Bollywood movies are among the most popular around the world, but it’s not just because of the massive Desi diaspora in many countries. Bollywood, the name of the entertainment industry producing Hindi-language cinema, has become well-known for its long movies that draw out all the emotions throughout their running times. From breakups to make-ups in a romance movie, as well as some pretty epic dance numbers that seemingly include an entire neighborhood getting in on the action, there’s plenty to enjoy with this kind of cinema.
But Hindi cinema can be serious, too, putting on all the stops for action and melodrama. While it’s not representative of all the movies coming out in India, one of the most culturally and linguistically diverse nations in the world, several films have now become well-established classics in the Indian cinema world and can be watched globally. That said, these Bollywood movies might have come out relatively recently, but are now classics because their characters and stories are so loved.
Honorable mentions to circle back to once you check out the list below.
- Sholay (1975)
- Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham (2001)
- Dil Chahta Hai (2001)
- Taare Zameen Par (2007)
- Gully Boy (2019)
- Mughal-e-Azam (1960)
10
‘Andaz Apna Apna’ (1994)
An Enduring Comedic Favorite
Released in 1994, Andaz Apna Apna stars Aamir Khan and Salman Khan as two young men who find themselves in a similar situation. After learning that a millionaire’s daughter is looking for a husband, they decide that it’s going to be them. When they pursue her, they meet and realize they’re competitors, leading to some interesting circumstances throughout the movie.
Throughout the years, this film has become a cult classic despite not doing too well at the box office. Andaz Apna Apna is an incredible comedy that, even after all this time, remains a timeless piece. And for many who grew up with the movie or had their coming-of-age in the 90s, it’s remained a vital part of the movie scene.
9
‘Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge’ (1995)
A Defining 90s Romance
In Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge, Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol star as two young Indians who decide, separately, to go on a trip throughout Europe. When they end up meeting, they fall in love, but because she has been promised to another man by her father, it isn’t going to work out for them, or so it seems on the surface. It is one of the most iconic Indian movies of the ’90s.
Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge is a staple in Shah Rukh Khan’s filmography and is steeped in nostalgia for one of the greatest periods of Hindi cinema in the 1990s and 2000s. Not only are Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol great in their leading roles, but the movie also touches on many themes that remain relevant today in Indian families and society, particularly around love and marriage.
8
‘Queen’ (2013)
A Solo Trip to Self-Discovery
The protagonist of Queen is Rani (literally “Queen”), and her life is falling apart before her eyes. Only days before the wedding, her beloved fiancé calls it off, and, in a moment to try and find herself, Rani decides to go on her honeymoon to Europe anyway. Despite her parents’ concern about her traveling alone, this trip to Europe will prove life-changing for her. The people she’ll meet along the way, too, will completely change her perspective on herself and the world.
Although there are some questionable forms of representation that lean stereotypically in Queen, the message that this young woman can go off on her own and be who she wants to be is inspiring. Despite the hardship she faces from her fiancé, who completely disregards her feelings, she can still create her own joy. That’s a message many women need.
7
‘3 Idiots’ (2009)
Friendship Versus the System
Aamir Khan, R. Madhavan, and Sharman Joshi are the 3 Idiots described in the movie’s title, having originally met while studying at university. When entering an engineering college, their lives are just beginning, and as friendship and conflict boil over throughout the movie, the definition of what it means to be a friend shifts. 10 years later, things might look completely different for these three, and that’s okay.
3 Idiots is a comedy that knows its genre and place while still managing to be a critique of the education system in India at the time. This is a movie that is a work of art despite its title suggesting it might not be, and it shows that sometimes the best comedies arise from situations that feel personal.
6
‘Lagaan’ (2001)
Taxes Settled on the Cricket Pitch
In Lagaan, released in 2001, the setting is a rural village under colonial rule. When the droughts that year prevented the crops from coming on time, the farmers asked the British for an exemption from the tax. An agreement is made: if the farmers can make a cricket team and beat the British team, their fees could be canceled for the next two years. But if they lose, their taxes will triple instead.
Lagaan is a classic Bollywood movie in that it takes an extremely dramatic subject and turns it into something else by adopting a musical format. It’s unlike many movies that came before it in how it does so, and because of that uniqueness, it stands out in the history of Hindi cinema as not only an epic but also a love story and a musical.
5
‘Om Shanti Om’ (2007)
Reincarnation and Revenge
Shah Rukh Khan and Deepika Padukone star in the must-watch Om Shanti Om, which is the story of a poor young man’s dreams of becoming a Bollywood star. After falling in love with a famous actress, he gets entangled in her affair and ultimately loses his life because of it. But when he reincarnates as another successful actor, he remembers what he lost and thirsts for revenge.
There are some moments in Om Shanti Om that are just so out of the box that the movie will make any viewer’s jaw drop, making it a delight to watch on-screen. Not only is the movie’s production value excellent, but it also features some superb songs and dance numbers.
4
‘Chachi 420’ (1997)
A Father in Disguise
Released in 1997, Chachi 420 is a remake of a Tamil movie that’s based on the American movie Mrs. Doubtfire. The film opens with Jaiprakash and Janki fighting over a divorce case, and when the proceedings conclude and everything is finalized, Jaiprakash loses his right to visit their daughter after he tries to take her back. Despite this, he disguises himself as a female nanny to continue befriending her.
Fans of the original movie Mrs. Doubtfire will certainly love the content of this movie, as it’s pretty much similar except in a more Indian context. Although it’s vastly underrated in the landscape of Hindi cinema, it’s the perfect example of how a tight script, production, and cast can create a unique cinematic experience.
3
‘Karan Arjun’ (1995)
Brothers Reborn for Revenge
Karan Arjun is an epic ’90s movie, and there are plenty of reasons why. Two brothers (Salman Khan and Shah Rukh Khan) have to cope with the death of their father, but once they realize he has actually been murdered by their uncle, they decide to go down the path of revenge. But when he kills them too, they reincarnate and remember what they set out to do in their past lives.
This is a story of revenge taken to the max, featuring some of the most beloved Bollywood tropes before they became even more solidified in the later part of the decade and in the early 2000s. Karan Arjun is quite unforgettable because of the twists it implements, raising the stakes and drama to all-new heights just when you think it couldn’t get any higher.
2
‘Haider’ (2014)
Hamlet Set in Kashmir
Haider is a Bollywood take on Shakespeare‘s Hamlet, set specifically in the context of the conflict in Kashmir. Its protagonist is Haider, who returns home to Kashmir to find out what happened to his missing father. When he realizes people he trusted might have been involved with the potential murder, Haider slowly begins to go mad, questioning everything and everyone he once believed to be innocent.
Haider can be a disturbing movie to watch because of its content, and while it is fictional, what is happening in the region isn’t. Film is a unique medium for capturing the essence of a movement in certain regions, and Haider does just that with the Kashmir conflict, humanizing a character radicalized by betrayal and the loss of his father.
1
‘Barfi!’ (2012)
A Love Story Without Words
Ranbir Kapoor stars as Barfi in Barfi!, and, while living in Darjeeling as a young man, his character is considered the local troublemaker. When he falls in love with a girl, he is rejected because he is disabled and doesn’t have money, but this isn’t the end to his story. When an autistic childhood friend (played by Priyanka Chopra) is kidnapped, he finds her, and they run away to Kolkata together.
Barfi!, although it doesn’t cast disabled actors in its lead roles, was a step toward better representation in film. Its main characters are disabled and considered neurodivergent by those around them, yet they’re treated humanely in the context of the film and how they’re depicted. There’s quite a bit of story packed into Barfi!, making it a wonderful ride of a film to go through, leaving some in tears by the time it reaches its climax.
Make sure you let us know which Bollywood movies you now consider classics in the comments.
