The story of Indian cinema, in the 21st century, is one of change and churn. It could merit a film of its own. Across languages and regions, filmmakers boldly expanded the grammar of storytelling. While some chased an international idiom, in step with a rapidly globalising age, others burrowed deep into the native soil. Even as commercial mainstream cinema grew more ‘aspirational’, a parallel wave of rooted, idiosyncratic stories found their voice. Labels like ‘quirky’, ‘offbeat’ and ‘content-driven’ entered our vocabulary. These films reflected everyday realities (often with humour and hyperbole) and mapped the anxieties of a transforming nation.
The multiplex boom in the mid-2000s splintered audiences into “class” and “mass”. Yet, it also created a fertile middle space where the two could interact. Some of the most daring and defining films of the past 25 years emerged from this osmosis—movies at once spectacular and intimate, aesthetically dazzling yet texturally grounded.
To celebrate the grand mosaic of cinema in the last twenty-five years, The Hollywood Reporter India has curated a list of 25 Indian films we believe best define the period. A project of this scale naturally warrants some caveats and clarifications.
For starters, this list is not a ranking, and has been arranged purely in alphabetical order. The THR India team considered a wide array of films released in the 21st century — from January 1, 2000 to December 31, 2024 — spanning languages and industries across the country. We considered mainstream hits, middle-of-the-road surprises, indie oddballs and everything in between. For months on end, we discussed, debated and drove each other up the wall. Of course, India’s cinematic landscape is vast and varied, and there were several almost-theres; with some regret, many of our (and your) favourites had to give way. Their absence from the list is, quite frankly, an acknowledgment of our limits, and not a negation of their importance in the story of Indian film.
Here are our picks (in alphabetical order):
Alaipayuthey (2000)
Language: Tamil
Mani Ratnam's Chennai love story changed the language of romance in Tamil cinema forever
Anbe Sivam (2003)
Language: Tamil
Two strangers played by Kamal Haasan and R Madhavan find faith, friendship, and humanity on a rain-soaked journey in Sundar C's enduring drama
Angamaly Diaries (2017)
Language: Malayalam
Lijo Jose Pellissery's film captured raw hunger, reckless youth, and Kerala’s unfiltered pulse
Asha Jaoar Majhe (2014)
Language: Bengali
Aditya Vikram Sengupta's slow-burn Bengali film turns ordinary gestures into cinema’s most eloquent language of longing
Chak De! India (2007)
Language: Hindi
18 years on, the Shimit Amin classic remains a mirror to India's ideas of identity, nationhood and who gets to wear its colours
Court (2014)
Language: Marathi
Chaitanya Tamhane’s debut is a chilling portrait of India’s judicial machinery, where every day cruelty masquerades as due process
Dil Chahta Hai (2001)
Language: Hindi
Farhan Akhtar’s debut turned youthful honesty into India’s cinematic awakening
Drishyam 1 & 2 (2013; 2021)
Language: Malayalam
An ordinary man goes to extraordinary lengths for his family, but Jeethu Joseph's deceptively simple films hid twists no one saw coming
Eega (2012)
Language: Telugu
S. S. Rajamouli’s daring vision turned this absurd fantasy about a solitary fly into a heartfelt epic.
Gangs of Wasseypur 1 & 2 (2012)
Language: Hindi
Anurag Kashyap’s two-part coal belt epic is a modern classic, a sensory all-you-can-eat buffet that altered the recipe of popular entertainment in India
Kumbalangi Nights (2019)
Language: Malayalam
Madhu C. Narayanan's modern Malayalam classic about four brothers found poetry in imperfection and home in chaos
Lagaan (2001)
Language: Hindi
Ashutosh Gowariker and Aamir Khan hit it out of the park with this sweeping and resonant cricket drama
Luck by Chance (2009)
Language: Hindi
Zoya Akhtar's directorial debut set in the film industry wasn’t simply ahead of its time — it was honest in a time that wasn’t ready for honesty
Maheshinte Prathikaram (2016)
Language: Malayalam
Dileesh Pothan's quirky Malayalam classic found beauty in restraint and redemption through revenge
Monsoon Wedding (2001)
Language: English and Hindi
In this Mira Nair classic, an on-screen wedding exposes the undercurrents of class, patriarchy, and fragile forgiveness in modern India
Nagar Kirtan (2019)
Language: Bengali
Kaushik Ganguly’s award-winning drama is a tender exploration of love and belonging, undefeated by its harsh social backdrop
Omkara (2006)
Language: Hindi
In his second stab at the Bard, Vishal Bhardwaj transforms Shakespearean jealousy into cinema’s most visceral heartbreak
Pariyerum Perumal (2018)
Language: Tamil
Rage softened into reflection in this landmark of modern Tamil cinema, announcing the arrival of filmmaker Mari Selvaraj
Piku (2015)
Language: Hindi
Shoojit Sircar and Juhi Chaturvedi’s intimate, relatable family drama captures the mess and humour of everyday life
Sairat (2016)
Language: Marathi
Wrapped in melody, Nagraj Manjule's pathbreaking Marathi film unravelled the violence hiding beneath Indian romance
Sarpatta Parambarai (2021)
Language: Tamil
Bloodied gloves and broken dreams turned into an anthem of defiance in Pa Ranjith's Tamil knockout
The Great Indian Kitchen (2021)
Language: Malayalam
Jeo Baby’s scathing domestic drama turns ordinary chores into an indictment of patriarchy itself
Udaan (2010)
Language: Hindi
In Vikramaditya Motwane's directorial debut, a son’s sprint from cruelty redefined coming-of-age for Indian cinema
Ulidavaru Kandante (2014)
Language: Kannada
The Rakshit Shetty film shook Kannada cinema as we knew it through its form and content
Visaranai (2015)
Language: Tamil
Vetri Maaran's custodial torture drama is a perfect example of fierce social commentary elevated to riveting art