40 Hindi movies I recommend
by ayan-g | created - 07 Oct 2011 | updated - 07 Oct 2011 | PublicA list of around 40 Hindi movies which I think is a must watch ... I haven't included movies on the basis of commercial success but on the basis of some stellar performances ... I'll add a few titles as I remember them
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1. Dil Chahta Hai (2001)
Not Rated | 183 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance
Three inseparable childhood friends are just out of college. Nothing comes between them - until they each fall in love, and their wildly different approaches to relationships creates tension.
Director: Farhan Akhtar | Stars: Aamir Khan, Saif Ali Khan, Akshaye Khanna, Preity G Zinta
Votes: 75,756 | Gross: $0.30M
One of my all time favs ... Story of three friends ... emotions and complicated relationships ... Great story about friendship and relationships .... Farhan's first and finest :)
2. Lakshya (2004)
Not Rated | 186 min | Action, Drama, Romance
An aimless, jobless, irresponsible grown man joins the army and matures into a battlefield hero.
Director: Farhan Akhtar | Stars: Hrithik Roshan, Preity G Zinta, Amitabh Bachchan, Om Puri
Votes: 25,538 | Gross: $0.75M
A coming of age movie set on the backdrop of Kargil War ... Highly recommended
3. Black Friday (2004)
Not Rated | 143 min | Action, Crime, Drama
A film about the investigations following the 1993 serial Bombay bomb blasts, told through the different stories of the people involved --police, conspirators, victims, middlemen.
Director: Anurag Kashyap | Stars: Kay Kay Menon, Pawan Malhotra, Aditya Srivastav, Dibyendu Bhattacharya
Votes: 21,989 | Gross: $0.03M
4. Haasil (2003)
Not Rated | 160 min | Crime, Drama, Romance
Aniruddh, a law-abiding college student, in love with Niharika, gets caught up in college politics and crime and must fight it out for himself when his friend becomes his foe.
Director: Tigmanshu Dhulia | Stars: Jimmy Shergill, Hrishitaa Bhatt, Irrfan Khan, Ashutosh Rana
Votes: 3,129
Awesome movie revolving around college politics
5. Paanch (2003)
Not Rated | 130 min | Crime, Thriller
Kidnapping plot gone wrong when four friends plans to kidnap their own friend who accidentally got killed.
Director: Anurag Kashyap | Stars: Kay Kay Menon, Aditya Srivastav, Joy Fernandes, Vijay Maurya
Votes: 2,471
A dark thriller .... You will love it
6. 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: 16,695
A gangster movie ... powerful performance by the leads
7. 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: 2,042
Om Puri won a national award for this movie ... a cop struggling with his alter ego
8. Swades (2004)
Not Rated | 189 min | Drama, Musical
A successful Indian scientist returns to an Indian village to take his nanny to America with him and in the process rediscovers his roots.
Director: Ashutosh Gowariker | Stars: Shah Rukh Khan, Gayatri Joshi, Kishori Ballal, Smith Seth
Votes: 98,478 | Gross: $1.22M
My favorite SRK movie
9. Sholay (1975)
Not Rated | 162 min | Action, Adventure, Comedy
After his family is murdered by a notorious and ruthless bandit, a former police officer enlists the services of two outlaws to capture the bandit.
Director: Ramesh Sippy | Stars: Sanjeev Kumar, Dharmendra, Amitabh Bachchan, Amjad Khan
Votes: 58,700
Big B ... Amjad Khan ...Sanjeev Kumar ... Dharmendra ... all giving stellar performance .... supported by Jaya Bhaduri n Hema Malini
10. 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: 9,455
My favorite Big B movie
11. Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam (1999)
Not Rated | 188 min | Comedy, Drama, Musical
Nandini has to choose between Sameer, the man who taught her to fall in love; and Vanraj, the man from whom she learnt how to abide and fulfill promises of love.
Director: Sanjay Leela Bhansali | Stars: Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Salman Khan, Ajay Devgn, Zohra Sehgal
Votes: 19,759
My favorite Sallu movie ... a brilliant musical with sacrifice for love
12. Gangaajal (2003)
Not Rated | 157 min | Action, Crime, Drama
An IPS officer motivates and leads a dysfunctional, corrupt police force of Tezpur to fight against the corrupt politician.
Director: Prakash Jha | Stars: Ajay Devgn, Gracy Singh, Mohan Joshi, Yashpal Sharma
Votes: 18,127
Ajay Devgan gave a stellar performance with a very well supported cast
13. Jab We Met (2007)
Not Rated | 138 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance
A depressed wealthy businessman finds his life changing after he meets a spunky and care-free young woman.
Director: Imtiaz Ali | Stars: Shahid Kapoor, Kareena Kapoor, Tarun Arora, Dara Singh Randhawa
Votes: 58,752 | Gross: $0.41M
Sweet romantic movie ... on the lighter side
14. Rock On!! (2008)
Not Rated | 145 min | Drama, Music
Four friends reunite to relive their moments of glory as a rock band.
Director: Abhishek Kapoor | Stars: Arjun Rampal, Farhan Akhtar, Luke Kenny, Purab Kohli
Votes: 22,891
15. Hazaaron Khwaishein Aisi (2003)
120 min | Drama
Set in the backdrop of Indian Emergency 1975, the story revolves around 3 friends whose lives changes drastically after the turn of events.
Director: Sudhir Mishra | Stars: Kay Kay Menon, Shiney Ahuja, Chitrangda Singh, Ram Kapoor
Votes: 5,297
A story of love and betrayal ... sudhir mishra's best
16. Omkara (2006)
Not Rated | 155 min | Action, Crime, Drama
A politically-minded enforcer's misguided trust in his lieutenant leads him to suspect his wife of infidelity in this adaptation of Shakespeare's 'Othello'.
Director: Vishal Bhardwaj | Stars: Ajay Devgn, Kareena Kapoor, Saif Ali Khan, Konkona Sen Sharma
Votes: 22,093 | Gross: $0.79M
Lagra Tyagi ... Vishal Bharadwaj ... Othello
17. Maqbool (2003)
Not Rated | 132 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller
The intrigue of the Shakespearean tragedy 'Macbeth' is transposed to the Mumbai underworld.
Director: Vishal Bhardwaj | Stars: Irrfan Khan, Tabu, Pankaj Kapur, Naseeruddin Shah
Votes: 12,006
A gangster thriller ... My favorite Vishal Bharadwaj movie
18. Khosla Ka Ghosla! (2006)
Not Rated | 135 min | Comedy, Crime, Drama
A Delhi-based retired middle-class man tries half-heartedly to get his land back from a swindling property dealer with the help of his sons and their friends.
Directors: Dibakar Banerjee, Pravin E. Birje | Stars: Anupam Kher, Boman Irani, Parvin Dabas, Tara Sharma
Votes: 25,005 | Gross: $0.03M
Khosla ka Ghosla ... a brilliant satirical comedy
19. Andaz Apna Apna (1994)
Not Rated | 160 min | Action, Comedy, Romance
Two slackers competing for the affections of an heiress inadvertently become her protectors from an evil criminal.
Director: Rajkumar Santoshi | Stars: Aamir Khan, Salman Khan, Raveena Tandon, Karisma Kapoor
Votes: 55,259
My favorite hindi comedy ... a cult classic
20. Udaan (2010)
Not Rated | 134 min | Drama
Expelled from his school, a 16-year old boy returns home to his abusive and oppressive father.
Director: Vikramaditya Motwane | Stars: Rajat Barmecha, Ronit Roy, Manjot Singh, Ram Kapoor
Votes: 47,400 | Gross: $0.01M
A story of courage and fight for freedom
21. Paper Flowers (1959)
Unrated | 148 min | Drama, Romance
Suresh Sinha, a famous director, discovers star potential in Shanti, a woman he stumbled into one rainy evening, and casts her as the lead in a film. In a twist of fate, Shanti becomes a superstar and Suresh faces a decline in his career.
Director: Guru Dutt | Stars: Waheeda Rehman, Guru Dutt, Kumari Naaz, Johnny Walker
Votes: 2,773
A guru dutt classic
22. Mughal-E-Azam (1960)
Not Rated | 197 min | Drama, Romance, War
A 16th century prince falls in love with a court dancer and battles with his emperor father.
Director: K. Asif | Stars: Prithviraj Kapoor, Madhubala, Dilip Kumar, Durga Khote
Votes: 8,820 | Gross: $0.16M
Needs no intro ...
23. Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikandar (1992)
Not Rated | 174 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance
A rich brat and a poor chap try to woo a girl, with their rivalry culminating in the most prestigious college event - the marathon cycle race.
Director: Mansoor Khan | Stars: Aamir Khan, Ayesha Jhulka, Deepak Tijori, Pooja Bedi
Votes: 24,268
A college day classic ...
24. Like Stars on Earth (2007)
PG | 162 min | Drama, Family
An eight-year-old boy is thought to be a lazy trouble-maker, until the new art teacher has the patience and compassion to discover the real problem behind his struggles in school.
Directors: Aamir Khan, Amole Gupte | Stars: Darsheel Safary, Aamir Khan, Tisca Chopra, Vipin Sharma
Votes: 206,605 | Gross: $1.22M
Aamir Khans's directorial debut
25. Bombay (1995)
Not Rated | 130 min | Drama, Romance
A Hindu man and a Muslim woman fall in love in a small village and move to Mumbai, where they have two children. However, growing religious tensions and erupting riots threaten to tear the family apart.
Director: Mani Ratnam | Stars: Arvind Swamy, Manisha Koirala, Nassar, Kitty
Votes: 13,701
A mani ratnam classic
26. Ankur: The Seedling (1974)
131 min | Drama
Belonging to a lower caste, Lakshmi and her deaf-mute husband Kishtayya serve the landlord's son, Surya. When Surya's young wife finds out about his affair with Lakshmi, they all find themselves at crossroads.
Director: Shyam Benegal | Stars: Shabana Azmi, Sadhu Meher, Anant Nag, Priya Tendulkar
Votes: 1,668
Shyam Benegal classic
27. Rocket Singh: Salesman of the Year (2009)
Not Rated | 150 min | Comedy, Drama
A story of a fresh graduate trying to find a balance between the maddening demands of the 'professional' way, and the way of his heart.
Director: Shimit Amin | Stars: Ranbir Kapoor, Prem Chopra, Mukesh S. Bhatt, D. Santosh
Votes: 21,980
Good watch
28. Ek Hasina Thi (2004)
Not Rated | 120 min | Action, Crime, Drama
A woman falls for a charming and mysterious businessman. The whirlwind romance turns sour when she is framed for his underworld crimes. Now, finally out of prison she is ready for sweet revenge.
Director: Sriram Raghavan | Stars: Saif Ali Khan, Urmila Matondkar, Seema Biswas, Aditya Srivastav
Votes: 7,856
a good thriller
29. Vaastav: The Reality (1999)
Not Rated | 145 min | Action, Crime, Drama
Consequences force an innocent man to get involved in crime after making an error.
Director: Mahesh Manjrekar | Stars: Sanjay Dutt, Namrata Shirodkar, Reema Lagoo, Shivaji Satam
Votes: 14,758
Sanju's best
30. Chandni Bar (2001)
Not Rated | 150 min | Crime, Drama
A displaced woman is forced to become a beer-bar dancer, and sire children of a gangster.
Director: Madhur Bhandarkar | Stars: Tabu, Atul Kulkarni, Rajpal Naurang Yadav, Shri Vallabh Vyas
Votes: 2,790
Tabu at her best ... a very touching story ... Madhur Bhandarkar's best
31. Maachis (1996)
Not Rated | 160 min | Action, Crime, Drama
A realistic, hard-hitting portrayal of terrorism and youth in the Punjab after the 1984 riots.
Director: Gulzar | Stars: Om Puri, Tabu, Chandrachur Singh, Kanwaljeet Singh
Votes: 2,439
32. Page 3 (2005)
139 min | Drama
A look at Mumbai's socialite party circle world through the eyes of a Page 3 journalist.
Directors: Madhur Bhandarkar, Jay Dev Banerjee | Stars: Konkona Sen Sharma, Atul Kulkarni, Sandhya Mridul, Tara Sharma
Votes: 7,061
Another MB classic
33. A Wednesday (2008)
Not Rated | 104 min | Action, Crime, Drama
A retiring police officer reminisces about the most astounding day of his career. About a case that was never filed but continues to haunt him in his memories - the case of a man and a Wednesday.
Director: Neeraj Pandey | Stars: Anupam Kher, Naseeruddin Shah, Veerendra Saxena, Mahesh Kanual
Votes: 82,281
Modern day classic
34. The Touch (1980)
145 min | Drama, Romance
Anirudh Parmar is blind, but he does not let this impairment bind him down. He runs a school for the blind as a Principal. He meets with social worker, Kavita. Kavita is attracted to him, ... See full summary »
Director: Sai Paranjpye | Stars: Shabana Azmi, Naseeruddin Shah, Sudha Chopra, Mohan Gokhale
Votes: 950
A classic
35. Saaransh (1984)
Not Rated | 137 min | Drama
An old couple lend a room on rent after recent death of the bread earner of the family, their only son. A budding actress starts living with them, who is in love with a local politician's only son. The movie shows what later ensues.
Director: Mahesh Bhatt | Stars: Anupam Kher, Rohini Hattangadi, Soni Razdan, Madan Jain
Votes: 2,033
Anupam Kher portraying a 50 something when he was just in his 20s
36. Salaam Bombay! (1988)
Not Rated | 113 min | Crime, Drama
Young Krishna struggles to survive among the drug dealers, pimps, and prostitutes in the back alleys and gutters of India.
Director: Mira Nair | Stars: Shafiq Syed, Anjaan, Amrit Patel, Murari Sharma
Votes: 10,088 | Gross: $2.08M
Highly recommended
37. Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (1995)
Not Rated | 181 min | Drama, Romance
When Raj meets Simran in Europe, it isn't love at first sight but when Simran moves to India for an arranged marriage, love makes its presence felt.
Director: Aditya Chopra | Stars: Shah Rukh Khan, Kajol, Amrish Puri, Farida Jalal
Votes: 77,175
A cult hit ... SRK-Kajol at their best
38. Sehar (2005)
125 min | Action, Crime, Drama
Ajay Kumar the newly appointed, honest SSP of Lucknow police cracks down on the nefarious cop-mafia nexus in Uttar Pradesh, but finds a cunning and ruthless adversary in Gajraj.
Director: Kabeer Kaushik | Stars: Arshad Warsi, Pankaj Kapur, Mahima Chaudhry, Sushant Singh
Votes: 2,297
Arshad warsi in his best act till date
39. Rockford (1999)
102 min | Comedy, Drama
The movie chronicles the arrival of a (Hindu) student to a strict all-boys Christian boarding school in India and his assimilation into the school. The change is quite dramatic to the ... See full summary »
Director: Nagesh Kukunoor | Stars: Rohan Dey, Jayant Kripalani, Nandita Das, Soumyarka Gupta
Votes: 1,448
Nageesh Kukunoor's first ... a honest depiction of a school boy's growth through adolescence
40. Dev.D (2009)
Not Rated | 144 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance
After breaking up with his childhood sweetheart, a young man finds solace in drugs. Meanwhile, a teenage girl is caught in the world of prostitution. Will they be destroyed, or will they find redemption?
Director: Anurag Kashyap | Stars: Abhay Deol, Mahie Gill, Kalki Koechlin, Dibyendu Bhattacharya
Votes: 32,233 | Gross: $0.01M
You will love it :D
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