During our teen years, way before streaming began, we missed a lot of good films because they were rated-A and we weren’t allowed in theatres as children. Well, it is time for you to catch up as an adult, because these Bollywood movies are definitely worth a watch.
1. Chandni Bar
One of Tabu’s finest performances, this 2001 film tells the story of a young woman who is forced to dance in a bar due to circumstances, and how she manages to raise her children.
2. Matrubhoomi: A Nation Without Women
This 2003 dystopian tragedy is not for the weak hearted and was rated A because it spoke of the gender balance in a fictional future, where a woman is forced to marry 5 brothers due to the lack of women in the village.
3. Bandit Queen
A biographical film based on the life of Phoolan Devi, this 1994 release premiered at the Directors’ Fortnight section of the 1994 Cannes Film Festival and is one of the finest, yet gruesome films ever made.
4. Black Friday
Written and directed by Anurag Kashyap, this 2004 film is based on the 1993 Bombay bombings and stars Kay Kay Menon, Aditya Srivastava, Pavan Malhotra, Kishor Kadam and Zakir Hussain.
5. Monsoon Wedding
With an impressive star cast that includes Naseeruddin Shah, Lillete Dubey, Shefali Shah and Vasundhara Das, this 2001 Mira Nair film isn’t one to be missed.
6. Astitva
Directed by Mahesh Manjrekar, this 2000 film sheds light on issues such as male chauvinism, extramarital affairs, and spousal abuse, starring Tabu, Sachin Khedekar and Mohnish Bahl in lead roles.
7. Maachis
This 1996 period political thriller stars Chandrachur Singh, Om Puri, Tabu, and Jimmy Sheirgill in the lead roles and revolves around the rise of the Sikh insurgency in Punjab in the 1980s.
8. Chameli
Starring Kareena Kapoor and Rahul Bose, this 2004 film directed by Sudhir Mishra follows the events of a night as an investment banker befriends a prostitute.
9. Parineeta
This 2005 movie was Vidya Balan’s debut film, and starred Saif Ali Khan and Sanjay Dutt in lead roles alongside her. Based on Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay’s Bengali novella of the same name, this movie tells the story of two childhood friends and how their relationship grows despite miscommunication.
10. Dhobi Ghat
Starring Prateik Babbar, Monica Dogra, Kriti Malhotra and Aamir Khan in lead roles, this 2010 film follows the journey of 4 very different people in Mumbai, as their lives intersect.
11. Ek Hasina Thi
This neo-noir thriller starring Urmila Matondkar, Saif Ali Khan, Aditya Srivastava and Seema Biswas will keep you on the edge of your seat and is definitely one film that you shouldn’t miss.
12. Honeymoon Travels Pvt. Ltd.
This 2007 film follows six starkly different couples on their honeymoon. If you haven’t watched it yet, this one should definitely be a weekend binge.
13. Being Cyrus
This 2005 film is one of the most unique films made in the industry, revolving around a dysfunctional Parsi family. The psychological drama stars Saif Ali Khan, Naseeruddin Shah, Dimple Kapadia, Boman Irani and Simone Singh in lead roles.
14. Pinjar
A 2003 film based on a novel of the same name by Amrita Pritam, Pinjar stars Urmila Matondkar, Manoj Bajpayee and Sanjay Suri in lead roles and is set in the time of the 1947 partition.
15. Kalyug
Starring Kunal Khemu, Emraan Hashmi, Smilie Suri, Deepal Shaw, Amrita Singh and Ashutosh Rana in lead roles, this 2005 action thriller follows a young man on his journey to avenge the death of his wife due to a leaked footage.
16. Hey Ram
Set in an alternate history, this 2000 film stars Kamal Haasan, Vasundhara Das, Rani Mukerji and Shah Rukh Khan in lead roles and revolves around India’s partition.
Time to get streaming!