Best Indian Drama Movies

1,642 films · 606 with 3+ critic reviews

The backbone of Indian cinema — family sagas, social realism and character studies. The largest and most critically decorated category on the site.

The best Indian drama movies, ranked by aggregated critic score.

01The LunchboxHindi · 2013“While being an immensely enjoyable and competent film, the universality of The Lunchbox…” — Sanjukta Sharma

8.0

21 criticsExceptional02DangalHindi · 2016“This could be Aamir's best performance till date. Yes, even better than Lagaan. A man…” — Rohit Vats

7.7

32 criticsExceptional03CourtHindi · 2015“An accomplished piece of work whose natural tone is surreal...” — Anuj Kumar

7.7

21 criticsExceptional04PinkHindi · 2016“Pink shows what meticulous planning can do to a film. And, of course, Amitabh Bachchan's…” — Rohit Vats

7.6

34 criticsExceptional05QueenHindi · 2014“Ultimately Queen is Kangana's triumph. I left the theater thinking about Rani and how the…” — Anupama Chopra

7.6

30 criticsExceptional06Ship of TheseusHindi · 2013“Ship Of Theseus, no doubt, an intellectual exercise, the sort festival films often…” — Sarit Ray

7.6

19 criticsExceptional07NeerjaHindi · 2016“You don't even realise that it's the selflessness and courage of real characters you…” — Namrata Joshi

7.4

51 criticsRecommended08MasaanHindi · 2015“It has both humour and physical intimacy but unlike most indies it doesn't flaunt…” — Anuj Kumar

7.4

34 criticsRecommended09TitliHindi · 2015“No family is quite happy in Behl's imagination. Least of all the overtly happy one - that…” — Namrata Joshi

7.3

30 criticsRecommended10Kaaka MuttaiTamil · 2015“It is so entertaining that it's easy to forget how sad the undercurrents are. CM and PM…” — Baradwaj Rangan

7.3

18 criticsRecommended11PKHindi · 2014“Hirani's PK is no doubt a very important and relevant film for all of us who have…” — Sudhish Kamath

7.2

49 criticsRecommended12ShahidHindi · 2013“Shahid is an admirable project, but as a biopic, it is far short of a masterpiece.” — Sanjukta Sharma

7.2

27 criticsRecommended13Kai Po Che!Hindi · 2013“Kai Po Che! is Gujarati for "I've cut". It is used as a cry of victory in kite-flying…” — Anupama Chopra

7.2

20 criticsRecommended14PikuHindi · 2015“Piku speaks its truth with simplicity and heart. It made me laugh and cry. And I can get…” — Anupama Chopra

7.1

45 criticsRecommended15AligarhHindi · 2016“The film is a unique step forward in reality cinema in that it uses actual names of…” — Namrata Joshi

7.1

38 criticsRecommended16Kapoor & SonsHindi · 2016“For the want of a better term, Kapoor & Sons is an emotional roller coaster. It's a tear…” — Rohit Vats

7.1

37 criticsRecommended17NewtonHindi · 2017“Newton is one of the finest political satires we have seen in the last couple of years.…” — Rohit Vats

7.1

23 criticsRecommended18Gully BoyHindi · 2019“Ranveer Singh leads from the front in an empathetic, feel good tale about turning your…” — Namrata Joshi

7.1

25 criticsRecommended19Article 15Hindi · 2019“A Grim And Gripping Film That Deserves Our Applause...Subtlety is not his strong point,…” — Anupama Chopra

7.1

20 criticsRecommended20PapanasamTamil · 2015“'Papanasam' is a faithful, if not better remake. It's an exhilarating cocktail of family,…” — S. Shiva Kumar

7.1

19 criticsRecommended21KillaMarathi · 2015“Avinash Arun's incredible debut film explores unusual themes delicately and expertly --…” — Mihir Fadnavis

7.1

10 criticsRecommended22Bāhubali: The BeginningHindi · 2015“What really makes the film work is that it is, at its heart, a fast-paced adventure,…” — Mihir Fadnavis

7.0

46 criticsRecommended23UglyHindi · 2014“Anurag is so miserly with information that at one point you like to beseech him to part…” — Anuj Kumar

7.0

30 criticsRecommended24TalvarHindi · 2015“Talvar is an intriguing and gripping thriller and boasts of brilliant performances, witty…” — Sweta Kaushal

7.0

34 criticsRecommended25FilmistaanHindi · 2014“Small film with a huge heart (and unrealised potential) that deserves to be watched for…” — Sudhish Kamath

7.0

24 criticsRecommended26FandryMarathi · 2013“The beauty is that debutant director Nagraj Manjule doesn't give us a shrill polemic on…” — Anupama Chopra

7.0

10 criticsRecommended27AirliftHindi · 2016“Filmmaker Raja Krishna Menon fashions a taut, engaging feature film out of an incident…” — Namrata Joshi

6.9

40 criticsRecommended28HaiderHindi · 2014“An absolutely delightful and lyrical adaptation of Hamlet that takes some liberties, for…” — Sudhish Kamath

6.9

41 criticsRecommended29Baahubali 2Hindi · 2017“Baahubali is a delight for all those who enjoy cinema as a visual medium, there is not…” — Hindustan Times

6.9

35 criticsRecommended30RaaziHindi · 2018“The actors sometimes falter with their accent and dialect, but intrigue around Sehmat's…” — Rohit Vats

6.9

27 criticsRecommended31RRRTelugu · 2022“There is a story that can potentially move you, make you weep for the characters — but it…” — Sangeetha Devi Dundoo

6.9

20 criticsRecommended32ChittagongHindi · 2012“An absolute must watch.” — Saibal Chatterjee

6.9

12 criticsRecommended33KahaaniHindi · 2012“The first-rate performances help steer it to shore - from Vidya Balan to Parambrata…” — Anupama Chopra

6.9

11 criticsRecommended34Love Sex aur DhokhaHindi · 2010“It's a sort of flick you ideally discover without burdens of expectation: a caveat you…” — Mayank Shekhar

6.9

11 criticsRecommended35Bethlehem Kudumba UnitMalayalam · 2026“Girish AD does something similar with the audience. He places us firmly amid this bunch…” — S.R. Praveen

6.9

14 criticsRecommended36Harishchandrachi FactoryMarathi · 2009“The storytelling techniques used by the writer, director and theatre personality Paresh…” — Zeenews Bureau

6.9

10 criticsRecommended37Nil Battey SannataHindi · 2016“Bhaskar affirms this with a rare power and simplicity -- a yawning difference from the…” — Gautaman Bhaskaran

6.8

28 criticsRecommended38KatiyabaazHindi · 2014“The good, bad and ugly side of power politics in Kanpur that reflects the dark underbelly…” — Anuj Kumar

6.8

21 criticsRecommended39Qissa: The Tale of a Lonely GhostPunjabi · 2015“Watch out for this Qissa and prepare to have your mind blown....an uncompromising film…” — Sudhish Kamath

6.8

16 criticsRecommended40Mukti BhawanHindi · 2017“In the end, rather than being about the heavy religious stuff, it is about universal…” — Sarit Ray

6.8

15 criticsRecommended41Chak De! IndiaHindi · 2007“Of the girls, the little stick of dynamite Chitrashi Rawat, the independent-minded…” — Hindustan Times

6.8

11 criticsRecommended42Superboys of MalegaonHindi · 2025“Despite an efficient ensemble of actors and honest moments of camaraderie, Reema's…” — Anuj Kumar

6.8

12 criticsRecommended43VisaranaiTamil · 2016“A powerful, chilling drama about how the System toys with us...” — Baradwaj Rangan

6.8

12 criticsRecommended44Dum Laga Ke HaishaHindi · 2015“If you belong to post-90s generation, you may still find Dum Laga Ke Haisha worth a dekko…” — Sweta Kaushal

6.7

40 criticsRecommended45BadlapurHindi · 2015“The supporting players — from Huma to Kumud Mishra — are terrific. But ultimately,…” — Anupama Chopra

6.7

42 criticsRecommended46Finding FannyHindi · 2014“Things get untangled rather easily towards the end making one feel that Homi hasn't paid…” — Anuj Kumar

6.7

41 criticsRecommended47SanjuHindi · 2018“Sanju is another gem in Ranbir Kapoor's repertoire, but the same can't be said about…” — Rohit Vats

6.7

34 criticsRecommended48OctoberHindi · 2018“Death is the finale for only the one who dies. October underlines this with melancholy…” — Namrata Joshi

6.7

33 criticsRecommended49MukkabaazHindi · 2018“The realistic finale which is more about off-bout negotiations than a knock-out punch end…” — Namrata Joshi

6.7

25 criticsRecommended50English VinglishHindi · 2012“English Vinglish falters in the second half. The pace drops and Shashi's English class…” — Anupama Chopra

6.7

13 criticsRecommended

See all 1,642 Indian drama films →

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