27 Must Watch Films by Indian directors

27 Must Watch Films by Indian directors

Indian cinema has grown tremendously over the years and has created its own take on a variety of cinematic genres. The combination of the larger-than-life personalities, the unbelievable action, and the intense melodrama was one that had never been seen before. India has a rich cinematic heritage that dates all the way back to the silent film era. Its leading innovators were influenced by the rich tradition of Indian classical theatre in their respective countries.

These pioneering efforts sparked the growth of local cinema businesses that were firmly rooted in both local customs and traditional narrative techniques. Indian cinema has created its own renditions of the main film genres, complete with narrative aspects that appeal to audiences worldwide. The storytelling and the wonderful direction of these films are only possible with amazing directors and their expertise. Indian Directors have played a major role in elevating the level of Indian cinema. Making your way through the various amazing movies and diverse genres of Indian cinema is a wonderful experience that will introduce you to a whole unexplored realm of cinema. 

Here are the 27 best movies created by Indian directors from the birth of Indian cinema till date that you must add to your watchlist.

1. Pakeezah By Kamal Amrohi

Kamal Amrohi wrote, directed, and produced the 1972 Indian Hindi language musical romantic drama film titled Pakeezah. Raaj Kumar, Meena Kumari, and Ashok Kumar all appear in the movie. It narrates the tale of Sahibjaan, a tawaif or courtesan who performs in Lucknow. Sahibjaan receives a note complimenting her attractiveness from a total stranger when she is dozing off on a train. Later, after fleeing a wrecked boat, she seeks refuge in a tent where she learns that Salim, a forest ranger, penned the letter. Sahibjaan's professional background will interfere with Sahib and Sahib's plans to wed. 

2. Tumbadd By Rahi Anil Barve

Rahi Anil Barve's 2018 period horror movie Tumbbad is in the Hindi language. Adesh Prasad was the co-director, and Anand Gandhi was the creative director as well. The movie was produced by Sohum Shah, Aanand L. Rai, Mukesh Shah, and Amita Shah and written by Mitesh Shah, Prasad, Barve, and Gandhi. It tells the tale of Vinayak Rao's hunt for lost wealth in the Maharashtra village of Tumbbad during the 20th century of British India, with Sohum Shah playing the title role.

Based on a 1993 Marathi author named Narayan Dharap's narrative that a friend had told him about, Barve started scripting the script. When he was 18 years old in 1997, he composed the first draught. He produced a 700-page storyboard for the movie between 2009 and 2010. 

Seven production firms that had optioned it pulled out and three times went into production. Barve and Shah weren't happy with the editing following the original 2012 shooting. The movie was later rewritten and reshot, with production wrapping up in May 2015. Sanyukta Kaza worked as the film's editor, with Pankaj Kumar as the director of photography. The film's original score was written by Jesper Kyd, while one song was written by Ajay-Atul.

3. Lagaan By Ashutosh Gowariker

Ashutosh Gowariker wrote and directed the 2001 Hindi-language sports drama movie Lagaan: Once Upon a Time in India which translates to Agricultural Tax. Aamir Khan, who acts in the movie along with debutante Gracy Singh, and British actresses Rachel Shelley and Paul Blackthorne, produced it. 

An arrogant British Indian Army officer challenges a Central Indian village's residents to a game of cricket as a bet to avoid paying the taxes they owe. The film is set in 1893, during the late Victorian era of India's colonial British Raj. The residents are burdened by high taxes and several years of drought. The villagers must laboriously learn a game that is foreign to them and compete to win.

4. Mera Naam Joker By Raj Kapoor

The 1970 Indian Hindi romance drama film Mera Naam Joker was written by Khwaja Ahmad Abbas and was directed, edited, and produced by Raj Kapoor under the brand of R. K. Films. Raj Kapoor plays the title character in the movie, with his son Rishi Kapoor making his acting debut as the character's younger self. Simi Garewal, Kseniya Ryabinkina, Padmini, Manoj Kumar, and Dharmendra all appear in supporting parts. The central character in the story is a clown who must make his audience laugh at the expense of his own sorrows as three influential women watch his final performance.

5. RRR By S.S.Rajamouli

RRR is a 2022 Telugu Language movie that was co-written and directed by S.S. Rajamouli. The story is written by V. Vijayendra Prasad.  RRR was produced by D. V. V. Danayya of DVV Entertainment. The star cast of the movie includes amazing actors like N. T. Rama Rao Jr., Ram Charan, Ajay Devgn, Alia Bhatt, Shriya Saran, Samuthirakani, Ray Stevenson, Alison Doody, and Olivia Morris. 

The film is focused on the relationship between two real-life Indian revolutionaries, Alluri Sitarama Raju (Charan) and Komaram Bheem (Rama Rao), and their struggle against the British Raj. The story, which takes place in the 1920s, focuses on the unrecorded period of their life when both revolutionaries choose to live quiet lives before waging war for their nation.

6. Lootera By Vikramaditya Motwane

Lootera is a 2013 Hindi-language period romantic drama film that was partly inspired by Author O, Henry's 1907 short story The Last Leaf. It was directed by Vikramaditya Motwane. After the widely praised Udaan, Motwane directed this movie (2010). It depicts the tale of a young con man acting as an archaeologist and the daughter of a Bengali zamindar during the 1950s, against the backdrop of the Zamindari Abolition Act by the newly independent India. Sonakshi Sinha and Ranveer Singh play key roles in the movie. The movie was produced by Shobha Kapoor, Ekta Kapoor, Anurag Kashyap, and Vikas Bahl and features cinematography by Mahendra J. Shetty and music and background score by Amit Trivedi with lyrics written by Amitabh Bhattacharya.

7. Devdas(2002) By Sanjay Leela Bhansali

Sanjay Leela Bhansali directed the 2002 Hindi-language period romance drama film Devdas, which was also produced by Bharat Shah through his company, Mega Bollywood. It features Jackie Shroff, Kirron Kher, Smita Jaykar, and Vijayendra Ghatge in supporting parts alongside Shah Rukh Khan, Aishwarya Rai, and Madhuri Dixit in the key roles. 

The movie tells the tale of Devdas Mukherjee, a wealthy law graduate who returns from London to marry his childhood friend, Parvati, based on Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay's 1917 novel of the same name (Paro). However, his spiral into alcoholism triggers his family's rejection of their marriage, which ultimately causes his emotional state to deteriorate and forces him to seek solace with Chandramukhi, a prostitute with a kind heart. After rereading the book, Bhansali became motivated to adapt it into a movie. He first revealed his plans for the project in November 1999. Together with Prakash Ranjit Kapadia, who also penned the dialogue, they wrote the screenplay.

8. Mother India By Mehboob Khan

Nargis, Raaj Kumar, Rajendra Kumar, and Sunil Dutt appear in Mehboob Khan's 1957 Indian epic drama film Mother India. It is a remake of Khan's earlier film Aurat (1940), and it tells the tale of Radha (Nargis), a poor villager who battles a clever moneylender while trying to raise her sons and subsist in the absence of her husband. The movie's title was chosen to contrast the derogatory book Mother India by American novelist Katherine Mayo from 1927. Mother India relates to a strong sense of Indian nationalism and nation-building and metaphorically depicts India as a nation in the years following its independence in 1947.

9. Navrang By V. Shantaram

The 1959 Hindi-language film Navrang was co-written and directed by V. Shantaram. While playback singer Mahendra Kapoor made his singing debut with the song Aadha Hai Chandrama Raat Aadhi, the movie is known for its dance sequences featuring main actress Sandhya and music by C. Ramchandra. The plot takes place in British-era India, where Diwakar is a poet who adores his wife Jamuna beyond everything else. Jamuna, however, believes that Diwakar behaves irresponsibly in the real world and lives in a fantasy one. Diwakar imagines a muse, whom he calls Mohini, who resembles his wife to the letter.

10. Kaagaz Ke Phool By Guru Dutt

Guru Dutt, who also co-starred in the film alongside Waheeda Rehman in the lead part, produced and directed the 1959 Hindi-language romance drama Kaagaz Ke Phool. It is both the last movie Dutt officially directed and the first Indian movie to be screened in CinemaScope. It ushered in a technical revolution in Indian filmmaking and is praised for being years ahead of its time.

The film chronicles the story of Suresh Sinha, a well-known film director, in a flashback. Due to the fact that Veena's rich family views acting as a profession with low social standing, their marriage is in trouble. Additionally, he is prohibited from seeing his daughter Pammi, who is enrolled in a private boarding school in Dehradun. 

11. KGF: Chapters 1& 2 By Prashanth Neel

K.G.F: Chapter 1 is a 2018 Indian period action movie in the Kannada language that was written and directed by Prashanth Neel and was made by Vijay Kiragandur under the Hombale Films label. It is the first of the series' two parts, with K.G.F: Chapter 2 coming next. Yash plays Rocky in the movie, and Ramachandra Raju, making his acting debut, plays Garuda. Anant Nag serves as the film's narrator, while the supporting cast also includes Malavika Avinash, Achyuth Kumar, Vasishta N. Simha, Srinidhi Shetty, and Vasishta N. Simha. 

Rocky, a prominent assassin in Mumbai who was born into poverty, is the main character of the movie. He assumes the identity of a slave laborer in the Narachi limestone mine (Kolar Gold Fields) in order to assassinate Garuda, the future heir of Kolar Gold Fields when his employer's boss offers him complete control of Mumbai.

12. Harishchandrachi Factory By Paresh Mokashi

Paresh Mokashi is the author and director of the 2009 Indian Marathi-language biographical film titled Harishchandrachi Factory. It features Nandu Madhav as Dadasaheb Phalke and Vibhavari Deshpande as his wife Saraswati. Dadasaheb Phalke was the director of the first Indian feature film, Raja Harishchandra (1913). Focus is placed on the difficulties Phalke encountered while being produced in Harishchandrachi Factory.

Paresh Mokashi, who received the Best Director prize at the Pune International Film Festival, made his directing debut with this movie. It was chosen as India's official entry to the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film in September 2009, making it the second Marathi movie to receive this honor after Shwaas (2004).

13. Bawarchi By Hrishikesh Mukherjee

Rajesh Khanna and Jaya Badhuri appear in Hrishikesh Mukherjee's 1972 Indian Hindi musical comedy-drama Bawarchi, which also stars Durga Khote, A.K. Hangal, Asrani, and Usha Kiran. This was a Bengali film adaptation of Tapan Sinha's Galpo Holeo Satti from 1966, which starred Rabi Ghosh. The movie earned $8 million in 1972, placing it in the top eight. 

The film is a remake of Tapan Sinha's 1966 Bengali film Galpo Holeo Satti. The movie was recreated in Tamil starring M. K. Muthu as Samayalkaaran. It was twice remade in Kannada; the first time, Shashikumar starred in it as Sakala Kala Vallabha, and the second time, Sudeep played No. 73, Shanthi Nivasa. The 1997 Hindi movie Hero No. 1, was a major source of inspiration.

14. Do Bigha Zamin By Bimal Roy

The 1953 drama film Do Bigha Zamin was produced in India and directed by Bimal Roy. Balraj Sahni and Nirupa Roy played the key parts in the movie, which is based on the Bengali poem Dui Bigha Jomi by Rabindranath Tagore. It is regarded as a significant picture in the early parallel cinema of India and a trendsetter because of its socialist content. 

After seeing Bicycle Thieves by Vittorio De Sica, Bimal Roy was inspired to create Do Bigha Zameen (1948). Similar to most of Bimal Roy's films, this one blends art and mainstream cinema to produce a work that is today regarded as a standard. It opened the way for upcoming filmmakers in the 1950s-era Indian New Wave and the neo-realist movement in India. 

The protagonist of the story is a farmer named Shambhu Maheto who resides in a small village suffering from drought with his wife Parvati, son Kanhaiya, and father Gangu. Farmers in the area celebrate when the rain finally falls after years of drought and starvation.

15. Bahubali By S. S. Rajamouli 

S. S. Rajamouli co-wrote and directed the 2015 Indian epic action film Baahubali: The Beginning, which was also co-produced by Shobu Yarlagadda and Prasad Devineni under the banner of Arka Media Works. Tamil and Telugu versions of the movie were simultaneously shot. Prabhas, Rana Daggubati, Anushka Shetty, Tamannaah, Ramya Krishna, Sathyaraj, and Nassar are among the ensemble cast of the movie, which also stars Rana Daggubati, Anushka Shetty, and Anushka Shetty in single and double main roles. In the first of two films, Sivudu, a daring young man, aids his love Avantika in freeing Devasena, the former queen of Mahishmati who is now imprisoned under the cruel tyranny of king Bhallaladeva. Baahubali 2: The Conclusion brings the narrative to a close.

16. Sairat By Nagraj Manjule

The 2016 Indian Marathi-language romantic tragedy film Sairat was written and produced by Nagraj Manjule under the banner of Aatpat Production. It narrates the tale of two young college students from different castes who fall in love and causes strife between their families. Rinku Rajguru and Akash Thosar make their acting debuts.

In 2009, Manjule had the idea for the narrative and based it on his own experiences with caste prejudice, but he abandoned it because he thought it was dull. He went back to the story after making Fandry (2013) and finished the script the following year. Manjule wrote the script, and his brother Bharat wrote the dialogue. The movie was filmed in Manjule's hometown of Jeur in Maharashtra's Solapur district's Karmala Taluka.

17. Brahmastra: Part One- Shiva By Ayan Mukerji

Ayan Mukerji wrote and directed the fantasy action-adventure movie Brahmstra: Part One - Shiva in 2022. The movie is the first in a trilogy that will be the first entry in a larger film universe known as the Astraverse. Amitabh Bachchan, Ranbir Kapoor, Alia Bhatt, Nagarjuna Akkineni, Shah Rukh Khan, Dimple Kapadia, and Mouni Roy are among the actors who appear in it. The movie, which takes its cues from Hindu mythology, follows Shiva, an orphan with pyrokinetic abilities who learns that he is an Astra, a weapon of tremendous energy. He makes an effort to stop the Brahmstra, the strongest of the Astras, from slipping into the hands of evil powers with whom he has a shared past.

18. Om Shanti Om By Farah Khan

Om Shanti Om is a 2007 Hindi-language melodrama film that was produced by Gauri Khan under the name Red Chillies Entertainment. It was written and directed by Farah Khan, with Mayur Puri and Mushtaq Shiekh contributing to the script. Shah Rukh Khan plays Om Makhija, a struggling young film artist in 1977, who falls in love with Shanti Kashyap, a film actress who is secretly married and is played by debutante Deepika Padukone. The story spans three decades. 

Arjun Rampal plays Mukesh Mehra, the woman's husband and a producer of movies, who betrays her and kills her in a fire. Om sees this, and tries to save her, but is badly injured, leading to his death as well. In 2007, he had a second chance at life and was resurrected as the wealthy superstar Om Kapoor. With Sandy Bansal's assistance, he sets out to exact revenge on Mukesh.

19. Gangubai Kathiawadi by Sanjay Leela Bhansali

Sanjay Leela Bhansali is the director and producer of the 2022 Hindi-language biographical crime drama movie Gangubai Kathiawadi. Ajay Devgn, Shantanu Maheshwari, Vijay Raaz, Indira Tiwari, Seema Pahwa, and Varun Kapoor also play significant roles in the movie, which also stars Alia Bhatt as the title character. The movie is partially inspired by the biography of Ganga Jagjivandas Kathiawadi, also known as Gangubai Kothewali, whose narrative was chronicled in S. Hussain Zaidi's book Mafia Queens of Mumbai. A modest girl from Kathiawad who had no choice but to accept destiny's ways and make it work in her favor is portrayed as rising to prominence in the movie.

20. Super 30 By Vikas Bahl

A 2019 Hindi-language biographical drama film titled Super 30 was made on a budget of 60 crores by Phantom Films, Nadiadwala Grandson Entertainment, Reliance Entertainment, and HRX Films. The film, which is directed by Vikas Bahl and stars Hrithik Roshan as Anand Kumar, is based on both his life and the educational program of the same name. A successful man named Fugga is shown speaking in London at the start of the film. 

Fugga thinks back on his time studying under Anand Kumar. The scenes flash back to show a college-age Anand. Anand is a student from a lower social level who excels in his studies and has a passion for them. At a celebration for a local competition, local minister Shriram Singh, who is pleased with him, vows to assist whenever necessary.

21. Special 26 By Neeraj Pandey

Neeraj Pandey wrote and directed Special 26, a 2013 period heist thriller movie in Hindi. The plot involves a crew posing as CBI investigators to carry out an income tax raid in Mumbai, which is based on the 1987 Opera House theft. Along with Rajesh Sharma, Divya Dutta, and Kishor Kadam, the movie also stars Akshay Kumar, Manoj Bajpayee, Jimmy Sheirgill, Anupam Kher, and Kajal Aggarwal in the lead roles. The story begins on March 18, 1987, when Ajay Singh (Ajju) and Pramod Kumar Sharma conduct a walk-in CBI interview. The movie then cuts to a previous scene.

22. Kai Po Che! By Abhishek Kapoor 

Kai Po Che!: Brothers... For Life is a Hindi language film directed by Abhishek Kapoor in 2013. The film starts with Govind Patel in 2012 making a presentation in a school on the services given by his sports club, which is adapted from Chetan Bhagat's 2008 novel The 3 Mistakes of My Life. In a parallel scene, Govi picks up Omkar Shastri after he is freed from jail. Govi and Omi remember their days in the year 2000 with the lives of their friend Ishaan while stopping at a restaurant in the middle of the journey.

23. Article 15 By Anubhav Sinha

Anubhav Sinha, who also co-wrote the screenplay with Gaurav Solanki, is the director and producer of the 2019 Indian Hindi-language criminal drama movie Article 15. Ayushmann Khurrana plays a police detective in the movie who looks into the abduction of three girls from a rural town while learning about caste-based oppression's past. The movie is called after Article 15 of the Indian Constitution, which forbids discrimination on the basis of birthplace, caste, race, or religion. While not based on a single incidence, the movie is motivated by a number of actual events involving crimes motivated by caste-based discrimination, such as the charges of gang rape in Badaun in 2014 and the Una flogging incident in 2016.

24. Kantara By Rishab Shetty

Action-thriller Kantara is an Indian Kannada-language movie that was written, produced, and directed by Rishab Shetty in 2022 for Hombale Films. Shetty plays a Kambala champion who is at odds with Murali, an honorable DRFO officer, in the movie. The story takes place in 1847 when a monarch promises to donate a portion of his forest territory to the townspeople in exchange for peace and happiness from a shaman who is allegedly controlled by Panjurli Daiva/Bhoota, a local deity revered in its animist form by the people of Udupi and Dakshina Kannada. He cautions the king to maintain his vow and refrain from reclaiming the land, as doing so will anger Panjurli's companion, the Guliga Daiva.

25. The Legend Of Bhagat Singh By Rajkumar Santoshi

Rajkumar Santoshi is the director of the 2002 Hindi-language biographical period drama The Legend of Bhagat Singh. The movie is about Bhagat Singh, a freedom fighter who, along with other members of the Hindustan Socialist Republican Association, battled for the independence of India. Along with Sushant Singh, D. Santosh, Akhilendra Mishra, and Ajay Devganserving as the film's title characters. The movie follows Singh's life from his early years, when he sees the Jallianwala Bagh massacre, through the day of his execution by hanging on March 23, 1931.

26. Mangal Pandey: The Rising By Bobby Bedi

A 2005 Indian historical biographical drama film based on the life of Mangal Pandey, an Indian soldier credited with helping to ignite the Indian uprising of 1857, is titled Mangal Pandey: The Rising. It is also known internationally as The Rising: Ballad of Mangal Pandey (also known as The First War of Indian Independence) Ketan Mehta is the director, Bobby Bedi is the producer, and Farrukh Dhondy wrote the screenplay. Aamir Khan plays the main role. 

27. Shatranj Ke Khiladi By Satyajit Ray

The 1977 Indian film Shatranj Ke Khilari, written and directed by Satyajit Ray, is based on the short story of the same name by Munshi Premchand. It was later released internationally under the translated title The Chess Players. The movie takes place in 1856, just before the Indian uprising of 1857. The Oudh State is going to be annexed by the British. Two affluent men's daily lives are depicted against the backdrop of the British East India Company's cunning officials, the history of the company's interactions with the Indian monarch of Awadh, and the ruler's devotion to both his religious practice and the pursuit of pleasure.