Top 50 Hindi Movies of all time
by TheOriginalCinephile | created - 22 Oct 2017 | updated - 2 weeks ago | PublicA list comprising of the greatest Hindi films in terms of cinematic excellence.
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1. Awaara (1951)
193 min | Drama, Musical, Romance
A poor young man named Raj joins a criminal gang to feed his mother. But when he falls in love with Rita, he decides to reform himself for her.
Director: Raj Kapoor | Stars: Raj Kapoor, Nargis, Prithviraj Kapoor, K.N. Singh
Votes: 4,494
2. Shree 420 (1955)
168 min | Comedy, Crime, Drama
When a young man from a small town decides to make it big in a city, he faces several challenges.
Director: Raj Kapoor | Stars: Nargis, Raj Kapoor, Nadira, Nemo
Votes: 3,004
3. Thirst (1957)
Not Rated | 146 min | Drama, Musical, Romance
Vijay, a talented but indigent poet, struggles for love and recognition in this selfish world.
Director: Guru Dutt | Stars: Guru Dutt, Waheeda Rehman, Mala Sinha, Rehman Khan
Votes: 7,271
4. Madhumati (1958)
110 min | Fantasy, Musical, Mystery
A young man takes shelter in a mansion when a landslide blocks his route to the railway station. Then, he finds the mansion familiar and soon learns about the story of his previous birth.
Director: Bimal Roy | Stars: Dilip Kumar, Vyjayanthimala, Johnny Walker, Pran Sikand
Votes: 1,581
5. Kanoon (1960)
150 min | Drama, Crime, Mystery
A lawyer holds the eyewitness evidence to catch a killer, but the identified criminal is the lawyer's own mentor, prospective father-in-law, and also the judge who presides over the case.
Director: B.R. Chopra | Stars: Rajendra Kumar Tuli, Ashok Kumar, Nanda Karnataki, Nana Palsikar
Votes: 513
6. 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: 8,821 | Gross: $0.16M
7. Kala Bazar (1960)
163 min | Crime, Drama, Musical
A man sells movie tickets on the black market, but starts to have a change of heart after he falls in love.
Director: Vijay Anand | Stars: Dev Anand, Waheeda Rehman, Nanda Karnataki, Vijay Anand
Votes: 333
8. Woh Kaun Thi? (1964)
Not Rated | 140 min | Drama, Mystery, Romance
One stormy night, a doctor offers a ride to a ghostly woman he meets on the side of the road. Later, he discovers his intended bride is identical in appearance to the ghost. Who was she and why does she haunt him?
Director: Raj Khosla | Stars: Sadhana Shivdasani, Manoj Kumar, Parveen Choudhary, K.N. Singh
Votes: 1,294
9. Guide (1965)
Not Rated | 183 min | Drama, Romance
When mistaken to be a sage by some villagers, an ex-tour guide reflects on his past and lost love to search for spiritual wisdom to guide the villagers.
Director: Vijay Anand | Stars: Dev Anand, Waheeda Rehman, Leela Chitnis, Anwar Hussain
Votes: 8,592
10. Amrapali (1966)
119 min | Fantasy, History
A victory over neighboring state Vaishai has always eluded Magadh Samrat Ajaatshatru despite being winning and taking control over all neighboring states. He attacks Vaishali only get ... See full summary »
Director: Lekh Tandon | Stars: Vyjayanthimala, Sunil Dutt, Premnath Malhotra, Bipin Gupta
Votes: 276
11. Anand (1971)
Not Rated | 122 min | Drama, Musical
The story of a terminally ill man who wishes to live life to the fullest before the inevitable occurs, as told by his best friend.
Director: Hrishikesh Mukherjee | Stars: Rajesh Khanna, Amitabh Bachchan, Sumita Sanyal, Ramesh Deo
Votes: 35,306
12. Rajnigandha (1974)
110 min | Drama, Romance
A Delhi-based woman in a steady relationship with her boyfriend is forced to come to terms with her true feelings when a job interview in Mumbai brings an old flame back in her life.
Director: Basu Chatterjee | Stars: Vidya Sinha, Amol Palekar, Dinesh Thakur, Rajeeta Kochhar
Votes: 835
13. Satte Pe Satta (1982)
160 min | Action, Comedy, Drama
The eldest of seven brothers, who run a family farm together, marries a pretty nurse, inspiring his country-bumpkin siblings to follow his example.
Director: Raj N. Sippy | Stars: Amitabh Bachchan, Hema Malini, Ranjeeta Kaur, Amjad Khan
Votes: 3,616
14. Disco Dancer (1982)
PG-13 | 135 min | Drama, Musical, Romance
After years of honest work a talented amateur singer becomes a famous professional, but an old enemy of his family is envious of his success.
Director: Babbar Subhash | Stars: Mithun Chakraborty, Kim, Kalpana Iyer, Om Puri
Votes: 1,683
15. Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro (1983)
Not Rated | 132 min | Comedy, Crime, Drama
Two photographers, who are employed by a magazine editor to expose the scandalous activities of the rich, come across corruption by a builder and accidentally photograph a murder.
Director: Kundan Shah | Stars: Naseeruddin Shah, Ravi Baswani, Bhakti Barve, Satish Shah
Votes: 14,722
16. 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
17. Katha (1983)
141 min | Comedy, Drama
Secretly in love with his neighbor, a mild-mannered clerk is heartbroken when his much bolder, more charming friend wins her heart instead.
Director: Sai Paranjpye | Stars: Naseeruddin Shah, Farooq Shaikh, Deepti Naval, Hemu Adhikari
Votes: 1,328
18. Parinda (1989)
Not Rated | 154 min | Action, Crime, Drama
A man's friend, a police officer, is assassinated by gangsters in broad daylight. He discovers that his elder brother works in the same gang and decides to avenge his friend's death by infiltrating the gang.
Director: Vidhu Vinod Chopra | Stars: Jackie Shroff, Anil Kapoor, Nana Patekar, Madhuri Dixit
Votes: 3,736
19. Baazigar (1993)
Not Rated | 175 min | Crime, Drama, Musical
A young man with a vendetta against a business tycoon seduces the man's younger daughter, but she begins to suspect her new lover's connection with her elder sister and his ulterior motive.
Directors: Abbas Alibhai Burmawalla, Mastan Alibhai Burmawalla | Stars: Shah Rukh Khan, Kajol, Dalip Tahil, Rakhee Gulzar
Votes: 30,005
20. Darr (1993)
Not Rated | 178 min | Action, Drama, Romance
Darr is a girl's (Kiran) story caught between one man's (Sunil) love and another man's (Rahul) obsession.
Director: Yash Chopra | Stars: Juhi Chawla, Sunny Deol, Shah Rukh Khan, Anupam Kher
Votes: 25,419
21. Rangeela (1995)
Not Rated | 142 min | Comedy, Drama, Musical
A middle-class young woman who dreams of Bollywood fame is caught in a love triangle between her childhood friend and a famous actor.
Director: Ram Gopal Varma | Stars: Aamir Khan, Urmila Matondkar, Jackie Shroff, Gulshan Grover
Votes: 10,426
22. 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: 77,184
23. Border (I) (1997)
Not Rated | 176 min | Action, Drama, History
In 1971, along the border region of Longewala, a small battalion of Indian soldiers goes up against a large Pakistani strike force.
Director: J.P. Dutta | Stars: Sunny Deol, Suniel Shetty, Akshaye Khanna, Jackie Shroff
Votes: 17,669
24. 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: 16,699
25. Kaun? (1999)
90 min | Mystery, Thriller
While alone in the house, a woman hears news of serial killer on the loose. And then a stranger rings the doorbell...
Director: Ram Gopal Varma | Stars: Urmila Matondkar, Manoj Bajpayee, Sushant Singh
Votes: 5,051
26. Lagaan: Once Upon a Time in India (2001)
PG | 224 min | Drama, Musical, Sport
The people of a small village in Victorian India stake their future on a game of cricket against their ruthless British rulers.
Director: Ashutosh Gowariker | Stars: Aamir Khan, Raghubir Yadav, Gracy Singh, Rachel Shelley
Votes: 120,662 | Gross: $0.91M
27. Company (2002)
Not Rated | 142 min | Action, Crime, Drama
A small-time gangster named Chandu teams up with Malik, a low-level enforcer for a criminal syndicate. Together they eliminate all their enemies, becoming the most feared gangsters in Mumbai.
Director: Ram Gopal Varma | Stars: Ajay Devgn, Mohanlal, Manisha Koirala, Seema Biswas
Votes: 16,152
28. Bhoot (2003)
113 min | Horror, Mystery, Thriller
When a married couple moves into a flat that is haunted by a spirit, a series of inexplicable experiences drive the wife to near madness. Now, the husband must protect his wife to save their marriage.
Director: Ram Gopal Varma | Stars: Ajay Devgn, Urmila Matondkar, Nana Patekar, Rekha
Votes: 4,016
29. Munna Bhai M.B.B.S. (2003)
Not Rated | 156 min | Comedy, Drama
A gangster sets out to fulfill his father's dream of becoming a doctor.
Director: Rajkumar Hirani | Stars: Sanjay Dutt, Arshad Warsi, Gracy Singh, Boman Irani
Votes: 88,301
30. Khakee (2004)
Not Rated | 174 min | Action, Crime, Drama
A team of police force escorts an alleged terrorist from Chandangarh to Mumbai. However their trip turns into a deadly survival when an ex-cop tries to stop them to reach Mumbai.
Director: Rajkumar Santoshi | Stars: Amitabh Bachchan, Akshay Kumar, Ajay Devgn, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan
Votes: 16,603
31. Veer-Zaara (2004)
Not Rated | 192 min | Drama, Family, Musical
"Veer-Zaara" is a saga of love, separation, courage, and sacrifice. A love story that is an inspiration and will remain a legend forever.
Director: Yash Chopra | Stars: Shah Rukh Khan, Preity G Zinta, Rani Mukerji, Kirron Kher
Votes: 57,446 | Gross: $2.92M
32. 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: 98,488 | Gross: $1.22M
33. Main, Meri Patni... Aur Woh! (2005)
129 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance
A short, nondescript man, Mithilesh Shukla marries a tall and beautiful woman. Now jealousy and Mithilesh's own insecurities threaten to wreck his happy home.
Director: Chandan Arora | Stars: Rajpal Naurang Yadav, Rituparna Sengupta, Naseeruddin Shah, Kay Kay Menon
Votes: 2,577
34. Garam Masala (2005)
Not Rated | 146 min | Comedy, Romance
A rib tickling tale of two flirts who constantly flirt with women despite one of them being engaged. Chaos ensues when the fiancé finds out that her to-be groom is cheating on her.
Director: Priyadarshan | Stars: Akshay Kumar, John Abraham, Paresh Rawal, Rimi Sen
Votes: 17,053
35. Don (I) (2006)
Not Rated | 171 min | Action, Crime, Thriller
Vijay is recruited by a police officer to masquerade as his lookalike Don, the leader of an international gang of smugglers. Things go wrong when the officer is killed and Vijay is left to fend for himself.
Director: Farhan Akhtar | Stars: Shah Rukh Khan, Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Arjun Rampal, Isha Koppikar
Votes: 41,016 | Gross: $0.80M
36. Guru (2007)
Not Rated | 166 min | Drama
A villager, Gurukant Desai, arrives in Bombay 1958, and rises from its streets to become the GURU, the biggest tycoon in Indian history.
Director: Mani Ratnam | Stars: Mithun Chakraborty, Abhishek Bachchan, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Madhavan
Votes: 24,986 | Gross: $2.09M
37. Chak De! India (2007)
Not Rated | 153 min | Drama, Family, Sport
Kabir Khan, the coach of the Indian Women's National Hockey Team, dreams of making his all-girls team emerge victorious against all odds.
Director: Shimit Amin | Stars: Shah Rukh Khan, Vidya Malvade, Sagarika Ghatge, Shilpa Shukla
Votes: 84,935 | Gross: $1.11M
38. No Smoking (2007)
Not Rated | 128 min | Drama, Horror, Mystery
A heavily addicted smoker is unprepared for the true price he must pay when he asks a guru's help to kick the habit.
Director: Anurag Kashyap | Stars: John Abraham, Ayesha Takia, Paresh Rawal, Ranvir Shorey
Votes: 8,849
39. 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: 82,286
40. 3 Idiots (2009)
PG-13 | 170 min | Comedy, Drama
Two friends are searching for their long lost companion. They revisit their college days and recall the memories of their friend who inspired them to think differently, even as the rest of the world called them "idiots".
Director: Rajkumar Hirani | Stars: Aamir Khan, Madhavan, Mona Singh, Sharman Joshi
Votes: 434,313 | Gross: $6.53M
41. My Name Is Khan (2010)
PG-13 | 165 min | Adventure, Drama, Romance
An Indian Muslim man with Asperger's syndrome takes a challenge to speak to the President of the United States seriously and embarks on a cross-country journey.
Director: Karan Johar | Stars: Shah Rukh Khan, Kajol, Sheetal Menon, Katie Amanda Keane
Votes: 116,348 | Gross: $4.02M
42. Guzaarish (2010)
126 min | Drama, Romance
Ethan, a magician rendered paralyzed in an accident, sets off a furor when he makes a petition to the court to end his own life.
Director: Sanjay Leela Bhansali | Stars: Hrithik Roshan, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Shernaz Patel, Aditya Roy Kapoor
Votes: 19,724 | Gross: $1.02M
43. Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara (2011)
Not Rated | 155 min | Comedy, Drama, Musical
Three friends decide to turn their fantasy vacation into reality after one of their friends gets engaged.
Director: Zoya Akhtar | Stars: Hrithik Roshan, Farhan Akhtar, Abhay Deol, Katrina Kaif
Votes: 85,831 | Gross: $3.11M
44. Rockstar (2011)
Not Rated | 159 min | Drama, Music, Romance
Janardhan Jakhar chases his dreams of becoming a big Rock star, during which he falls in love with Heer.
Director: Imtiaz Ali | Stars: Ranbir Kapoor, Nargis Fakhri, Shammi Kapoor, Kumud Mishra
Votes: 48,858 | Gross: $0.99M
45. Don 2 (2011)
Not Rated | 148 min | Action, Crime, Thriller
Don turns himself in and escapes with Vardhaan from prison, following which he recruits a team to steal currency printing plates from a bank in Berlin.
Director: Farhan Akhtar | Stars: Shah Rukh Khan, Florian Lukas, Om Puri, Priyanka Chopra Jonas
Votes: 58,373 | Gross: $3.68M
46. Piku (2015)
Not Rated | 123 min | Comedy, Drama
A quirky comedy about the relationship between a daughter and her aging father, whose eccentricities drive everyone crazy.
Director: Shoojit Sircar | Stars: Deepika Padukone, Amitabh Bachchan, Irrfan Khan, Moushumi Chatterjee
Votes: 34,005
47. Airlift (2016)
Not Rated | 130 min | Action, Drama, History
When Iraq invades Kuwait in August 1990, a callous Indian businessman becomes the spokesperson for more than 170,000 stranded countrymen.
Director: Raja Menon | Stars: Akshay Kumar, Nimrat Kaur, Kumud Mishra, Prakash Belawadi
Votes: 58,781
48. Andhadhun (2018)
Not Rated | 139 min | Crime, Mystery, Thriller
A series of mysterious events change the life of a blind pianist, who must now report a crime that he should technically know nothing of.
Director: Sriram Raghavan | Stars: Tabu, Ayushmann Khurrana, Radhika Apte, Anil Dhawan
Votes: 102,646 | Gross: $1.37M
49. 12th Fail (2023)
147 min | Biography, Drama
The real-life story of IPS Officer Manoj Kumar Sharma and IRS Officer Shraddha Joshi.
Director: Vidhu Vinod Chopra | Stars: Vikrant Massey, Medha Shankr, Anant Joshi, Anshuman Pushkar
Votes: 110,904
50. Animal (I) (2023)
Not Rated | 204 min | Action, Crime, Drama
The hardened son of a powerful industrialist returns home after years abroad and vows to take bloody revenge on those threatening his father's life.
Director: Sandeep Reddy Vanga | Stars: Ranbir Kapoor, Anil Kapoor, Bobby Deol, Rashmika Mandanna
Votes: 88,930
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