Madras Cafe

Drama – Thriller ‧ 2h 10m

Imdb – 7.7/10 | Rotten Tomatoes – 74%

Vikram, an Indian intelligence agent who visits Sri Lanka on a secret mission, finds himself in the middle of a civil war and a conspiracy to kill the former prime minister of India.

Why to watch

• Conspiracy to kill the former prime minister of India
• Spy thriller
• Intelligence agent & International journalist

Parmanu: The Story of Pokhran

Drama – Thriller ‧ 2h 9m

Imdb – 7.7/10 | Rotten Tomatoes – 87%

IAS officer Ashwat is tasked to lead an operation to develop and test nuclear weapons but must ensure that American intelligence agencies do not learn about it. Ashwat Raina and his teammates arrive in Pokhran to re-conduct a confidential nuclear test, where they face challenges from the American Lacrosse satellite and local spies.

Why to watch

• Story of India becoming Nuclear power
• A dedicated government officer & his team

Rang De Basanti

Drama – Patriotism ‧ 2h 51m

Imdb -8.2/10 | Rotten Tomatoes – 83%

When Sue selects a few students to portray various Indian freedom fighters in her film, she unwittingly awakens their patriotism. The emotional and mental process turns them into rebels for a cause.

Why to watch

• The balance between ideologies, reality and humor
• Aamir Khan and his gang

Romeo Akbar Walter

Drama – Spy Thriller ‧ 2h 30m

Imdb – 6.6/10 | Rotten Tomatoes – 17%

A bank cashier, Romeo, is recruited by India’s intelligence agency for espionage in Pakistan. However, he finds himself in challenging situations when his cover gets blown.

Why to watch

• A spy story
• Mouni Roy, Jackie Shroff and Sikander Kher acting

Also check Independence Day Playlist !

Phantom

Drama – Action ‧ 2h 16m

Imdb -5.8/10

Daniyal, a disgraced Indian soldier, and Nawaz, who works for an American security agency, face many trials and tribulations while they go on a dangerous mission to kill 26/11 suspects.

Why to watch

• Mission to Kill of 26/11 suspects
• A story you wish were true

Dangal

Drama – Sport ‧ 2h 49m

Imdb -8.4/10 | Rotten Tomatoes – 88%

Mahavir Singh Phogat, a former wrestler, decides to fulfil his dream of winning a gold medal for his country by training his daughters for the Commonwealth Games despite the existing social stigmas.

Why to watch

• Inspirational journey of a father who trains his daughters to become world class wrestlers.
• Aamir Khan as Mahavir Singh Phogat

Madaari

Drama – Crime ‧ 2h 13m

Imdb -7.5/10 | Rotten Tomatoes – 78%

Nirmal, a man who lost his son due to the negligence of the government, seeks revenge and kidnaps the ten-year-old son of the home minister, forcing the administration to meet his demands.

Why to watch

• Irfan Khan
• Fighting the system

Lagaan

Drama – British Era ‧ 3h 45m

Imdb -8.1/10 | Rotten Tomatoes – 95%

During the British Raj, a farmer named Bhuvan accepts the challenge of Captain Andrew Russell to beat his team in a game of cricket and enable his village to not pay taxes for the next three years.

Why to watch

• Aamir Khan as Bhuvan
• Village pride and everything is dependent on the outcome of the cricket match

Swades

Drama – Love for your Country ‧ 3h 30m

Imdb -8.310 | Rotten Tomatoes – 83%

Mohan, an Indian expatriate employed with NASA, travels to his country to track down his beloved nanny, Kaveri. During his stay, he finds himself advocating for reform in a village.

Why to watch

• Fall in Love with India
• Shah Rukh Khan & Gayatri Joshi

Also check Independence Day Playlist !

Padman

Drama – Entrepreneurship ‧ 2h 20m

Imdb – 8/10 | Rotten Tomatoes – 76%

Laxmikant is upset when he sees Gayatri, his wife, using an unhygienic cloth during her periods and decides to create a machine that could make sanitary pads at affordable prices, creating awareness.

Why to watch

• Inspired by the life of Arunachalam Muruganantham
• One man initiative has turned into a revolution

Aiyaary

Drama – Crime ‧ 2h 40m

Imdb – 5.2/10 | Rotten Tomatoes – 22%

After Colonel Abhay Singh and his protege, Jai Bakshi, have a fallout, Jai goes rogue and threatens to bring down the government. Learning about this, his mentor is forced to go after him.

Why to watch

• Dialogues are crisp and very well written
• Manoj Bajpayee, Sidharth Malhotra and Naseeruddin Shah

Force 2

Mystery – Crime ‧ 2h 7m

Imdb -8.2/10 | Rotten Tomatoes – 83%

ACP Yashwardhan, a dutiful and honest police officer, teams up with RAW agent Kamaljit Kaur to expose an inside informer who leaks sensitive information to a foreign agency targeting the RAW agents.

Why to watch

• Action Action Action
• John Abraham, Sonakshi Sinha and Tahir Raj Bhasin

Soorma

Drama – Sport ‧ 2h 11m

Imdb – 7.4/10 | Rotten Tomatoes – 50%

Sandeep, a hockey player, is left paralysed after a gunshot accidentally hits him. He decides to make a comeback to the sport and overcomes his disability to lead the Indian team to victory.

Why to watch

• Comeback with a bang
• Hockey

Toilet: Ek Prem Katha

Social Drama ‧ 2h 35m

Imdb – 7.3/10 | Rotten Tomatoes – 30%

Keshav falls in love with Jaya and gets married to her. However, she complains that there is no toilet in the house and he tries to pacify her with temporary arrangements.

Why to watch

• One man can bring social change
• Their Love is Inspiring

Also check Independence Day Playlist !

Featured Image Credit – Phantom movie poster