123 Bollywood Movies Best [top]

43. PK (2014) – An alien questions God – and box office records. 42. Haider (2014) – Vishal Bhardwaj’s Shakespearean Kashmir tragedy. 41. Baby (2015) – A no-nonsense counter-terrorism operation. 40. Bajrangi Bhaijaan (2015) – A Hanuman devotee takes a mute girl to Pakistan. 39. Piku (2015) – Amitabh Bachchan’s constipation and a road trip. 38. Talvar (2015) – The unbiased retelling of the Aarushi murder case. 37. Neerja (2016) – The bravery of a flight purser. 36. Dangal (2016) – Aamir Khan as Mahavir Phogat. Highest grosser ever. 35. Hindi Medium (2017) – Class divide and school admissions. 34. Raees (2017) – A bootlegger with a heart. 33. Tumhari Sulu (2017) – A housewife becomes a late-night radio jockey. 32. Andhadhun (2018) – A blind pianist, a murder, and ten twists. 31. Padmaavat (2018) – Bhansali’s extreme opulence and controversy. 30. Raazi (2018) – Alia Bhatt as a Kashmiri spy married to a Pakistani. 29. Hichki (2018) – Rani Mukerji as a teacher with Tourette’s syndrome. 28. Badhaai Ho (2018) – A couple gets pregnant at 50. Awkward comedy. 27. Sanju (2018) – Ranbir Kapoor’s transformation into Sanjay Dutt. 26. Uri: The Surgical Strike (2019) – "How’s the josh?" Patriotic mania. 25. Gully Boy (2019) – Street rappers from the slums of Mumbai. 24. Mission Mangal (2019) – The women behind the Mars mission. 23. Article 15 (2019) – A cop investigates caste-based rape. 22. Chhichhore (2019) – Hostel pressures and college nostalgia. 21. War (2019) – The slickest action thriller (Hrithik vs. Tiger). 20. Good Newwz (2019) – IVF mix-up comedy. Part 6: The OTT & Experimental Age (2021 - 2024) Movies 19 to 1

Save this list. Watch one film a week. In two years, you will have a PhD in Bollywood.

73. Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham (2001) – The ultimate melodrama. 72. Devdas (2002) – Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s visual orgy of gold and tears. 71. Kal Ho Naa Ho (2003) – The tragic rom-com set in New York. 70. Swades (2004) – Shah Rukh Khan’s finest performance as an NASA scientist. 69. Veer-Zaara (2004) – A love story spanning 22 years and two rival nations. 68. Rang De Basanti (2006) – The film that changed Indian activism. 67. Lage Raho Munna Bhai (2006) – Gandhi goes to the mob. 66. Chak De! India (2007) – The greatest sports film about women’s hockey. 65. Taare Zameen Par (2007) – Aamir Khan’s directorial debut on dyslexia. 64. Jab We Met (2007) – The perfect road trip romance. 63. Rock On!! (2008) – Resurrecting the Indian rock music scene. 62. A Wednesday! (2008) – A common man’s threat to the police. 61. Dev.D (2009) – Anurag Kashyap’s punk reimagining of Devdas. 60. 3 Idiots (2009) – A satire on the education system. 59. Ghajini (2008) – Aamir Khan’s shredded physique & short-term memory loss. 58. Dabangg (2010) – Salman Khan’s "Bhai" persona begins. 57. My Name Is Khan (2010) – Rizwan Khan: "I am not a terrorist." 56. Udaan (2010) – A father’s abuse and a boy’s poetry. 55. Band Baaja Baaraat (2010) – Wedding planning and broken hearts. 54. Guzaarish (2010) – Euthanasia and magic realism. 53. No One Killed Jessica (2011) – Based on the Jessica Lal murder case. 52. Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara (2011) – The ultimate bucket list road trip. 51. The Dirty Picture (2011) – Based on the life of Silk Smitha. 50. Barfi! (2012) – A silent, charming love triangle. 49. Kahaani (2012) – A pregnant widow hunting for her husband in Kolkata. 48. Gangs of Wasseypur (2012) – Two parts, five hours, blood, coal, and revenge. 47. English Vinglish (2012) – Sridevi’s comeback on self-respect. 46. Bhaag Milkha Bhaag (2013) – The Flying Sikh’s biography. 45. Chennai Express (2013) – Rohit Shetty’s mass masala comedy. Part 5: The Content-Driven Era (2014 - 2020) Movies 44 to 20 123 bollywood movies best

Happy watching, cinephiles!

(Spoiler: It is probably Sholay or DDLJ – and that is perfectly fine.) the Mumbai-based Hindi film industry

The 1970s saw the rise of , the "Angry Young Man" who fought for the common man against corrupt systems. The "masala" film (action, comedy, romance, drama all in one) was born.

122. Kagaz Ke Phool (1959) – A heartbreaking film within a film. 121. Mother India (1957) – India’s first submission to the Oscars. 120. Mughal-e-Azam (1960) – An epic historical romance. 119. Shree 420 (1955) – Raj Kapoor’s satire on greed. 118. Guide (1965) – Dev Anand in a spiritual transformation. 117. Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam (1962) – The decadence of royalty. 116. Bandini (1963) – A prison drama with a soul. 115. Chaudhvin Ka Chand (1960) – Poetic Urdu dialogue. 114. Parakh (1960) – Satyajit Ray’s social comedy. 113. Jis Desh Mein Ganga Behti Hai (1960) – Nationalism at its best. 112. Sujata (1959) – Tackling the caste system in romance. 111. Do Bigha Zamin (1953) – The pioneer of Indian neorealism. 110. Devdas (1955) – Dilip Kumar’s definitive tragic lover. Part 2: The Angry Young Man Era (1970s) Movies 109 to 85 produces over 1

Bollywood, the Mumbai-based Hindi film industry, produces over 1,000 films annually. Sorting through the noise to find the gold is difficult. That is why we have curated the definitive ranking of the —from the black-and-white era of the 1950s to the experimental blockbusters of the 2020s.