From Stolen to Superboys of Malegaon: The best Hindi films of 2025 so far

It has been a disappointing year mostly for Bollywood with only one film- Chhaava- doing great business at the box office. While Bollywood continues to experiment with genres and slowly fades out Pan-India action dramas, there have been a few gems that the Hindi film industry saw in the first half of the year. Here are the five best films of 2025 so far. Have you watched all of these films yet?

A remake of the Malayalam film The Great Indian Kitchen, Mrs talked of misogyny that exists in Indian households most effectively. The film was led by Sanya Malhotra, who played an ambitious dancer who is tied to her home with familial responsibility, soon after she gets married. Malhotra’s subtle, restrained performance won hearts, and Arati Kadav’s directorial feature film led to pertinent debates on social media about gender roles in Indian households. While remakes of successful films often miss the mark by a mile, Mrs did a splendid job in taking the story forward to a larger audience. Read the review of Mrs here

Watch it on: Zee5

If you love cinema, you will love Superboys of Malegaon. An ode to cinema, friendship and brotherhood- Reema Kagti’s film was a heartfelt story of a bunch of cinema lovers in a small town in Malegaon with big dreams. Based on a real-life story, Superboys of Malegaon had ingredients of a feel-good film. A bit of romance, some heartbreak, friendships, and a lot of cinema references. The story also worked because of its talented actors. From Adarsh Gourav to Shashank Arora to Vineet Kumar, the film’s cast made the warm story come alive with their performances. Read the review of the film here

Watch it on: Prime Video

Aamir Khan, along with director RS Prasann,a took a leap of faith as he launched 10 talented neurodivergent actors in Sitaare Zameen Par. Cynics will say the film was not original, but Sitaare Zameen Par worked because of these special actors who brought alive a very known story with their authentic and innocent performance. Comedy played an active role in delivering a pertinent message- that everyone’s normal is different. Khan, whose previous outings at the movies- Laal Singh Chaddha and Thugs of Hindostan- led to utter disappointment at the box office, played a disgruntled, cynical coach to a bunch of neurodivergent basketball players in this film. The result was a warm and a sweet film that put an instant smile on your face. Read the review of the film here

A manic chase through the deserts over a course of a night in search of a missing baby makes two brothers reassess their relationship and strengthen their bond. Starring Abhishek Banerjee and Shubham Vardhan along with Mia Maelzer, Stolen is a taught thriller that keeps you on the edge of your seat throughout its 90-minute run time. It is one of the slickest and edgy thrillers that Indian cinema has produced in recent years. There is not a single dull moment in this film, and an excellent screenplay backed by great performances by the three leads- makes Stolen a must-watch. Read full review of the film here

Watch it on: Prime Video

Boman Irani’s directorial feature was an unusual film of a father and a son trying to rebuild their relationship after the demise of the wife/mother. Both have had a strained relationship with the mother and sister playing the bridge between the two all these years- but a cancelled flight leads to them spending time together, reassessing their relationship and understanding each other’s perspective for the first time in their lives. Irani and Avinash Tiwary deliver stellar performances, making this a warm relationship drama. Read the review of the film here

Watch it on: Prime Video