The 11 Best Hindi Film You Can Watch on Amazon Prime.
From 90s musicals to contemporary political thrillers, there is something for everyone.
Indian entertainment encompasses much more than the world-renowned musicals of Bollywood. But before we get ahead of ourselves, let’s start with the basics. There are regional performances in languages spoken throughout the country, great short films, and recently some very excellent television — but first, let’s start with the basics.
Amazon has an outstanding collection of Hindi movies — the most popular language for Indian films, but with a diverse range of genres — that are available in a variety of formats. Want to see what all the hype is about with a Bollywood classic and see what everyone is talking about? There’s no need to look any further! Do you want to see an underappreciated treasure with a tragic ending? We’ve got it covered as well.
Here is a list of the 11 best Hindi movies that are now accessible on Amazon Prime.
1. Raazi
Alia Bhatt stars as a married woman who eavesdrops on her family in the film In “Raazi,” Alia Bhatt portrays a married woman who is snooping on her family.
This film, written and directed by Meghna Gulzar, is considered to be one of the best mainstream Indian films of the decade of the 2010s. A young woman recruited to spy for India during the 1971 Indo-Pakistani War is played by Alia Bhatt in the film. Sehmat is married into a Pakistani household, and her father, who dies shortly after the wedding, assigns her the responsibility of spying on her new family.
Raazi has scenes that are typical from any spy picture — the training montage, tight monitoring, and close calls with death — but Bhatt’s portrayal anchors the toll of espionage in a way that few other films do. Raazi is rated R for language and violence. The implications of her acts, as well as the body count of a war that is supposedly higher than the number of humans caught in its crossfire, cause Sehmat to break down on several occasions. A lot of Indian films succumb to mindless nationalism, but this one feels different since it is seen through the perspective of a younger India and Pakistan, and because characters like Sehmat’s husband Iqbal (Vicky Kaushal) are never villainized but are instead made human and approachable.
When and where to watch: Raazi is now available to view on Amazon Prime.
2. Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham
Karan Johar oversees a star-studded cast in his latest film, Uri. “Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham,” directed by Karan Johar, features a large ensemble cast of well-known actors.
Karan Johar’s three-and-a-half-hour epic, better known as K3G, is the family drama of the 2000s, and it’s divided into two parts: the first is about the Johar family, and the second is about the rest of the cast. Rahul (Shahrukh Khan) is the eldest son of an affluent family who falls in love with a quirky rural girl named Anjali (Kajol) and is subsequently disowned by his father, Yash (Anil Kapoor), in the first act of the film (Amitabh Bachchan). Anjali’s queen-bee sister Pooja (Anushka Sharma) is courted by Rahul’s now-grown brother Rohan (Hrithik Roshan) in the second part of the film, which takes place in London and is reminiscent of the film Parent Trap (Kareena Kapoor).
The film, which was purportedly intended to bring together the hottest romantic couplings from three generations of performers (Bachchan’s real-life wife Jaya plays the Raichand matriarch), is Bollywood to a T, even though it was ostensibly made for that purpose. While Khan and Kajol’s legendary chemistry sparks the first half of the film, the second half gets downright silly (but incredibly entertaining) with Rohan and Pooja. The two stars were popular commodities at the time, but Kapoor was frequently typecast as a sex symbol and romantic lead without demonstrating the depth of character that she is capable of displaying. K3G allows her to show off her variety, and the “Poo” sequences have become so legendary that diehard Bollywood fans refer to her in the same way that Mean Girls is referred to.
You’ll come for the sexual tension, you’ll stay for the unexpected feminist icon, and you’ll cry your freaking eyes out for about 40 minutes at the conclusion. You were forewarned by the title, after all.
How to watch: Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham is now available to view on Amazon Prime.
3. Gully Boy
In Zoya Akhtar’s film, Ranveer Singh gives some of his best performances. “Gully Boy,” directed by Zoya Akhtar, features some of Ranveer Singh’s best work.
Murad is a college student from the Mumbai slums who finds relief in rap music, which is played by Ranveer Singh. Having learned more about hip-hop, he begins to experiment with writing lyrics and performing live, swiftly demonstrating a natural gift that catapults him to success in his hometown and beyond. Priyanka Singh, Alia Bhatt, and director Zoya Akhtar are three of the most important figures in contemporary Indian cinema, and their cooperation is every bit as strong as you’d expect it to be. Hundreds of Indian rappers and musicians from throughout the country are included on the soundtrack, which also includes a tune with executive producer Nas.
Gully Boy is a film that should be seen in its entirety.
Gully Boy is now available to watch on Amazon Prime.
4. Dil To Pagal Hai
“Dil To Pagal Hai” continues to slap even after more than three decades.
Shahrukh Khan, Madhuri Dixit, and Karisma Kapoor appear in this romantic musical dramedy from 1997, which has become a Bollywood classic. Khan portrays Rahul, the director of a dance theatre company who is frequently supported, ridiculed, and admired by his main dancer Nisha. When Nisha suffers an ankle injury, the company hires Pooja (Dixit), who impresses everyone with her raw talent as she and Rahul fall in love as a result of their mutual attraction to one another.
Due to a perfect storm of Bollywood talent, including experienced writer and director Yash Chopra, 1990s musical powerhouses Jatin-Lalit, and the feature film debut of choreographer Shiamak Davar, who would reign for years to come, Dil To Pagal Hai continues to hold up after more than three decades. Khan, Kapoor, and Dixit deliver grounded and magnetic performances, bringing Chopra’s appealing story to life on the big screen. As easy as it is to dismiss the picture as a love triangle, Chopra’s writing allows both Nisha and Pooja to breathe, grow, love, and hurt — never pitting them against each other (save in a memorable dance scene), but instead confirming their emotional depth via their interactions.
When and where to watch: Dil to Pagal HaiDil to Pagal Hai is currently available to view on Amazon Prime.
5. Pataakha
Two sisters engage in a ferocious brawl, much to the pleasure of their nosy neighbor, in the fifth episode In the film “Pataakha,” two sisters engage in a nasty brawl, much to the pleasure of their nosy neighbor.
They scream and battle and fight with the ferocity of wild animals or rival nation-states, which is a fitting metaphor for the relationship between sisters Badki (Radhika Madan) and Chutki (Sanya Malhotra). Their distressed father (Vijay Raaz) tries everything he can to keep the fighting siblings under control but to no effect. Throughout their lives, Madan and Malhotra are fantastic in writer-director Vishal Bhardwaj’s best work since OmkaraOmkara, keeping nothing back as they yell and claw at one another in front of their friends, husbands, children, and local villagers.
To watch, go to Amazon Prime and look for the show Pataakha, which is currently streaming.
6. Chak De! India
In the 2011 film, Kabir Khan (Shahrukh Khan) is a field hockey coach who leads India’s women’s national field hockey team to victory. In the 2011 film “Chak De! India,” Kabir Khan (Shahrukh Khan) is a field hockey trainer who is responsible for the success of India’s women’s national field hockey squad. Who doesn’t enjoy a good sports movie with a good message? Indian field hockey team, a ragged group of women from drastically varied religious and cultural backgrounds, is the subject of Shimit Amin’s 2007 documentary. The film illustrates India’s internal diversity and tension through the lens of the national field hockey team. It is up to former men’s team captain Kabir Khan (Shahrukh Khan) to inspire his athletes in the manner of any imaginary coach worth his salt, not only to establish a cohesive group of athletes but also to atone for his previous defeats on the field.
With a confident star player (Sagarika Ghatge), a reckless loose cannon (Chitrashi Rawat), class disputes between those from villages and cities, and judgmental attitudes about everyone’s motivation for joining and remaining on the team, the film is a must-see for any sports fan. Even though Khan puts out his best effort, this is a film about India’s endlessly resilient, yet always overlooked women. It’s them you’ll be rooting for from the beginning to the end.
How to watch: Chak De! India is now available to watch on Amazon Prime Video.
7. Band Baja Baraat
In this movie, Bittoo (Ranveer Singh) and Shruti (Anushka Sharma) are unusual wedding planning duo who come together to arrange a wedding.
Despite their early disagreements, such as when he gatecrashes a wedding, Bittoo (Ranveer Singh) and Shruthi (Anushka Sharma) decide to start a wedding planning firm together. After some initial faltering, business is booming — but, as Shruthi had anticipated, it also leads to one or both of them experiencing affections for each other as a result. Band Baaja Baraat is irresistibly appealing, much like Sharma, who was still relatively unknown at the time, and Singh, who made a sensational cinematic debut in the same year. The script, written by first-time feature director Maneesh Sharma and writer Habib Faisal, prevents this from becoming one of the innumerable Indian films and television programs about weddings, wedding planning, and the love that blossoms among the festivities of a Shaadi ceremony.
How to watch: Band Baja Baraat is currently available to view on Amazon Prime.
8. Sherni
Vidya Balan will star in an action thriller in 2021. Vidya Balan will star in the action-thriller in 2021. “Sherni.”
In this Amit Masurkar film, forest officer Vidya Vincent (Vidya Balan) is dispatched to chase down a stray tiger that has gotten loose. During her tenure as a government official, Vidya has had to deal with opposition from corrupt and influential persons who either neglect the sanctity of Indian wildlife or belittle her because she is a female official (strong women are sometimes referred to as sherni also).
The writing of writer Aastha Tiku maintains the conflict subtle yet seething, always hinting at something grander, such as an unseen tiger lurking nearby. Balan is a well-known commodity for delivering unforgettable performances, and she is accompanied in this film by a supporting ensemble that is so honest and outstanding that they appear to be impossibly real.
To watch, go to Amazon Prime and look for the show Sherni, which is currently streaming.
9. Hum Tum
The film features Rani Mukherji and Saif Ali Khan as the leads. “Hum Tum,” a Hindi version of the romantic comedy “When Harry Met Sally,” stars Rani Mukherji and Saif Ali Khan.
This hilarious replica of the classic film When Harry Met Sally follows Rhea (Rani Mukherji) and Karan (Saif Ali Khan) as they get to know each other for over a decade. She is first annoyed by him, and the two of them exchange cringeworthy preconceptions about the other gender, but as time passes, both characters progress, creating a strong friendship that eventually blossoms into romantic affection.
Despite my apprehensions, I returned to Hum Tum in 2018, convinced that it would crumble in the face of contemporary criticism. However, it has held up surprisingly well. Together with writer-director Kunal Kohli, Khan and Mukherji build two characters who feel more real to what many of us witness in our lives than any ideal representation. Khan and Mukherji’s chemistry is strong enough that they have had a streak of co-starring roles. If you can overlook some very 2005 editing (as well as the clothes), you’ll have a good time.
How to watch: Hum Tum is now available to stream on Amazon Prime.
10. Thappad
Ami (Taapsee Pannu) has her entire world turned upside down by a single deed in the film In the film “Thappad,” Ami (Taapsee Pannu) has her entire existence turned upside down by a single deed.
The seemingly perfect marriage of Ami (Taapsee Pannu) and Vikram (Pavail Gulati) is shattered when Vikram (Pavail Gulati) slaps her in front of a large number of witnesses at a party. No cast or filmmaker could ever pull off Ami and Vikram’s disintegrating domesticity, but Anubhav Sinha makes the wise decision to follow their story through the words and experiences of everyone in their immediate vicinity.
Domestic violence is a major problem in India, where even small percentages of women are victims of it, resulting in millions of women being affected. The maid dismisses Ami’s story and uses it to excuse her own domestic violence, while their solitary neighbor criticizes Vikram for even attempting to put the entire affair behind him. Ami’s brother has his own point of view, which is in direct conflict with his wife’s point of view. The slap is purposefully shown as insignificant at times and crucial at others, actively gaslighting the spectator and forcing them to find and maintain their own point of view throughout the film. In fact, while Ami does deliver at least one sad monologue, the rest of the film is significantly more intriguing and engaging than many other Bollywood films that have a lot more action on the screen.
How to watch: Thappad is now available to stream via Amazon Prime.
11. Daawat-e-Ishq
The 11 finest Hindi movies available to stream on Amazon Prime Video
When Gullu (Parineeti Chopra) and her father (Anupam Kher) meet prospective husbands, they devise a plan to sue anyone who requests a “dowry,” or money and things purchased by the bride’s family as a gift to the groom’s family, which they later discover is not true.
The scheme is entertaining and intriguing, but it is three words that elevate Daawat-e-Ishq to the top of our list: Aditya Roy Kapoor is a Bollywood actor. Apart from Kapoor’s outrageously charismatic performance as possible suitor Tariq, he and Chopra’s insane chemistry helps to carry the picture through one-too-many musical montages and a lengthy build-up to the film’s dramatic climax. The cuisine is what draws people in, but the flavor is what keeps them there.
EDITED AND PROOFREAD BY NIKITA SHARMA
