Travel across Asia with the best movies about India like Lagaan, Pather Panchali, Gandhi, RRR, and more.
From over-the-top thrillers, sizzling romances, and Indian horror films to documentaries and science fiction, this movie list will have something for everyone.
Find retellings from Shakespeare, movies about Indian mythology, and of course, a few Bollywood favorites. To say this list is scratching the surface of Indian cinema is an understatement, but it should get you started.
Supplement your movie watching with these India-related books and books featuring Hindu Mythology.
Lagaan (2001)
In 1893, a drought-stricken village challenges its British rulers to a high-stakes cricket match to avoid crushing taxes. The villagers don’t even know how to play, but with determination and help from the officer’s sympathetic sister, they train for the impossible.
🎞️ Why Watch Lagaan: Epic cinematography, nail-biting sports drama, and breathtaking dance routines make this one of the best movies set in India to start with.
Pather Panchali (1955)
The first installment of the Apu Trilogy follows a young boy growing up in early 20th-century rural Bengal amidst poverty and the simplicity of everyday life.
🎞️ Why Watch Pather Panchali: Shot in black and white, this timeless coming-of-age drama – along with parts 2 and 3 – is widely considered one of the greatest films ever made.
Gandhi (1982)
This sweeping biopic traces the life of Mahatma Gandhi, from his early days as a lawyer in South Africa to leading India’s nonviolent independence movement against the British Empire.
🎞️ Why Watch Gandhi: Grand in scale and deeply moving, it’s one of the most epic historical movies about India.
Monsoon Wedding (2001)
An arranged marriage in Delhi brings together a sprawling extended family, along with secrets, romance, chaos, and stunning wedding festivities.
🎞️ Why Watch Monsoon Wedding: This colorful, feel-good family drama is one of the most charming movies about Indian culture and life, perfect if you enjoy comedic wedding-themed films.
RRR (2022)
Set in 1920s British India, this action epic follows two revolutionaries, one inspired by real-life freedom fighters, who form an unlikely friendship before taking on the British Raj.
🎞️ Why Watch RRR: With jaw-dropping action sequences, sweeping musical numbers (including the Oscar-winning “Naatu Naatu”), and massive global acclaim, RRR became one of the most internationally successful Indian films ever released.
PK (2014)
An alien stranded in India teams up with a journalist to retrieve his stolen spaceship remote control. As he views society with childlike curiosity, the result is a heartfelt, quirky comedy that’s both insightful and hilarious.
🎞️ More About PK: The name of the film comes from the Hindi word for drunk, peekay, which everyone assumes he is, as he acts so odd. 3 Idiots, another popular Indian comedy, is also from the writing duo, Rajkumar Hirani and Abhijat Joshi – but this movie is better.
Haider (2014)
Set in Kashmir, this Hamlet adaptation follows a revenge-seeking young man investigating his father’s disappearance and his uncle’s possible betrayal.
🎞️ Why Watch Haider: Dark, stylized, and emotionally intense, writer/producer/director Vishal Bhardwaj seamlessly blends action and drama.
Tumbbad (2018)
In early 20th-century Maharashtra, three generations confront a cursed deity tied to greed and hidden gold.
🎞️ Why Watch Tumbbad: Visually stunning and deeply atmospheric, this horror film is a chilling morality tale.
Paan Singh Tomar (2012)
Based on a true story and told largely in flashback, this biographical drama follows a national steeplechase champion who becomes a feared dacoit (a bandit) after a violent land dispute. Paan Singh was responsible for wreaking havoc in the Chambal Valley in the second half of the twentieth century.
🎞️ Why Watch Paan Singh Tomar: It’s gripping, tragic, and one of the best true-story films about India.
Raazi (2018)
Set during the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971 and based on a true story, this spy thriller follows a young woman, Sehmat Khan, the daughter of Hidayat Khan, an Indian freedom fighter. She marries into a Pakistani military family to gather intelligence for India.
🎞️ Why Watch Raazi: Tense and powerful, it’s one of the best female-led films about the India-Pakistan conflict.
Asuran (2019)
After a Dalit farmer’s son kills an upper-caste landlord, a caste war erupts in rural Tamil Nadu.
🎞️ Why Watch Asuran: Asuran is one of the best Tamil-language South Indian movies. Based on real events – the 1968 Kilvenmani massacre – this intense drama confronts class politics head-on and does not shy away from brutality. The film is based on the book Vekkai by Poomani.
Baahubali: The Beginning (2015)
Set in the ancient central-Indian kingdom of Mahishmati, a woman risks her life to save a baby who is saved and adopted by a neighboring tribe. When that man grows up and falls in love with a fierce warrior woman, he finds himself involved in a decades-long conflict as he confronts the truth of his own past.
🎞️ Why Watch Baahubali – The Beginning: Grand, dramatic, and visually spectacular, this epic fantasy became one of India’s biggest blockbusters. If you love the film, there is also a prequel book series by Anand Neelakantan.
Om Shanti Om (2007)
A fire breaks out, killing Shanti and fatally wounding Om. Thirty years later, a reincarnated Om is the most famous actor in India. His love for Shanti transcends time and space, as he searches to find her reincarnated self.
🎞️ Why Watch Om Shanti Om: Drama, romance, reincarnation, and dazzling choreography make this pure Bollywood magic.
Guru (2007)
In the 1950s, a determined young man rises from modest beginnings in Gujarat to build a business empire, though not always legally or ethically. Will it all come crashing down?
🎞️ Why Guru: Anyone familiar with rags-to-riches tales such as Citizen Kane and Scarface will find something to enjoy here, though this movie – while serious – is far from being as gritty or violent; it has musical numbers, after all.
Delhi Belly (2011)
A simple delivery mix-up lands three roommates in the crosshairs of a ruthless gangster. Cue anarchic screwball comedy antics as our main characters try to avoid getting caught.
🎞️ Why Watch Delhi Belly: Fast-paced, irreverent, and filled with frenetic energy, this comedy caper feels like an Indian take on The Hangover. Everything could fall apart for our heroes at any moment.
More Movies Set In India To Watch
- Dhoom (2004)
- Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham (2001)
- Bride and Prejudice (2004)
- Slumdog Millionaire (2008)
- The House Next Door (2017)
- Evaru (2019)
- 99 (2019)
Be sure to let us know your favorites in the comments.
Before You Go: What To Watch Next For Your Asia-Set Armchair Travels
📺 Best Punjabi Movies
🎞️ Indonesian Movies
🎥 Japanese Films
🍿 Korean Films
🎦 Chinese Movies