Mrs, Sitaare Zameen Par, Homebound: The best Hindi films of 2025 and where to watch them

2025 was a year when both hyper masculinity and sappy love stories worked their magic with the audience and the box office. Bollywood offered films based on myriad themes and genres. From sequels like War 2 and _ to love stories like Saiyaara and Tere Ishq Mein to spy thrillers like Dhurandhar- it was an interesting mix that the audience witnessed in theatres. Not all films landed despite them being well-intended. There were others which earned critical praise but never got the commercial success they desired.

Here are the best Hindi films of 2025.

Remaking a critically acclaimed film is always tricky because comparisons are inevitable. But Aarati Kadav adapted the Malayalam hit The Great Indian Kitchen to make Mrs- and highlighted that misogyny spoke a universal language. Starring Sanya Malhotra in the lead, Mrs beautifully highlighted that gender biases, misogyny and patriarchal rules exist in every strata of the society. Malhotra played a budding dancer whose ambitions are rudely cut short after she is married into a doctor’s family. While she harbours dreams of getting back to the stage, she is burdened with daily household chores. The film spoke a language all too familiar and made most people very uncomfortable.

Watch it on: Zee5

Boman Irani’s directorial debut, featuring him and Avinash Tiwari, was a poignant story of a father and son forced to bond and rediscover each other after a flight cancellation. The film highlighted the uneasiness that men in the family have with each other and how often they use the women to shield themselves from uncomfortable conversations. Part humours, a hugely emotional and poignant The Mehta Boys showed the softer, vulnerable side of men, which they often mask well in front of the world.

Watch it on: Prime Video

Reema Kagti’s ode to cinema in Superboys of Malegaon boasts of a splendid story of friendship, brotherhood, and a crazy love for cinema. Set in Malegoan, it narrates the story of a group of friends who set out to make their own films, and achieve success on the way and leading to a full-grown industry in the small town of Maharashtra.

Based on a real-life story, the film had all the ingredients of a feel-good film. A bit of romance, some heartbreak, friendships, and a lot of cinema references. The story also succeeded due to its talented cast. From Adarsh Gourav to Shashank Arora to Vineet Kumar, the film’s cast made the warm story come alive with their performances.

Where to watch: Prime Video

A manic chase through the deserts over the 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

A case of missing children in the Kashmir Valley soon turns into something paranormal in director Aditya Suhas’s film Baramullah. Starring Manav Kaul and Bhasha Sumbli in the lead, the haunting (literally and figuratively) tale of redemption is a brilliant example of how to merge a thriller with topical issues. The film highlights the Kashmir insurgency, the rise in terrorism, and the exodus of the early 1990s while keeping the thrill element intact. Powerful performances by the cast and a taut screenplay make Baramullah a must-watch.

Watch it on: Netflix

Trust Aamir Khan to make a family entertainer and make it relevant and poignant along the way. In Sitaare Zameen Par, Aamir Khan, the producer, along with director RS Prasann, took a leap of faith and launched 10 talented neurodivergent actors in the film. Cynics will say the film was not original, but Sitaare Zameen Par purely 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 sweet film that puts an instant smile on your face.

Watch it on: YouTube

You may agree or deny it, but casteism continues to dominate Indian society. Dhadhak 2, a spiritual sequel of Dhadak, helmed by Shazia Iqbal, delivered a very realistic picture of casteism in Indian society. Unlike its prequel, the film did not sugarcoat or paint a rosy picture. Instead, it told a very real and raw story of how caste plays an integral part in our everyday lives. The film also had terrific performances by its lead pair- Triptii Dimri and Siddhant Chaturvedi. The two played star-crossed lovers, one from the privileged class and the other from the marginalised section of society and the problems they face in their love story. A story of two individuals wanting a better future together, but their aspirations are constantly punctured by societal diktats. Dhadak 2’s sharp writing showed a mirror to the audience effectively.

Watch it on: Netflix

Neeraj Ghaywan’s beautiful and tragic film on the migrant crisis during the first phase of lockdown during the pandemic in 2020 highlighted so many issues in just one story. A story of two friends, one a Dalit and the other a Muslim, yearning for a better life, highlighted an India that people in cities, cushioned with a white collar job, often overlook. It talked about the hardships scores of young men and women endure as they travel to big cities from villages in hope of a better life for themselves and their families, and how the flawed system fails them. Based on journalist Bashrat Peer’s article published in The New York Times during the pandemic, Ghaywan’s film took us to the ghettos of big cities where the migrant population lives, cramped in dark and suffocating rooms, making each day count- harbouring dreams of better lives. Homebound's poignant story was also uplifted with great performances from its lead- Ishaan Khatter and Vishal Jethwa- who delivered their career best in the film, which is now Oscar-bound as India’s official entry in the Best International Feature category.

Watch it on: Netflix

Indian families and the chaos and drama they bring along were brilliantly highlighted by director Anusha Rizvi in The Great Shamsuddin Family. A dramedy starring Kritika Kamra, Farida Jalal, Dolly Ahluwalia, Sheeba Chaddha, Purab Kohli and Juhi Babbar, among others, the film brings in laughs, talks of familial bonding and even addresses a few current issues about the minority community along the way. The film highlighted beautifully that despite the politics, bickering and non-stop drama, family always comes to one’s rescue in times of need. Beautiful, heartfelt and warm, The Great Shamshuddin Family told a story about all of us.

Watch it on: Jio Hotstar