The 20 Best Hindi Movies on Netflix Right Now
When I saw Hichki in 2021, my world expanded. After spending years consuming primarily English-language films, I was ready to immerse myself in the vibrant world of Bollywood—and it turns out I'm not the only one.
While attending the Toronto International Film Festival in 2023, Indian film director Karan Johar discussed the growing popularity of Bollywood productions in North America. He told BNN Bloomberg, "I think, in the last decade, we've seen a huge, exponential advancement of our numbers...When we read those numbers for our films, we know that the reach is wide, it's gone beyond the diaspora, it's also now penetrating into international audiences."
As it turns out, streaming platforms have played a major role in the rising trend of Bollywood movies, now that audiences can enjoy them from home. And since I've already introduced you to the most compelling Hindi-language films on Prime Video, I'm turning my attention to the best Hindi movies on Netflix. From mind-bending mystery thrillers (like Badla) to feel-good musical romances (like Kuch Kuch Hota Hai), keep reading for 20 must-watch Hindi titles to stream on Netflix.
1. ??Jaane Jaan (2023)
Director: Sujoy Ghosh
Run Time: 139 minutes
Rating: TV-MA
Cast: Kareena Kapoor Khan, Jaideep Ahlawat, Vijay Varma
Genre: Mystery Thriller
Years after Maya, a single mom, escapes from her abusive husband, Ajit, she's forced to confront him again when he finally tracks them down. Desperate to protect her daughter, Maya murders Ajit and enlists the help of her neighbor to cover it up. Fun fact: This gripping thriller broke a streaming record on Netflix, becoming the most-watched non-English movie on the streaming service worldwide during its opening week. NBD.
2. 12th Fail (2023)
Director: Vidhu Vinod Chopra
Run Time: 146 minutes
Rating: TV-14
Cast: Vikrant Massey, Medha Shankr, Anant V Joshi, Anshumaan Pushkar
Genre: Biographical Drama
Based on Anurag Pathak’s book of the same name, this poignant and inspiring drama follows the real-life story of Manoj Kumar Sharma, a poor student who, despite insurmountable odds, pursues a successful career in civil services. I was impressed by Massey’s sincere performance and the soundtrack is phenomenal. But what truly makes this film shine is how it deftly tackles themes like resilience, friendships and maintaining one’s integrity while pursuing success.
3. Pagglait (2021)
Director: Umesh Bist
Run Time: 115 minutes
Rating: PG
Cast: Sanya Malhotra, Ashutosh Rana, Shruti Sharma, Raghubir Yadav
Genre: Black Comedy, Drama
I’m a sucker for laugh-out-loud comedies that explore complicated family dynamics, and I can honestly say that this movie ranks high on my list. Pagglait revolves around a young woman who becomes a widow just five months after tying the knot. As her quirky in-laws visit her to offer support, she grapples with her inability to grieve her husband’s death. Worse yet, she learns a shocking secret about her husband. Expect brilliant performances all around.
4. Mission Manju (2023)
Director: Shantanu Bagchi
Run Time: 129 minutes
Rating: TV-14
Cast: Sidharth Malhotra, Rashmika Mandanna, Parmeet Sethi, Sharib Hashmi
Genre: Action Thriller
Set during the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971, Aman, an undercover Indian cop embarks on a deadly mission to expose a covert nuclear weapons program in Pakistan. Espionage fans will enjoy the suspense and high-stakes action scenes, but if you also enjoy a bit of romance, you’ll be happy to know that there’s some juicy chemistry between Aman and his love interest, Nasreen.
5. Dil Chahta Hai (2001)
Director: Farhan Akhtar
Run Time: 185 minutes
Rating: TV-14
Cast: Aamir Khan, Saif Ali Khan, Akshaye Khanna, Preity Zinta
Genre: Comedy Drama
Easily one of the best Hindi movies on Netflix, Dil Chahta Hai follows the lives of three tight-knit friends with vastly different personalities. As they all mature, each tries to pursue a romantic relationship, but this unfortunately causes tension between them. The film features honest, realistic portrayals of youth, and it will have you laughing from start to finish. (FYI, the storyline was inspired by Akhtar's diary, where he documented his trips to Mumbai and New York City.)
6. Zindagi na Milegi Dobara (2011)
Director: Zoya Akhtar
Run Time: 153 minutes
Rating: TV-14
Cast: Hrithik Roshan, Abhay Deol, Farhan Akhtar, Katrina Kaif
Genre: Romantic Comedy Drama
When Kabir Dewan, an architect, gets engaged to his girlfriend, he plans a three-week-long bachelor road trip to Spain with two of his childhood friends. However, one of them is a workaholic who can't seem to unplug, and the other has secret plans to find his biological father, resulting in a bit of tension between the trio. Add this to your queue if you need a funny, feel-good flick that tackles messy friendships.
7. Haseen Dillruba (2021)
Director: Vinil Mathew
Run Time: 136 minutes
Rating: TV-MA
Cast: Taapsee Pannu, Vikrant Massey, Harshvardhan Rane.
Genre: Romantic Thriller
Loved Anatomy of a Fall? Allow me to introduce your next obsession. In this edge-of-your-seat thriller, Rishabh gets killed in an explosion at his home, and when the cops investigate, they conclude that he was murdered. His wife, Rani, becomes the prime suspect. But as she opens up about their troubled marriage, the police find it harder to get to the truth of what happened.
8. Madras Cafe (2013)
Director: Shoojit Sircar
Run Time: 120 minutes
Rating: TV-14
Cast: John Abraham, Nargis Fakhri, Raashi Khanna
Genre: Political Action Thriller
Set during the Sri Lankan Civil War, this intense political thriller follows an Indian Army Special Forces officer who travels to the war-torn coastal island to disrupt a rebel group. When he arrives, he crosses paths with a British journalist who's determined to expose the truth about the civil war, and he learns about a conspiracy to assassinate the former Indian prime minister.
9. Drishyam (2015)
Director: Nishikant Kamat
Run Time: 160 minutes
Rating: TV-14
Cast: Ajay Devgn, Tabu, Shriya Saran, Ishita Dutta
Genre: Crime Thriller
Vijay Salgaonkar's cozy, simple life is turned upside down when his adopted daughter, Anju gets blackmailed by the son of the Inspector General. When Anju accidentally kills him in an act of self-defense, Vijay must protect his family from the scary side of the law.
10. Kuch Kuch Hota Hai (1998)
Director: Karan Johar
Run Time: 185 minutes
Rating: TV-14
Cast: Shah Rukh Khan, Kajol, Rani Mukherji, Salman Khan
Genre: Musical Romance
Calling all hopeless romantics! This sweet story revolves around 8-year-old Anjali, who, after losing her mother, embarks on a mission to reunite her widowed father with his college best friend (and Anjali's namesake), who was once in love with him.
11. Swades (2004)
Director: Ashutosh Gowariker
Run Time: 195 minutes
Rating: PG
Cast: Shah Rukh Khan, Gayatri Joshi, Kishori Ballal, Daya Shankar Pandey
Genre: Drama
Khan stars as Mohan Bhargava, a NASA scientist who returns to India to take his old nanny to the U.S. During his visit, however, Mohan learns more about his Indian heritage and discovers that his skills would be far more useful in his own country. When he also meets and falls for a kind schoolteacher, he starts to reconsider whether he should return to America.
12. Tillu Square (2024)
Director: Mallik Ram
Run Time: 123 minutes
Rating: TV-14
Cast: Siddhu Jonnalagadda, Anupama Parameswaran, Murali Sharma, Prince Cecil
Genre: Romance, Crime, Comedy
In this sequel to DJ Tillu, Jonnalagadda returns as Tillu, who leads a happy life after launching his own event management company. However, his messy past starts to catch up with him after he has a one-night stand with a mysterious woman. (FYI, there will be a third installment called Tillu Cube, and Jonnalagadda teased superhero twist.)
13. Dear Zindagi (2016)
Director: Gauri Shinde
Run Time: 150 minutes
Rating: TV-14
Cast: Alia Bhatt, Shah Rukh Khan, Ira Dubey, Kunal Kapoor, Angad Bedi
Genre: Comedy Drama
Kaira, an up-and-coming cinematographer, is stunned to learnt that the love of her life has left her and gotten engaged to his ex-girlfriend. To make matters worse, she loses her apartment and has no choice but to move back in with her parents. Things start to look up, however, when she meets Jug, an unconventional guy who helps her shift her perspective on life.
14. Mrs. Chatterjee vs Norway (2023)
Director: Ashima Chibber
Run Time: 144 minutes
Rating: TV-MA
Cast: Rani Mukerji, Anirban Bhattacharya, Neena Gupta
Genre: Legal Drama
Inspired by the heartbreaking real-life story of Sagarika and Anurup Bhattacharya, whose children were taken away by Norwegian authorities in 2011, the movie follows Debika Chatterjee, an immigrant Indian mom who resides in Norway with her family. When child welfare service officers visit their home and take their two children, deeming them unfit parents, they must fight against the Norwegian foster care system to get their kids back.
15. Don (2006)
Director: Farhan Akhtar
Run Time: 169 minutes
Rating: TV-14
Cast: Shah Rukh Khan, Priyanka Chopra, Arjun Rampal, Isha Koppikar, Boman Irani
Genre: Action Thriller
A street singer named Vijay is hired and trained by the Deputy Commissioner of Police to infiltrate a dangerous gang. His task? To pose as his lookalike and criminal mastermind, Don—who also happens to be the gang's leader. The edge-of-your-seat thriller boasts an incredible cast and great action sequences.
16. Om Shanti Om (2007)
Director: Farah Khan
Run Time: 171 minutes
Rating: TV-14
Cast: Shah Rukh Khan, Deepika Padukone, Shreyas Talpade, Kirron Kher
Genre: Action, Comedy, Drama
If you're into Austin Powers, you'll appreciate the similarities in this plot—but don't expect any 007 references. In the film, Om, an aspiring actor, is killed while trying to save the life of his love interest during the '70s. However, three decades later, Om is brought back to life as a successful actor. When his memories start to return, he embarks on a mission to reunite with his first love—and catch his murderer.
17. Hum Saath-Saath Hain (1999)
Director: Sooraj R. Barjatya
Run Time: 177 minutes
Rating: PG
Cast: Salman Khan, Saif Ali Khan, Karisma Kapoor, Tabu, Sonali Bendre
Genre: Family Drama
This compelling drama revolves around Ramkishen and Mamta, the matriarch and patriarch of a large joint family. Together, they share three children—and Vivek, who is handicapped, is from Ramkishen's first marriage. Unfortunately, Mamta is bitter towards her stepson, and she schemes to cut him out of the family's inheritance, but this only breeds chaos and division in the family.
18. Tribhanga (2021)
Director: Renuka Shahane
Run Time: 95 minutes
Rating: TV-MA
Cast: Kajol, Tanvi Azmi, Mithila Palkar
Genre: Family Drama
Tribhanga follows the lives of three generations of women in the same dysfunctional family. When one of them, Nayan, gets ill and slips into a coma, her daughter and granddaughter decide to help her complete her autobiography—and learn some interesting thing along the way. This emotional drama explores complicated mother-daughter relationships, while also tackling heavier themes like mortality and child abuse.
19. PK (2014)
Director: Rajkumar Hirani
Run Time: 152 minutes
Rating: TV-14
Cast: Aamir Khan, Anushka Sharma, Sushant Singh Rajput, Boman Irani
Genre: Sci-Fi, Comedy, Drama
Meet PK, a curious young alien who lands on planet Earth to study humans in India. Although he comes across as innocent and na?ve, PK makes some key observations about religion in contemporary society—and these prompt him to ask thoughtful questions about who God is and the impact of certain religious views. This film will make you laugh, cry, and think more deeply about life.
20. Badla (2019)
Director: Sujoy Ghosh
Run Time: 118 minutes
Rating: TV-14
Cast: Amitabh Bachchan, Taapsee Pannu, Tony Luke, Amrita Singh
Genre: Mystery Thriller
Fans of The Flight Attendant will take a liking to this twisty thriller, which tells the story of Naina, a young entrepreneur who wakes up to find herself locked in a hotel room with the corpse of her lover. When she gets arrested for murder, she hires a hotshot lawyer to prove her innocence and figure out what really happened.
Stay up-to-date on all things entertainment by subscribing here.
This 5-Star Hindi Drama on Prime Video Will Tug at Your Heartstrings from Start to Finish
