India breathes Bollywood. We have often imagined ourselves in Bollywood movie sequences and been entertained. However, Bollywood makes a huge number of movies every year, and that makes some gems pass unnoticed by people while we are raving about another one. Here we list 20 underrated Bollywood movies of recent times.
20. Nil Battey Sannata (2015)
This 2015 movie by Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari is about the evergreen bond between a mother and her daughter. The struggles of a mother belonging to the lower strata of the society financially to bring her daughter to concentrate on her studies and the eventual proceedings are sure to bring a smile to your face.
19. The Last Colour (2019)
A heart-touching narrative beautifully showcasing the plight of widows in India, and the unlikely bond between two very different women. This Neena Gupta and Aqsa Siddiqui starrer leaves you teary-eyed as you savour all the flavours the story has to offer.
18. Tumbbad (2018)
A period horror film that borrows references from Indian mythology, Tumbbad is a visual experience that no cinema lover should miss out on. This is one of the most underrated Bollywood movies.
Also read: 35 Must Watch Offbeat Bollywood Movies Of Recent Times
17. Qarib Qarib Singlle (2017)
Starring Irrfan and Parvathy in the lead roles, Qarib Qarib Singlle has a simple story of polar opposites falling in love. How delicately the story is handled by the makers, and the performances of the cast members leave a fresh imprint on the minds of the viewers.
16. Is Love Enough? Sir (2018)
Rohena Gera explores the clash of westernized values with the traditional concept of social hierarchy in this movie featuring Tillotama Shome and Vivek Gomber. This is an unusual love story with understated portrayals of the lead characters by the actors.
15. October (2018)
October revolves around how curiosity aroused out of a simple query by Sheuli, the female protagonist, about the whereabouts of Dan, the male protagonist, before meeting with an accident, makes him obsessed with her, even outdoing her family and friends with his love.
14. Gulabo Sitabo (2020)
A comedy-drama film built on the premise of the squabbles between an elderly landlord and an impoverished tenant, played by Amitabh Bacchan and Ayushmann Khurrana respectively, Gulabo Sitabo will tickle your funny bone.
13. Thappad (2020)
An important movie in today’s society, Thappad asks you the question, is a single slap enough for a relationship to be broken? It explains itself, holding a mirror to society and showing things exactly how they are.
12. Sonchiriya (2019)
The Western action movie featuring Sushant Singh Rajput, Bhumi Pednekar, Ranvir Shorey, Manoj Bajpayee, and Ashutosh Rana narrates the story of a band of dacoits as they face internal and external conflicts.
11. Sarbjit (2016)
Randeep Hooda in perhaps one of the most challenging roles of his career, Sarbjit is a biopic on Sarabjit Singh, the Indian farmer who strayed into Pakistan while drunk. Showing the tortures he went through and the lengths his sister, Dalbir Kaur (played by Aishwarya Rai Bacchan), went to in order to bring him to justice forms the crux of the movie.
10. Meri Pyaari Bindu (2017)
Meri Pyaari Bindu, starring Ayushmann Khurrana and Parineeti Chopra, is a story that has been told time and again in various forms, and yet, its simplicity is what makes it so precious. A story of the childhood love between a shy Bengali boy and a turbulent girl leaves you with a smile on your face.
9. Ugly (2014)
Arguably the best movie created by Anurag Kashyap, Ugly has a fine cast in Rahul Bhat, Tejaswini Kolhapure, Vineet Kumar Singh, Girish Kulkarni, Ronit Roy, Surveen Chawla and Anshika Shrivastava. It revolves around a missing child and the ugly truths the incident exposes about the people who surround her.
8. Titli (2015)
A debutante director, Kanu Behl, pairs up with newcomers Shashank Arora and Shivani Raghuvanshi to create this movie revolving around the dark alleys that we refuse to acknowledge exists around us. The story is about a boy who dares to try to break out of there.
7. NH10 (2015)
Women-centric action movies are rare, and Anushka Sharma dared to break the mould to produce this movie with raw action. The gory details, the non-glamorous look of a mainstream heroine makes you sit up and take notice of this fresh action movie.
6. Saala Khadoos (2016)
Released simultaneously in Hindi and in Tamil, this movie sees R Madhavan shatter his image as the chocolate boy of Bollywood. He shines as the short-tempered, tough boxing coach of the stubborn Madhi (Ritika Singh). The movie involves politics surrounding the sport, and the innocent relationship between a coach and his trainee.
5. Masaan (2015)
Director Neeraj Ghaywan strikes gold with this venture featuring Richa Chadda and Vicky Kaushal in lead roles along with Shweta Tripathi and Sanjay Mishra in supporting roles. Written beautifully by Varun Grover, Masaan flows like a sad poem, also including shayaris and hauntingly beautiful songs and is one of the most underrated Bollywood movies of recent times.
4. Parched (2016)
Parched is the story of women shackled by patriarchy and struggling to break free. Powerful performances lift this movie to become one of the best movies made with social messages. This is one of the very underrated Bollywood movies featuring Tannishtha Chatterjee, Radhika Apte, and Surveen Chawla in the lead roles.
3. Fitoor (2016)
Based on Charles Dickens’ novel Great Expectations, this love story starring Aditya Roy Kapur, Katrina Kaif, and Tabu is set against the backdrop of Kashmir. Amit Trivedi’s music stays with you for a long time, as you watch the art unfold before your eyes.
2. Highway (2014)
Alia Bhatt and Randeep Hooda’s characters venture on an adventure with no destination in this movie, forming an unlikely bond between the only daughter of a rich industrialist, and a local kidnapper. The story unravels with emotions running loose and AR Rahman’s music playing in the background.
1. A Death in the Gunj (2016)
Konkona Sen Sharma’s directorial debut sees her pick up a story with all heart, following Shutu (Vikrant Massey), a sensitive and introverted young man who goes through casual bullying and heartbreaks on a trip with the family. Ranvir Shorey, Tillotama Shome, Kalki Koechlin, Tanuja, Jim Sarbh and Om Puri put up brilliant performances as well, along with young Arya Sharma who lights up the screen with her presence.
These are just a few criminally underrated Bollywood movies of recent times despite deserving the attention of movie-lovers. Let us know about the movies you think should be included in this list, too.