schemes. The film captures the gloomy essence of Eastern Delhi to full tilt. And features a solid rendering of its fairly dark subject. Kanu Behl’s directorial flourishes and Sharat Katariya’s sharp writing elevate the film.
11. Gangs of Wasseypur (2012)
The 5-hour-plus magnum opus is clearly Anurag Kashyap’s best work to date. The story spans close to seven decades and chronicles the dominance between warring factions in the small, coal-rich town of Wasseypur. The narrative is based on the real gang wars that took place in the region of Dhanbad in Jharkhand. Its novel-style storytelling deals with themes like political corruption, family legacy, revenge, cultural strife, etc. The scope and ambition with which Kashyap treats this saga of betrayal and deceit are much subtler and deeper than the usual rise-and-fall arc. Kashyap’s visual acuity sets the stage for some of the best set-pieces in this gangster thriller.
12. Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara (2011)
Zoya Akhtar skilfully marries artistic and mainstream sensibilities to create this gem. A film about friendship and travel, Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara is a simple story with its heart in the right place. Furthermore, the poems by Javed Akhtar bolster the narrative. We find a little bit of ourselves in all the characters. These are relatable characters with simple aspirations. Characters that speak our language. The film can be seen as a spiritual sequel to Dil Chahta Hai, made by Zoya’s brother Farhan Akhthar. The filmmaker finds the perfect balance between the dramatic beats and light-hearted humor.
13. Rocket Singh: Salesman of the Year (2009)
Under its light-hearted simplicity, Rocket Singh: Salesman of the Year is a carefully layered and thought-provoking story, skillfully narrated by Shimit Amin. It revolves around Harpreet Singh Bedi (Ranbir Kapoor), a fresh graduate who dives into the cutthroat world of sales. His journey from a struggling salesman to a successful entrepreneur is both inspiring and instructive. The film brilliantly captures the essence of salesmanship and the importance of ethical values in business. Kapoor infuses his character with authenticity and charm.
14. Chak De India (2007)
In a Shah Rukh Khan show all the way, director Shimit Amin made sure the women players had their own space to shine. Even bit players like Krishnaji (Vibha Chibber) and Sukhlal (Javed Khan) became memorable characters. The adrenaline-pumping slo-mo shots, mesmerizing cinematography and swift editing helped the audience to immerse themselves in the game. Moreover, director Shimit Amin wonderfully heightens the drama without using any histrionics. For a mainstream film, Amin keeps the goings-on very real and relatable. Most importantly, the film is devoid of any lip-sync songs and delivers a progressive storyline with technical finesse.
15. My Brother Nikhil (2005)
In what was considered as a rare subject for its time in Indian cinema, My Brother Nikhil delves deep into sensitive themes like HIV and homosexuality. It is an open appeal to the government to amend a law that allows to isolate people diagnosed HIV positive. A successful swimmer loses everything he had because of this. Not only is his name dragged through the mud, he’s abandoned by family and friends at this crucial juncture of his life. The film captures, with gritty realism, the predicament of those diagnosed with a disease and considered a taboo by society.
16. Socha Na Tha (2005)
Imtiaz Ali’s debut was loved by critics. Unfortunately, it bombed at the box-office. It was a commercial failure, probably because it had no big names to boast to lure audiences to theaters. Socha Na Tha marked the acting debut of Abhay Deol, while Ayesha Takia had two flops behind her in the same year. It was much later when moviegoers warmed up to it. This is a mainstream romance done right. A refreshing love story from the assembly line Bollywood films of its time.
17. Saathiya (2002)
Mani Ratnam‘s protege Shaad Ali delivered a winner in this Tamil film remake of AlaiPayuthey (2000). The love story smoothly transitions from mostly a light, zippy first half to a dark, grim latter half. The non-linear narrative tightly edited (except the last few minutes) kept up the pace and attention. Rani Mukerji held the film with an impressive performance. Vivek Oberoi came off his dark avatar and took on the lover boy mantle charming his way through to Suhani’s (Rani Mukerji) and our hearts. Rahman’s music elevated it to another level.
18. Dil Chahta Hai (2001)
Farhan Akhtar’s directorial debut explored friendship and love with a subtle, indie sensibility. It was a generational shift in our style of storytelling. Recounting his insecurities as a filmmaker in his biography, An Unsuitable Boy, Karan Johar says, “there was a part of me that got a little afraid,” post the release of Lagaan and Dil Chahta Hai. “I felt that in that year, the syntax of cinema had changed… What was really, intrinsically, authentically cool was Farhan Akhtar’s depiction of urban youth, the way they dressed, spoke, the mannerisms. My sensibilities were mixed up with those of the filmmakers of yore – Yash Chopra, Subhash Ghai, Raj Kapoor.”
19. Saraansh (1984)
Anchored by a remarkable performance from Anupam Kher, who plays retired school teacher B.V. Pradhan, the film explores the deep anguish of an elderly couple grappling with the loss of their only son. Kher, in his debut, captures the essence of a broken man struggling to find meaning in a life shattered by tragedy. The narrative is powerful, skillfully weaving themes of grief, resilience, and the quest for closure. What sets Saraansh apart is its unflinching honesty in depicting the raw, often uncomfortable realities of aging, loneliness, and the bureaucratic challenges faced by the elderly in India.
20. Masoom (1983)
A poignant adaptation of Erich Segal’s novel Man, Woman and Child, Masoom delves deep into the complexities of family dynamics disrupted by the revelation of an extramarital affair and an illegitimate child. Director Shekhar Kapur handles the story with immense sensitivity, avoiding melodrama, and instead offering a nuanced exploration of relationships and moral dilemmas. Naseeruddin Shah and Shabana Azmi turn in exceptionally powerful performances.
21. Ardh Satya (1983)
Govind Nihalani’s gritty drama is a compelling exploration of the complex interplay between power, morality, and justice within the Indian police system. We follow an idealistic policeman, Anant Welankar, portrayed with depth and intensity by Om Puri. His journey from an earnest officer to a disillusioned enforcer reflects the harsh realities of systemic corruption and moral compromise. The story, enriched by Vijay Tendulkar’s sharp screenplay, delves into themes of existential crisis and societal decay.
Conclusion
These are some of the best Hindi movies on Amazon Prime Video. If you’re done with these, watch DDLJ (1995), Ardh Satya (1983), Rock On (2008), Rocket Singh (2009), Firaaq (2008), Karwaan (2018), October (2018). What are your favorites and what did we miss? Let’s talk in the comments below.
This was much needed… Amazon has a lot of options… Netflix relatively has few options but a better quality of movies.
Lots to catch up on! Thanks for the list. I’m going to bookmark ❤️
Exhaustive list. Good effort putting them all together.