20 Best Bollywood Movies on Netflix You Should Watch
The Indian film industry is thriving, and they are choosing substance over style. Netflix has a large library of Bollywood movies, which will make it difficult for you to choose the best movies to watch. If you are in the mood of watching an entertaining Bollywood movie, then here is a list of best Bollywood movies on Netflix.
Best Bollywood Movies on Netflix
Netflix has dozens and dozens of Bollywood movies belonging to different genres like comedy, drama, action, and romance. If you are thinking about what are the best Bollywood movies on Netflix, then we are here to help you. Below mentioned are the best Indian movies on Netflix.
The Lunchbox (2013)
IMDb – 7.8/10
Director – Ritesh Batra
Star Cast – Irrfan Khan, Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Nimrat Kaur
The plot of this movie focuses on an epistolary relationship between two strangers. In this film, Irrfan Khan has brilliantly portrayed the character of a reserved widower named Saajan Fernandes, who is upheld by a genuine depth of emotions and honesty.
In the film, a famous lunchbox carrier system of Mumbai results in a friendship between an older widower (Irrfan) and a young housewife (Nimrat). They both build their fantasy world together by sharing notes in the lunchbox. This Bollywood movie on Netflix is simple and absolutely heartfelt.
Article 15 (2019)
IMDb – 8.2/10
Director – Anubhav Sinha
Star Cast – Ayushman Khurrana, Kumud Mishra, Manoj Pahwa, Nassar
If you have ever wanted to know the extents of human cruelty, then this hard-hitting film is a must-watch for you. The plot of this film loosely follows the character of a police officer named Ayan Ranjan (Ayushman), who is stationed at Laalgaon village. He comes across the case of missing girls. As Ayan conducts his investigation, he finds out that it was a rape and murder case in which village cops and people belonging to the influential and rich local families are involved. During his investigation, he exposes the painful residue of the history of India with caste hatred.
Madras Cafe (2013)
IMDb – 7.7/10
Director – Shoojit Sircar
Star Cast – John Abraham, Raashi Khanna, Nargis Fakhri
Madras Cafe is an underrated Bollywood movie that deserves a lot of appreciation and recognition for intellectual scrip and execution. It is one of the best political thrillers that you must watch.
The plot of this film follows an intelligence agent Vikram (John Abraham). He visits Sri Lanka for a secret mission and gets embroiled in a civil war going on in the country. He also finds himself entangled in a conspiracy to murder the former prime minister of India. The movie is an amazing retelling of factual events, and it is upheld by a beautiful soundtrack and striking visuals that will make you fall in love with this movie.
Toilet: Ek Prem Katha (2017)
IMDb – 7.2/10
Director – Shree Narayan Singh
Star Cast – Akshay Kumar, Bhumi Pendkar, Anupam Kher
This movie’s plot follows the story of a man whose wife threatens to leave him unless he installs a toilet in their house. Akshay Kumar has played the role of Keshav, who belongs to a superstitious rural family. He falls in love with an educated woman. His family does not have toilets, which threats his relationship. Thus, Keshav heads out on a journey to fight against his conservative family and takes a stand for sanitation and dignity of women. The movie perfectly blends social commentary and comedy. It entertains as well as educates people.
Andhadhun (2018)
IMDb – 8.3/10
Director – Sriram Raghvan
Star Cast – Tabu, Ayushman Khurrana, Radhika Apte
The film focuses on the life of a blind pianist Akash whose life changes due to a series of mysterious crime events. Aksh fakes being blind with the intent to support his virtuosity. He witnesses a murder at a private performance. He is unable to report the murder as he needs to come out clean about his fake blindness. The crime incident changes his life completely.
The movie includes varied twists and turns which will blow your mind. The movie is amazingly twisted, suspenseful, thrilling, and offers taut performances of amazing artists. If you like thriller movies, then this one is a must-watch for you.
Pad Man (2018)
IMDb – 7.9/10
Director – R Balki
Star Cast – Akshay Kumar, Radhika Apte
The movie is inspired by the life of Arunachalam Muruganantham, who is a social activist and entrepreneur from Tamil Nadu. This movie focuses on a man who decides to create a sanitary pad machine in order to offer inexpensive sanitary napkins to women present in the rural part of the country.
He faces public resistance and humiliation for his decision to establish a sanitary pad machine. Despite resistance, he markets a low-cost and hygienic-sanitary pad that can be afforded by the poorest women in India. The movie has received an award for Best Film on Other Social Issues at the 66th National Films Award.
Stree (2018)
IMDb – 7.6/10
Director – Amar Kaushik
Star Cast – Rajkummar Rao, Pankaj Tripathi, Shraddha Kapoor
The horror genre of Bollywood has matured in the past few years, and this movie is a perfect example. The movie has a meaningful story and terrific script, which makes it one of the best Indian movies on Netflix.
This movie focuses on a small town named Chanderi in which people live in fear of a spirit named “Stree.” The evil spirit abducts men in the night. The movie is based on the urban legend called “Nale Ba.” The legend went viral in Karnataka in the 1990s. The movie is uproarious, funny, and socially relevant. It is a perfect blend of horror and comedy and offers brilliant acting by the star cast, which makes it a thoroughly entertaining flick.
Paan Singh Tomar (2012)
IMDb – 8.2/10
Director – Tigmanshu Dhulia
Star Cast – Irrfan Khan, Rajesh Abhay, Mahie Gill
The story focuses on the life of Indian athlete named Paan Singh Tomar. He was a seven-time steeplechase champion. He later on turned into one of the most feared dacoits in the Chambal Valley.
This bibliographical film made Irrfan Khan one of the most famous actors, and he received critical acclaim from all over the world. He also received a National Award for his raw and gritty performance. This movie offers commendable performances not only by the lead actor but the complete cast. Moreover, the movie is strengthened by an amazing script and witty humor.
Dangal (2016)
IMDb – 8.4/10
Director – Nitesh Tiwari
Star Cast – Aamir Khan, Fatima Sana Shaikh, Sakshi Tanwar
The movie follows the life of former Indian wrestler Mahavir Singh Phogat and his two daughters Geeta Phogat and Babita Phogat. It shows the struggle of his daughters in the journey towards the glory of the Commonwealth Games.
While undergoing intense training, Geeta and Babita have to face prejudices on their path to get success. Dangal is one of the best Bollywood movies on Netflix. The movie has emotional character relationships and narrative fights. The movie was also loved by Chinese audiences for its social consciousness, authenticity, and amazing production quality.
Kai Poche (2013)
IMDb – 7.7/10
Director – Abhishek Kapoor
Star Cast – Sushant Singh Rajput, Rajkumar Rao, Amit Sadh
A lot of genuineness, meaning, needleless drama, splendid cast, and amazing performance are the reasons; this movie is a must-watch. When you watch this movie, you will understand why this movie is on the list of best Indian movies on Netflix.
The story of this movie focuses on three ambitious, young, and restless friends in India who start a setup to open a cricket training academy with the intent to produce the next cricket stars of the country. However, their dreams and bonds are tested by turmoil and tragedy.
Parmanu: The Story of Pokhran (2018)
IMDb – 7.6/10
Director – Abhishek Sharma
Star Cast – John Abraham, Diana Penty, Boman Irani
The best thing about nationalist films is that they provide an entertaining and interesting way to learn and understand about the origins of a nation. Parmanu is a historical action drama that presents the testing of nuclear weapons from a nationalistic Indian perspective.
The movie dramatizes the second nuclear testing conducted at Pokhran in the year 1998. In this film, John Abraham has played the role of an agent belonging to the Research & Analysis Wing. His duty is to help the nuclear program of India in keeping the mission secret from Pakistan’s ISI and America’s CIA.
The movie is a must-watch Indian movie on Netflix. It offers an action-packed way to understand the relations of the country with Pakistan, the US, and China. The movie is a perfect blend of drama and action.
Haider (2014)
IMDb – 8.1/10
Director – Vishal Bhardwaj
Star Cast – Tabu, Shahid Kapoor, Shradha Kapoor
The movie focuses on the story of a boy named Haider who returns to Kashmir in order to investigate the disappearance of his father. While finding out the truth, he finds himself embroiled in the violent insurgency. He has to struggle with the existential political complexities of Kashmir. You will witness the best performances in this film. It has an amazing storyline and cinematography.
Haider is one of the best Hindi movies on Netflix. The gripping performance by the cast has the power to take you to the world of its own. This movie is action-packed and is a worthwhile watch.
Masaan (2015)
IMDb – 8.1\2/10
Director – Neeraj Ghaywan
Star Cast – Vicky Kaushal, Richa Chadha, Sanjay Mishra
Masaan is one of the best Bollywood movies on Netflix that paints a decent picture of Indian suburbs dominated by prejudice and casteism. The plot of this film amazingly captures the orthodox social construct.
The movie follows four people who face a strict moral code, prejudice, and a punishing caste system as they confront personal tragedies. This movie received a standing ovation for the amazing performance by star cast and storyline at the Cannes Film Festival. It gives an indication of the sheer ingenuity of this movie. The movie has splendid cast performance, proximity to reality, and surreal scenes, which makes it worth watching.
Queen (2014)
IMDb – 8.2/10
Director – Vikas Bahl
Star Cast – Kangana Ranaut, Lisa Haydon, Rajkumar Rao
The movie follows the story of a girl named Rani Mehra; her marriage cancels on feeble grounds. The rejection leads Rani to an unaccompanied soul searching trip across Europe. During her trip, she faces varied circumstances that challenge her prudish upbringing.
Queen is one of the best Bollywood movies on Netflix. The movie is unexpectedly humorous and offers splendid performance not only by the main character, but the entire star cast.
Pink (2016)
IMDb – 8.1/10
Director – Aniruddha Roy Chowdhury
Star Cast – Amitabh Bachchan, Taapsee Pannu, Kirti Kulhari
There have been various flaws in the portal of Bollywood on feminist issues; however, Pink is exceptional. This movie brings up one of the muddled concepts of our nation that is “consent.” The movie shows how the length of the skirt of a girl and basically every single element except for what a woman is saying determines what is okay and what is not.
The story of this film follows a trio of young women who cross paths with a system of devilish beings sworn to obliterate them. They turn to a retired lawyer Deepak Sehgal in order to save them from the affliction.
Special 26 (2013)
IMDb – 8.0/10
Director – Neeraj Pandey
Starcast Akshay Kumar, Manoj Bajpayee, Anupam Kher
Special 26 is a fact-based crime drama. The story of this film follows a gang of con-men who rob rich politicians and businessmen by posing as income tax officers and C.B.I. The movie is inspired by actual events, which gives it a competitive edge over masala and routine Bollywood movies. Special 26 is one of the best Bollywood movies on Netflix as you get to experience fascinating acting and storyline.
Shahid (2012)
IMDb – 8.2/10
Director – Hansal Mehta
Star Cast – Rajkumar Rao, Kay Kay Menon, Tigmanshu Dhulia
Shahid is a biographical Bollywood movie that is based on the life of a contentious lawyer named Shahid Azmi. The lawyer met with a tragic end. The character of the lawyer is played by Rajkumar Rao. He is the protagonist, and his life constantly remains on the line oscillating between despair and hope. The movie has been a topic of controversy in India as it has interpreted the matters associated with Islamic terrorism.
Ugly (2013)
IMDb – 8.0/10
Director – Anurag Kashyap
Star Cast – Ronit Roy, Rahul Bhat, Tejaswini Kolhapure
Ugly is a psychological thriller focusing on the story of a missing girl. The plot of this film follows the abduction of a girl. The case causes jeopardizing relationships, chaos, and rekindling old hostility. The case takes through a journey of human greed and brushes upon the repressed emotions and egos of the characters.
Tamasha (2015)
IMDb – 7.3/10
Director – Imtiaz Ali
Star Cast – Ranbir Kapoor, Deepika Padukone, Piyush Mishra
The movie follows the life of a man having the issue of borderline personality disorder. The life of man is relieved in three stages as a nine-year-old child, a 19-year old man, and a 30-year-old adult.
If you enjoy a breather from the typical Bollywood blockbusters, then Tamasha is a must-watch for you. Tamasha is an amazing outcome of scrip, cinematography, direction, and scrumptious performance by the star cast. The movie is absolutely compelling, which makes it one of the best Bollywood movies on Netflix.
Black Friday (2004)
IMDb – 8.5/10
Director – Anurag Kashyap
Star Cast – Kay Kay Menon, Aditya Srivastav, Pavan Malhotra
The film focuses on the investigation of the 1993 serial bomb blasts in Bombay. It tells the stories of different people involved, including victims, middlemen, police, and conspirators. The movie sheds light on the bomb blast that shook the foundation of the country. The movie is a fierce attempt to display the conflicting perspectives of law enforcement officials, perpetrators, and victims of the attack.
Talvar (2015)
IMDb – 8.2/10
Director – Meghna Gulzar
Star Cast – Irrfan Khan, Neeraj Kabi, Konkona Sen Sharma
Talve is based on a true story. The movie chronicles of the puzzling and infamous murder of a 13-year old girl named Arushi Talwar. The teenager was killed under mysterious circumstances. After her murder, her parents were the prime suspects.
During the investigation, the investigator confronts various conflicting theories about the violent double homicide. In order to know who is right and who is accountable, was the case handled properly by the investigating teams, you should watch this movie. It is full of twists and turns which will blow your mind.
Gangs of Wasseypur: Part 1 (2012)
IMDb – 8.2/10
Director – Anurag Kashyap
Star Cast – Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Manoj Bajpayee, Rich Chadha
If you love crime, drama, and action movies, then this is one of the best Bollywood movies on Netflix that you should watch. It is a crime thriller based on the rivalry between three families. The conflicts are centered around the coal mafia of Dhanbad.
This movie is a perfect blend of thriller, action, and drama with an amazing performance by the entire star cast. The other part of the movie Gangs of Wasseypur: Part 2 is the continuation of the story, and it is also available on Netflix. You should watch this movie if you have not watched it yet.
Garbage (2018)
IMDb – 3.3/10
Director – Qaushi Mukherjee
Star Cast – Trimala Adhikari, Satarupa Das, Tanmay Dhanania
The plot of this movie follows the story of two characters – a taxi driver who imprisons a tribal woman secretly and a young woman who gets stuck in a precarious situation after the leak of her sex tape on the internet. The story narrates how people treat women. Both the characters cross their paths in Goa, and the movie compares their respective lives. This movie is dark and has different twists and turns.
Lust Stories (2018)
IMDb – 6.5/10
Director – Anurag Kashyap, Karan Johar, Zoya Akhtar, Dibakar Banerjee
Star Cast – Radhika Apte, Kiara Advani, Manisha Koirala, Bhumi Pednekar
This film is a collection of four short films exploring relationships, love, and sex in modern India. This one is a Netflix original movie with an amazing star cast appearing in separate stories. The movie was nominated for two awards at the 47th International Emmy Awards. If you want to watch some best performances, then this one is a must-watch for you.
The Blue Umbrella (2005)
IMDb – 7.5/10
Director – Vishal Bhardwaj
Star Cast – Shriya Sharma, Pankaj Kapur, Deepak Dobriyal
It is one of the best Bollywood movies on Netflix, and it is an amazing adaptation of the Ruskin Bond novel. The movie follows a girl named Binya. She gets beautiful blue umbrellas as a gif from foreigners. A greedy local shopkeeper wants to buy the umbrella from her, but she refuses to give it, which leads her to a chain of events.
Final Words
There are dozens and dozens of amazing Bollywood movies on Netflix. To save your efforts to seek movies worth watching, we have developed a list of the best Bollywood movies on Netflix.
In case you are in the mood of watching something dark and twisted, there are various psychological thriller movies on Netflix or horror movies on Netflix that you can explore. Now, what are you waiting for, grab some popcorn, and enjoy some Bollywood masala. Do share your feedback with us by dropping a comment.
