Friday, 07 March 2025
Friday, 07 March 2025
From heartwarming romance dramas to cult comedies and gripping thrillers to impactful biographies, a series of iconic Bollywood films turn 20 this year. Here’s a quick look at 10 such movies you can stream online.
Salaam Namaste:
This Saif Ali Khan and Preity Zinta-starrer marks Siddharth Anand’s directorial debut. Also starring Arshad Warsi, Tania Zaetta and Jugal Hansraj, Salaam Namaste shows Nick (Saif) and Ambar (Preity) navigating challenges and disagreements in a relationship. Released theatrically on September 9, 2005, the film was produced by Aditya Chopra under the banner of Yash Raj Films.
Where to watch: Prime Video
Garam Masala:
An ensemble comedy starring Akshay Kumar, John Abraham, Paresh Rawal, Rimi Sen, Neha Dhupia and Rajpal Yadav, Garam Masala follows the adventures of two photographers, Makarand "Mac" Deendayal Chatpatiya (Akshay) and Shyam "Sam" Salgaonkar (John), who date multiple women at the same time. Written and directed by Priyadarshan, the film depicts how Mac and Sam land in a soup for their philandering behaviour.
Where to watch: Disney+ Hotstar
Bunty Aur Babli:
Directed by Shaad Ali and produced by Yash Raj Films, Bunty Aur Babli follows two starry-eyed youngsters, Rakesh (Abhishek Bachchan) and Vimmi (Rani Mukerji), who turn to conning after their honest attempts at pursuing careers of their choice suffer a setback. However, with JCP Dashrath Singh (Amitabh Bachchan) determined to hunt them down, their love story turns out to be just as adventurous as it is romantic.
Where to watch: Prime Video
Black:
Co-written, directed and co-produced by Sanjay Leela Bhansali, Black explores the relationship between Michelle (Rani Mukerji), a deaf and blind woman, and her teacher Debraj (Amitabh Bachchan), an elderly alcoholic teacher who is eventually diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease. The film also bagged three honours at the 2005 National Film Awards for best feature film in Hindi, best actor and best costume design.
Where to watch: Netflix
Parineeta:
Vidya Balan made her Hindi film debut with Pradeep Sarkar’s Parineeta, an adaptation of Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay's 1914 Bengali novella of the same name. The story revolves around friends-turned-lovers Lalita (Vidya) and Shekhar (Saif) whose relationship faces a roadblock due to the conniving schemes of Shekhar's father (played by Sabyasachi Chakrabarty). Also starring Sanjay Dutt, Raima Sen and Dia Mirza, Parineeta earned Pradeep Sarkar the trophy for best debut film of a director at the 2007 National Film Awards.
Where to watch: Prime Video
Page 3:
Konkona Sensharma’s Hindi film debut Page 3 revolves around three flatmates in Mumbai — Madhavi (Konkona), Pearl (Sandhya Mridul) and Gayatri (Tara Sharma Saluja). While Madhavi is a journalist on Page 3 beat, Pearl is an air hostess and Gayatri is an aspiring actress. The film explores the dark underbelly of the glamour world. Directed by Madhur Bhandarkar, Page 3 won three National Awards in 2007 for best screenplay, best editing and best film.
Where to watch: Prime Video
Dus:
An action thriller directed by Anubhav Sinha, Dus follows a special anti-terrorism team, the Anti-Terrorist Cell (ATC), led by Siddhant (Sanjay Dutt) and Shashank (Abhishek Bachchan). They race against time to stop the mysterious man named Jamwal from carrying out a terrorist attack. The film features high-octane action, stylish cinematography, and a star-studded cast, including Suniel Shetty, Zayed Khan, Shilpa Shetty and Esha Deol. Its title track, Dus Bahane, also became a chartbuster.
Where to watch: JioCinema
Sarkar:
Ram Gopal Varma's Sarkar is a political crime thriller inspired by Francis Ford Coppola’s The Godfather (1972). Starring Amitabh Bachchan as Subhash Nagre, a powerful leader, the film explores themes of power, loyalty, and justice. Abhishek Bachchan and Kay Kay Menon play his sons, with Abhishek’s character stepping up after an assassination attempt on his father. Its success led to sequels, Sarkar Raj (2008) and Sarkar 3 (2017).
Where to watch: Amazon MX Player
Mangal Pandey: The Rising:
This Ketan Mehta-directed historical drama stars Aamir Khan in the titular role. Mangal Pandey: The Rising depicts how Mangal Pandey played an instrumental role in spearheading the revolt of 1857, also known as India’s first war of independence. The film also delves into Pandey’s camaraderie with Captain William Gordon (Toby Stephens), and his relationship with a courtesan named Heera (Rani Mukerji). The film premiered in the Marché du Film section of the 2005 Cannes Film Festival.
Where to watch: JioCinema
Paheli:
Directed by Amol Palekar and starring Shah Rukh Khan and Rani Mukerji, Paheli is a fantasy film based on the Rajasthani short story Duvidha by Vijayadan Detha. The story — narrated by two puppets, voiced by Naseeruddin Shah and Ratna Pathak Shah — follows Lachchi (Rani) a young, enthusiastic Rajasthani village girl who marries Kishanlal, the son of a wealthy merchant. When Kishanlal goes on a business trip, a ghost visits Lachchi in her husband’s form. When Kishanlal returns, Lachhi is torn between her love for the ghost and loyalty for her husband. Paheli was India's official entry to the 79th Academy Awards and also earned Shreya Ghoshal a National Award for best playback singer (female) for the song Dheere Jalna.
Where to watch: Netflix
