There’s something about Bollywood that just hits differently. Maybe it’s the drama, maybe it’s the music, maybe it’s that emotional punch where you suddenly find yourself crying at 2 a.m. over fictional people you met two hours ago. And now, with Netflix hosting a growing library of Hindi gems, you don’t even need to wait for a TV channel marathon — your next cinematic obsession is just a click away to watch Best Bollywood Movies on Netflix.
And whether you are a hardline Bollywood enthusiast, or a curious newbie, here is a selection party of Best Bollywood Movies on Netflix these days. Whether it is a heart pounding thriller or a heart warming drama, whatever the film here says, it says it with style.
1. Darlings (2022)
It is one such film and it takes the very rare ability to make you laugh and gasp out of breathe in the same scene; this Alia Bhatt starrer. Superficially the story concerns a young bride trapped in an abusive marriage who, with the help of her mother (essayed by the inimitable Shefali Shah) devises a way to put the screws on her husband. However, But Darlings is not a mere dark comedy, but rather dark social commentary that passes off as film entertainment.
The screenplay intends to be comedic at times, suspenseful at others, and each of the slightest details is rooted in reality, including cramped apartments of Mumbai and how characters communicate. This is a movie you simply cannot miss if you ever needed to see something entertaining yet thought provoking that makes you question the societal norms.
2. Bulbbul (2020)
Gothic horror in Bollywood? Not common. A feminist revenge fairytale with haunting visuals? Even rarer. Bulbbul is set in Bengal of the late 19th century and narrates the story of a young bride who becomes a kind of supernatural entity following a sequence of events.
Tripti Dimri is also electrifying in her acting, since she is able to be fragile, domineering, petrifying simultaneously. The misty trees, red colors bordering saturation and the uncanny background music is one of the most visually captivating Indian films one can draw. It is gruesome in a way, but a poem in the making.
3. Article 15 (2019)
Ayushmann Khurrana abandons his quirky comedy image to behave as a stoic police officer who is investigating an incident of caste based discrimination in a local Indian village. Based on real-life incidents, Article 15 is not something one can watch lightly but is something one can feel the power of.
Restraint is the beauty of this film. The violence is implied rather than depicted and tension is created in the silences and staring. It is a puzzle as much as it becomes a reflection of systemic injustice. This is Best Bollywood Movies on Netflix with a conscience, in case you are into that sort of thing.
4. The Lunchbox (2013)
A love story doesn’t always fit in big gestures; sometimes it is delivered in a tiffin. It is a low-key, simmering romance between two characters who do not know each other (Irrfan Khan and Nimrat Kaur) and are brought together by a set of mistakenly delivered lunchboxes.
It is heartwarming, bittersweet and full of little bits of everyday that leave you nostalgically looking out the window even when you have never been to Mumbai: crowded trains, handwritten notes, home cooked food. It does not have a tidy finish to it and this is among the reasons why it lingers.
5. Gangubai Kathiawadi (2022)
Sanjay Leela Bhansali is the filmmaker who resorts to lavish sets, filmy song-and-dance and grand emotional arcs and then you have all of this in Gangubai Kathiawadi including a super stellar performance by Alia Bhatt.
Following the real life-based character by the name Gangubai, the movie is centered on a naive young lady who gets transformed into a power generator of sex workers rights at an area called the red-light district of Mumbai. It is heart breaking, as well as inspiring, and visually? You really feel as though you are inside a motion-picture picture.
6. Drishyam (2015)
One of the most intelligent thrillers of the Bollywood in the past 10 years. Drishyam is the story of an apparently average man (Ajay Devgn) who lives in a related crime-chasing cycle after a crime.
The twists alone do not justify the uniqueness of this film because there are many twists, but the fact that the writers use them to make you guess about the moral ethics of each character. The other language remakes are good, the Hindi one is quiet intense in its own right.
7. Qala (2022)
Qala is a period drama (the events are set in the 1940s) about a young playback singer who is struggling to juggle the demands of fame, personal trauma, and a complex connection with her mother.
Each frame is designed to look like a painting (desaturated colors, aesthetic shadows, old fashioned costumes) and the music is part and parcel of a story. It is a movie of ambition, isolation, and self-sacrifice of being an artist.
8. Badhaai Do (2022)
A delicious dramedy which approaches its LGBTQ+ subject-matter with patience and heart. Rajkummar Rao and Bhumi Pednekar make up two closeted people who go into a marriage of convenience to serve the families, and, of course, it is not the rosy picture that life has to offer.
Yes, it is funny but it is also quite radical and the way it normalizes queer narratives without making them melodramatic.
9. Mimi (2021)
An excellent surrogacy comedy-drama, far better than the premise would imply. Kriti Sanon stars as Mimi, a small-town dancer who accepts to be a surrogate to a foreign couple, and ends up in a moral and emotional bind.
It is a movie balancing between comedy, sentiment, and difficult choices regarding the motherhood and social discrimination. Easy on her part is her performance in the role of Kriti.
10. Andhadhun (2018)
This is sort of a comedy and a thriller, mixed with a little bit of what the hell happened? Andhadhun is a roller coaster. Ayushmann Khurrana stars as a blind piano player torn in a murder. Or does he even see? There is book-ending unpredictability to the film, which yanks out a rug upon you every 15 minutes. Are you a fan of your thrillers seasoned with comical absurdity, then this is your ride.
Why Netflix is a Goldmine for Bollywood Fans
Netflix has almost stealthily transformed into one of the best destinations to find even Best Bollywood Movies on Netflix both the blockbusters and the indie favourites. That is where you could watch Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham one night and come across Bulbbul accidentally in the same place. Its combination of classics and uncharted territories is ideal to be watched both as a comfort movie and a film marathon.
Quick Binge-Watching Tips
- The comical or romantic is better before the serious dramas such as Article 15: You cannot start great, then plunge to depths in a movie.
- Watch with subtitles: though you might understand Hindi, some of the films carry great regional accents that are worth hearing in the translation.
- Do not miss the independents: the smaller-budget gems can be found on Netflix, where they do not have to race to the box-office.
FAQs on Best Bollywood Movies on Netflix
Which is the Best Bollywood Movies on Netflix to see as a beginner?
- Not yet in to Bollywood? The Lunchbox is a softer one to start with- generalized emotions, empathetic storytelling and the hit at international festivals.
So which Bollywood movie is the most visually spectacular on Netflix?
- Both gangubai Kathiawadi and Qala provide stunning visuals and detail set-design.
What Best Bollywood Movies on Netflix in thrillers worth viewing?
- Yes! Both Andhadhun and Drishyam are extremely suspenseful and unpredictable as well as enjoyed over and over again.
Whats the most family friendly movie?
- Badhaai Do (its humor and heart) or Mimi (its warmth and relatability) are the safer but good choices.
Does Netflix change its Bollywood repertoire regularly?
- Yes, most months (or even of ages where titles are added) you get a blend of new releases of theatrical successes and older classics.
