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Celluloid

Indian cinema (Bollywood, Tollywood & beyond)

Best Movies from India

From Hindi masala epics and Telugu blockbusters to Malayalam arthouse and indie festival breakouts, Indian film is one of the world's largest and most varied industries — over a billion tickets sold annually across dozens of languages.

Quick Answer

The highest-rated India film on Celluloid is All We Imagine as Light (2024) with a 87% Celluloid Score — Recommended. New to India cinema? Start with 3 Idiots.

107
Films indexed
41%
Avg. Celluloid Score
8
Languages
63
Critic reviews

Guide to India Movies on Celluloid

Celluloid tracks Indian releases with a four-input Celluloid Score — editorial rating, Metascore, Letterboxd, and IMDb. Audience sentiment is shown on each page but excluded from the composite. Whether you are discovering Sholay for the first time or catching up on RRR before the next Rajamouli event film, each entry includes consensus text, cast, runtime, and linked critic reviews optimised for search and answer engines.

Our India catalogue spans Hindi (Bollywood), Telugu (Tollywood), Tamil, Malayalam, and English-language co-productions — reflecting how Indian audiences watch across regional industries, not a single monolithic "Bollywood" label.

Essential India Picks

Top 5 by Celluloid Score
All We Imagine as Light 2024 · Payal Kapadia · Malayalam

Payal Kapadia threads together the quiet loneliness of three Mumbai nurses with a patience that rewards close attention, resulting in a work of remarkable tenderness and visual poise.

87%
Celluloid Score Recommended
Sholay 1975 · Ramesh Sippy · Hindi

India's definitive masala western — endlessly quoted, remade in spirit, never surpassed.

87%
Celluloid Score Recommended
RRR 2022 · S. S. Rajamouli · Telugu

Rajamouli's blockbuster became a global phenomenon and redefined scale for Indian cinema.

85%
Celluloid Score Recommended
Baahubali 2: The Conclusion 2017 · S. S. Rajamouli · Telugu

Rajamouli's conclusion delivered record-breaking spectacle and cemented pan-Indian event filmmaking.

83%
Celluloid Score Recommended
Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge 1995 · Aditya Chopra · Hindi

The longest-running theatrical romance in Indian history — DDLJ defined a generation of Bollywood love stories.

83%
Celluloid Score Recommended

India Movie Reviews

All reviews →

Full critic reviews with answer-engine summaries — each review answers whether the film is worth watching, what it is about, and where to stream it.

All We Imagine as Light (2024) ★★★★☆

All We Imagine as Light (2024) Review: An Indian Cinema Essential

Payal Kapadia threads together the quiet loneliness of three Mumbai nurses with a patience that rewards close attention, resulting in a work of remarkable tenderness and visual poise.

Essential viewing — among the finest films in Indian cinema.
Sholay (1975) ★★★★½

Sholay (1975) Review: An Indian Cinema Essential

India's definitive masala western — endlessly quoted, remade in spirit, never surpassed.

Essential viewing — among the finest films in Indian cinema.
RRR (2022) ★★★★½

RRR (2022) Review: An Indian Cinema Essential

Rajamouli's blockbuster became a global phenomenon and redefined scale for Indian cinema.

Essential viewing — among the finest films in Indian cinema.
Gangs of Wasseypur (2012) ★★★★★

Gangs of Wasseypur (2012) Review: Coal, Blood, and Hindi Cinema’s Great Crime Epic

Anurag Kashyap’s coal-dust epic is Hindi cinema’s great modern gangster saga — sprawling, funny, brutal, and endlessly quotable.

A Celluloid Pick — essential crime cinema, not just essential Hindi cinema.
Baahubali 2: The Conclusion (2017) ★★★★½

Baahubali 2: The Conclusion (2017) Review: An Indian Cinema Essential

Rajamouli's conclusion delivered record-breaking spectacle and cemented pan-Indian event filmmaking.

Strongly recommended — a defining title from its era.
Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (1995) ★★★★½

Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (1995) Review: An Indian Cinema Essential

The longest-running theatrical romance in Indian history — DDLJ defined a generation of Bollywood love stories.

Essential viewing — among the finest films in Indian cinema.
Andhadhun (2018) ★★★★½

Andhadhun (2018) Review: An Indian Cinema Essential

Raghavan's darkly comic thriller became a word-of-mouth phenomenon across India and abroad.

Essential viewing — among the finest films in Indian cinema.
Lagaan (2001) ★★★★½

Lagaan (2001) Review: An Indian Cinema Essential

An underdog sports epic so grand it earned India its first Oscar nomination for Best Foreign Language Film.

Essential viewing — among the finest films in Indian cinema.
12th Fail (2023) ★★★★½

12th Fail (2023) Review

Vidhu Vinod Chopra's 12th Fail (2023) remains a defining Drama landmark from India, with scores that still shape how audiences discover the title.

Strongly recommended — holds up for new and returning viewers.
K.G.F: Chapter 2 (2022) ★★★★☆

K.G.F: Chapter 2 (2022) Review

Prashanth Neel's K.G.F: Chapter 2 (2022) remains a defining Action landmark from India, with scores that still shape how audiences discover the title.

Strongly recommended — holds up for new and returning viewers.
Vikram (2022) ★★★★☆

Vikram (2022) Review

Lokesh Kanagaraj's Vikram (2022) remains a defining Action landmark from India, with scores that still shape how audiences discover the title.

Strongly recommended — holds up for new and returning viewers.
Queen (2013) ★★★★½

Queen (2013) Review: An Indian Cinema Essential

Kangana Ranaut's breakout turns heartbreak into liberation with wit, charm, and genuine surprise.

Essential viewing — among the finest films in Indian cinema.
K.G.F: Chapter 1 (2018) ★★★★☆

K.G.F: Chapter 1 (2018) Review

Prashanth Neel's K.G.F: Chapter 1 (2018) remains a defining Action landmark from India, with scores that still shape how audiences discover the title.

Strongly recommended — holds up for new and returning viewers.
Manjummel Boys (2024) ★★★★☆

Manjummel Boys (2024) Review

Chidambaram's Manjummel Boys (2024) remains a defining Adventure landmark from India, with scores that still shape how audiences discover the title.

Strongly recommended — holds up for new and returning viewers.
Baahubali: The Beginning (2015) ★★★★☆

Baahubali: The Beginning (2015) Review

S. S. Rajamouli's Baahubali: The Beginning (2015) remains a defining Action landmark from India, with scores that still shape how audiences discover the title.

Strongly recommended — holds up for new and returning viewers.
Premalu (2024) ★★★★☆

Premalu (2024) Review

Girish A. D.'s Premalu (2024) remains a defining Romance landmark from India, with scores that still shape how audiences discover the title.

Strongly recommended — holds up for new and returning viewers.
Taare Zameen Par (2007) ★★★★★

Taare Zameen Par (2007) Review: The Hindi Classroom Classic That Still Stings

Aamir Khan’s directorial debut remains a landmark of Hindi humanist cinema — tender, didactic, and still urgent about how schools fail different minds.

Essential — a Celluloid Pick and one of modern Hindi drama’s defining acts of empathy.
3 Idiots (2009) ★★★★½

3 Idiots (2009) Review: An Indian Cinema Essential

Hirani's crowd-pleaser balances laughs and social critique with rare emotional precision.

Essential viewing — among the finest films in Indian cinema.
PK (2014) ★★★★½

PK (2014) Review: An Indian Cinema Essential

Hirani turns satire into mass entertainment without losing his signature warmth.

Strongly recommended — a defining title from its era.
Mersal (2017) ★★★½☆

Mersal (2017) Review: Atlee’s Dual-Role Sermon with Set Pieces

Thalapathy Vijay plays doctor and magician against a medical-corruption plot — Tamil mass cinema as public-health pamphlet, with A. R. Rahman on the soundtrack.

Recommended for Vijay/Atlee fans — political punch, uneven as drama.
Drishyam (2015) ★★★★☆

Drishyam (2015) Review

Nishikant Kamat's Drishyam (2015) remains a defining Mystery landmark from India, with scores that still shape how audiences discover the title.

Strongly recommended — holds up for new and returning viewers.
Ponniyin Selvan: Part I (2022) ★★★★☆

Ponniyin Selvan: Part I (2022) Review

Mani Ratnam's Ponniyin Selvan: Part I (2022) remains a defining Action landmark from India, with scores that still shape how audiences discover the title.

Strongly recommended — holds up for new and returning viewers.
Ponniyin Selvan: Part II (2023) ★★★★☆

Ponniyin Selvan: Part II (2023) Review

Mani Ratnam's Ponniyin Selvan: Part II (2023) remains a defining Action landmark from India, with scores that still shape how audiences discover the title.

Strongly recommended — holds up for new and returning viewers.
Tumbbad (2018) ★★★★☆

Tumbbad (2018) Review

Rahi Anil Barve's Tumbbad (2018) remains a defining Fantasy landmark from India, with scores that still shape how audiences discover the title.

Strongly recommended — holds up for new and returning viewers.
Girls Will Be Girls (2024) ★★★★☆

Girls Will Be Girls (2024) Review: An Indian Cinema Essential

Shuchi Talati turns a teenage romance at a strict Himalayan boarding school into a sly examination of inherited shame, with a mother-daughter rivalry that gives the coming-of-age formula real bite.

Essential viewing — among the finest films in Indian cinema.
Ghilli (2004) ★★★½☆

Ghilli (2004) Review: The Kabaddi Romance That Minted a Generation’s Vijay

Dharani’s Tamil mass entertainer still plays like a stadium chant — Vijay, Trisha, and Prakash Raj in the kabaddi romance every later Kollywood blockbuster is answering.

Essential Tamil mass cinema — start here if you want to understand Thalapathy Vijay before the LCU.
Master (2021) ★★★½☆

Master (2021) Review: Professor vs Gangster, Pandemic-Era Voltage

Lokesh Kanagaraj pits Thalapathy Vijay against Vijay Sethupathi in a juvenile-home crime saga — the theatrical event that kept Tamil mass cinema loud during the pandemic.

Strongly recommended for the star clash — baggy as a crime film, electric as an event.
Pushpa: The Rise (2021) ★★★½☆

Pushpa: The Rise (2021) Review: Swagger as Industrial Policy

Sukumar and Allu Arjun turn red-sandalwood smuggling into a pan-India catchphrase machine — uneven as crime drama, irresistible as star mythology.

Worth watching for Allu Arjun’s walk and Fahadh Faasil’s counterweight — not for narrative elegance.
Bajrangi Bhaijaan (2015) ★★★½☆

Bajrangi Bhaijaan (2015) Review: Salman’s Warmest Cross-Border Crowd-Pleaser

Kabir Khan turns a mute child’s journey home into Salman Khan’s most generous star vehicle — sentimental, politically blunt, and still the Hindi film people recommend to first-timers.

Worth watching for the heart and Nawazuddin’s mischief — not for subtle geopolitics.
Laapataa Ladies (2024) ★★★★☆

Laapataa Ladies (2024) Review

Kiran Rao's Laapataa Ladies (2024) remains a defining Comedy landmark from India, with scores that still shape how audiences discover the title.

Strongly recommended — holds up for new and returning viewers.
Santosh (2024) ★★★★☆

Santosh (2024) Review: An Indian Cinema Essential

Shahana Goswami anchors this tense police drama with a quietly seething performance, as Sandhya Suri uses a small-town murder case to expose the caste and gender fault lines running through the system.

Essential viewing — among the finest films in Indian cinema.
Leo (2023) ★★★½☆

Leo (2023) Review: Thalapathy Inside the Lokesh Cinematic Universe

Lokesh Kanagaraj gives Vijay a dual-identity crime role with cafe-owner calm and hyena violence — stylish LCU mythology that is sharper in pieces than as a whole.

Worth watching for Vijay vs Sanjay Dutt and the interval craft — not as the tightest LCU entry.
Sitaare Zameen Par (2025) ★★★½☆

Sitaare Zameen Par (2025) Review: Aamir’s Coaching Drama, Again

R. S. Prasanna and Aamir Khan return to feel-good mentorship — basketball, a team of intellectually disabled players, and the ghost of Taare Zameen Par.

Warm, crowd-pleasing, and safer than the title’s namesake — recommended if you liked Dangal’s coaching arc.
Gully Boy (2019) ★★★★☆

Gully Boy (2019) Review

Zoya Akhtar's Gully Boy (2019) remains a defining Drama landmark from India, with scores that still shape how audiences discover the title.

Strongly recommended — holds up for new and returning viewers.
Pushpa 2 - The Rule (2024) ★★★½☆

Pushpa 2: The Rule (2024) Review: Empire, Excess, and a 225-Minute Dare

Sukumar doubles down on Allu Arjun’s iconography in one of Indian cinema’s biggest openings — a vengeful empire sequel that asks for a full evening and still leaves plot on the cutting-room floor.

Watch if the first film’s swagger hooked you — skip if three-hour mass sequels drain you.
Firaaq (2009) ★★★½☆

Firaaq (2009) Review

Nandita Das's Firaaq (2009) remains a defining Drama landmark from India, with scores that still shape how audiences discover the title.

Strongly recommended — holds up for new and returning viewers.
Dangal (2016) ★★★★½

Dangal (2016) Review: An Indian Cinema Essential

Aamir Khan anchors an inspiring true story that became one of the highest-grossing Indian films worldwide.

Strongly recommended — a defining title from its era.
Jailer (2023) ★★★½☆

Jailer (2023) Review

Nelson Dilipkumar's Jailer (2023) remains a defining Action landmark from India, with scores that still shape how audiences discover the title.

Worth watching — solid entertainment with lasting cultural visibility.
Kalki 2898 AD (2024) ★★★½☆

Kalki 2898 AD (2024) Review

Nag Ashwin's Kalki 2898 AD (2024) remains a defining Drama landmark from India, with scores that still shape how audiences discover the title.

Worth watching — solid entertainment with lasting cultural visibility.
Jawan (2023) ★★★½☆

Jawan (2023) Review: Vigilante Maximalism as Star Theology

Atlee and Shah Rukh Khan deliver maximalist vigilante spectacle — uneven as drama, irresistible as star vehicle.

Worth watching for the set pieces and SRK’s dual-mode charisma — not for narrative elegance.
Dhurandhar: The Revenge (2026) ★★★½☆

Dhurandhar: The Revenge Review — India's 2026 Box-Office King Divides Critics

Ranveer Singh's 229-minute spy revenge epic became India's #1 H1 2026 grosser with 92% audience heat — even as critics stalled at 68% and Metacritic stayed silent.

Not a critic's film — an event you respect on its own maximalist terms, then return to stronger Hindi catalog titles for balance.
Kapoor & Sons (2016) ★★★☆☆

Kapoor & Sons (2016) Review: A Family Drama That Lets the House Be Ugly

Shakun Batra’s Coonoor reunion — Sidharth, Fawad, Alia, and Rishi Kapoor — is still one of Hindi cinema’s most adult takes on brothers, parents, and a secret the family cannot metabolize.

Recommended — among the better Hindi family dramas of the 2010s.
Chhaava (2025) ★★★½☆

Chhaava (2025) Review

Laxman Utekar's Chhaava (2025) remains a defining History landmark from India, with scores that still shape how audiences discover the title.

Worth watching — solid entertainment with lasting cultural visibility.
Sister Midnight (2024) ★★★½☆

Sister Midnight (2024) Review: An Indian Cinema Essential

Karan Kandhari's feature debut swerves from deadpan marital comedy into feral horror without ever losing its nerve, powered by Radhika Apte's fearless, ferocious lead turn.

Essential viewing — among the finest films in Indian cinema.
Om Shanti Om (2007) ★★★½☆

Om Shanti Om (2007) Review: Farah Khan’s Reincarnation Love Letter to Hindi Cinema

Shah Rukh Khan and Deepika Padukone in a meta Bollywood ghost story — 1970s studio glamour, a fire, and a second life that is really about the industry’s own mythology.

Recommended as a Hindi-cinema pop object — joyous, overstuffed, and still Deepika’s calling card.
Salaar: Part 1 - Ceasefire (2023) ★★★½☆

Salaar: Part 1 - Ceasefire (2023) Review

Prashanth Neel's Salaar: Part 1 - Ceasefire (2023) remains a defining Action landmark from India, with scores that still shape how audiences discover the title.

Worth watching — solid entertainment with lasting cultural visibility.
Stree 2 (2024) ★★★½☆

Stree 2 (2024) Review

Amar Kaushik's Stree 2 (2024) remains a defining Horror landmark from India, with scores that still shape how audiences discover the title.

Worth watching — solid entertainment with lasting cultural visibility.
Animal (2023) ★★★½☆

Animal (2023) Review

Sandeep Reddy Vanga's Animal (2023) remains a defining Action landmark from India, with scores that still shape how audiences discover the title.

Worth watching — solid entertainment with lasting cultural visibility.
Dunki (2023) ★★★½☆

Dunki (2023) Review

Rajkumar Hirani's Dunki (2023) remains a defining Adventure landmark from India, with scores that still shape how audiences discover the title.

Worth watching — solid entertainment with lasting cultural visibility.
Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani (2023) ★★★½☆

Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani (2023) Review

Karan Johar's Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani (2023) remains a defining Comedy landmark from India, with scores that still shape how audiences discover the title.

Worth watching — solid entertainment with lasting cultural visibility.
Jana Nayagan (2026) ★★★☆☆

Jana Nayagan Review: Vijay’s Farewell Is a Fan Festival With a Campaign Film Problem

Thalapathy Vijay’s final film finally landed after certification wars and a leak — a three-hour mass farewell that electrifies fans and exhausts everyone waiting for drama to catch the politics.

Worth watching as Vijay’s cinematic last word and a Tamil Nadu event — not as airtight cinema. Mixed craft, massive cultural heat.
Sultan (2016) ★★★☆☆

Sultan (2016) Review: Haryana Grit, Bollywood Spectacle, Salman in the Ring

Ali Abbas Zafar’s wrestling comeback drama asks Salman Khan to age, lose, and still fill the frame — Anushka Sharma supplies the film’s actual spine.

A solid Salman sports masala — watch for Anushka and the comeback, not for realism.
Ae Dil Hai Mushkil (2016) ★★★☆☆

Ae Dil Hai Mushkil (2016) Review: Unrequited Love as a Karan Johar Showreel

Ranbir Kapoor, Anushka Sharma, Aishwarya Rai, and Fawad Khan in a Europe-hopping heartbreak musical — gorgeous, self-absorbed, and thinner than its playlist.

Mixed-to-yes if you want the songs; skip if you need the characters to be people.
Brahmāstra Part One: Shiva (2022) ★★★☆☆

Brahmāstra Part One: Shiva (2022) Review: Dharmaverse Fire, Franchise Fog

Ayan Mukerji’s Hindu-fantasy origin story — Ranbir, Alia, Bachchan, and a Shah Rukh cameo — wants to be India’s MCU and often looks like a very expensive music video.

Mixed: VFX ambition and star cameos, not a coherent mythic drama.
Saiyaara (2025) ★★★☆☆

Saiyaara (2025) Review: Mohit Suri’s Newcomer Musical, Familiar Heartbreak

Ahaan Panday and Aneet Padda in a music-world romance — Suri’s old melodramatic toolkit with new faces, and a composite that stays on the mixed side of Recommended.

For romance-playlist viewers — not a leap forward for Hindi musical drama.
Munjya (2024) ★★★½☆

Munjya (2024) Review

Aditya Sarpotdar's Munjya (2024) remains a defining Comedy landmark from India, with scores that still shape how audiences discover the title.

Worth watching — solid entertainment with lasting cultural visibility.
Beast (2022) ★★★☆☆

Beast (2022) Review: A Mall Siege Built Around a Walk

Nelson Dilipkumar and Thalapathy Vijay in a terrorist-hostage spectacle — loud Kollywood fan service with a Celluloid Score that stays on the mixed side of Recommended.

For Vijay completists — the mall action is the movie; the plot is not.
Ek Tha Tiger (2012) ★★★☆☆

Ek Tha Tiger (2012) Review: The Spy Romance That Opened YRF’s Universe

Kabir Khan, Salman Khan, and Katrina Kaif in Dublin and Istanbul — RAW-agent charm as a travel brochure, and the film that made Tiger a franchise instead of a one-off.

Watchable franchise zero — romance over tradecraft, and the IMDb is hotter than the craft.
Pathaan (2023) ★★★☆☆

Pathaan (2023) Review: Spy-Universe Gloss Over Substance

A glossy YRF spy carnival that restored Shah Rukh Khan to event-cinema form more than it reinvented the genre.

Fun as a comeback firework; thin as a spy thriller — Metascore (47) tells the colder truth.
Housefull (2010) ★★½☆☆

Housefull (2010) Review: A Jinx Comedy That Works Like a Sitcom Marathon

Sajid Khan’s Akshay Kumar farce — mistaken identities, stacked fiancées, Deepika in an early comic register — is loud Hindi holiday comedy with a Celluloid Score that stays Not Recommended.

Skip unless you already like this franchise’s slapstick — reception was mixed for a reason.
Zero (2018) ★★½☆☆

Zero (2018) Review: An SRK Swing That Does Not Land

Aanand L. Rai, Shah Rukh Khan, Anushka Sharma, and Katrina Kaif in a height-high-concept romance — ambitious, shapeless, and one of SRK’s rare commercial-critical misses.

Skip unless you are studying late-2010s SRK — the composite is Not Recommended.
Welcome to the Jungle (2026) ★★½☆☆

Welcome to the Jungle (2026) Review: Ensemble Chemistry in a Movie That Cannot Choose a Genre

Ahmed Khan’s third Welcome film stacks Akshay Kumar, Suniel Shetty, and Paresh Rawal into a 164-minute jungle action-comedy that critics call overstuffed. Occasional laughs; no Celluloid recommendation.

Skip unless you are finishing the Welcome trilogy out of loyalty. The cast sparks; the plot never decides whether it is satire, heist, or slapstick.
Cocktail 2 (2026) ★★½☆☆

Cocktail 2 (2026) Review: A Soft Landing for a Franchise That Needed a Sharper Pour

Homi Adajania’s Sicily-to-India love-triangle sequel looks expensive and moves slowly — Shahid Kapoor, Kriti Sanon, and Rashmika Mandanna work harder than the script. Celluloid Score stays Not Recommended.

Franchise curiosity only. Beautiful locations cannot rescue a love triangle that restates Cocktail (2012) without the original’s messy charm.

Popular Genres

Drama 71 Action 50 Thriller 37 Comedy 29 Romance 24 Crime 20

All India Movies

Ranked by Celluloid Score

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best Indian movie to start with?

For newcomers, 3 Idiots (2009) is the ideal entry point — funny, accessible, and culturally revealing without requiring prior Bollywood knowledge. For epic scale, try RRR (2022) or Baahubali 2 (2017). For classic Hindi cinema, start with Sholay (1975) or Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (1995).

What are the highest-rated Indian movies on Celluloid?

Top Celluloid Scores in our India catalogue typically include Sholay, Lagaan, Andhadhun, Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge, and RRR — plus recent festival standouts like All We Imagine as Light. Hindi commercial titles reweight the four composite inputs (IMDb downweighted); audience scores stay display-only, so our ranking can sit a few points below raw IMDb league tables.

How does Celluloid rate Indian films?

Each Indian title receives a Celluloid Score from up to four inputs: editorial rating, Metascore, Letterboxd, and IMDb. Audience scores stay display-only. For Hindi / Bollywood releases we reweight those four — Letterboxd and Metascore heavier, editorial slightly down, IMDb discounted — then apply a 0.96 multiplier, reflecting paid-review and vote-brigading risk in that market.

Where can I read Indian movie reviews?

Every major title in our India catalogue links to a dedicated critic review on Celluloid with "Is it worth watching?" answers, plot summaries, and streaming guidance. Browse reviews below or open any film page for scores, trailers, and cast details.