Most Underrated Bollywood Movies You Missed

Bollywood is famous for its blockbusters, but some of its best films barely made a ripple on release. They opened quietly, found a small audience, and then disappeared from conversation while louder films took the headlines. Years later, many of them feel like discoveries.

This guide collects the most underrated Bollywood movies worth catching up on. These are not obscure films for their own sake; they are well-made, well-acted stories that simply did not get the attention they deserved. Availability rotates between services, so check your region before you start watching.

What Counts as Underrated?

A film can be underrated in different ways. Some were box-office disappointments that critics liked. Others were praised at festivals but never reached a wide audience. A few were simply released at the wrong time, overshadowed by a bigger star vehicle in the same month.

The films below share one quality: they reward a viewer who gives them a chance. They are not all easy watches, but none of them wastes your evening. If you have seen the big Bollywood hits and want something deeper, this is a good place to start.

Quiet Dramas That Stay With You

Masaan (2015) is set in Varanasi and follows two characters whose lives are shaped by loss, caste and small-town morality. It is restrained, beautifully shot and quietly devastating. It won attention at Cannes but never became the mainstream hit its quality deserved.

Photograph (2019), directed by Ritesh Batra, is a gentle romance between a street photographer in Mumbai and a young woman from a different world. Almost nothing dramatic happens, and that is the point. The film finds tenderness in glances, silences and small acts of kindness.

Sir (2018), also known as Is Love Enough, Sir, tells a similar kind of story: a widowed domestic worker and her employer in Mumbai, and the class lines that keep them apart. It is subtle, humane and free of melodrama, which may be why it never became a talking point.

Small Films With Big Ideas

Newton (2017) is a dry, funny and quietly angry film about an election officer determined to run a fair vote in a conflict zone. Rajkummar Rao plays the idealist at its centre, and the film never lets him off the hook. It was India’s Oscar submission, yet many viewers still have not seen it.

Eeb Allay Ooo! (2019) is stranger and braver. A young man in Delhi is hired to scare monkeys away from government buildings, and the job slowly unravels his life. It is a satire about work, dignity and urban India, told with deadpan humour and real sympathy.

Ship of Theseus (2012) is the most philosophical film on this list. Three stories — a photographer, a monk and a stockbroker — explore identity and change. It is not a casual watch, but viewers who like thoughtful cinema will find it unusually rewarding.

Thrillers and Crime Stories You Missed

Titli (2014) is a dark, unsentimental crime drama about a young man trying to escape his family’s carjacking business in Delhi. It is tense and bleak, with no easy redemption. Critics praised it widely, but it barely registered with general audiences.

A Death in the Gunj (2016), Konkona Sensharma’s directorial debut, is a slow-burn family drama that turns into a tragedy. Set in 1970s McCluskieganj, it follows a sensitive young man on a family holiday where small cruelties accumulate. The ending lands hard precisely because the film refuses to rush toward it.

Soni (2018) follows two policewomen in Delhi navigating harassment, bureaucracy and their own frustrations. It is short, spare and angry in a controlled way. Like many of the best films here, it trusts its audience to pay attention rather than spelling everything out.

Comedies and Warm Surprises

Karwaan (2018) is a road movie about three strangers thrown together by a mix-up involving a dead body. It is funny without being frantic, and its pleasures come from character rather than set pieces. Dulquer Salmaan and Irrfan Khan make an appealing, mismatched pair.

Chintu Ka Birthday (2020) is a small, warm film about a six-year-old boy’s birthday party during the Iraq War, as seen by an Indian family in Baghdad. It is funny, tense and deeply humane, and it found most of its audience only after streaming.

Axone (2019) follows a group of friends from Northeast India in Delhi trying to cook a traditional pork dish for a wedding, despite their neighbours’ objections. It is a comedy about prejudice, community and food, and it says more about urban India in ninety minutes than many longer films manage.

Why These Films Slipped Past Audiences

Marketing is the simplest explanation. A film without a major star or a hit song often gets a small release and little promotion. Word of mouth can save such films, but only if viewers find them before they leave cinemas or get buried in a streaming catalogue.

Timing matters too. A quiet drama released alongside a blockbuster has little chance of holding screens. Many of the films above found their real audience years later, on streaming, when viewers could discover them without competing for a cinema ticket.

The good news is that streaming has levelled the field. A film that failed in cinemas can now find a second life, and several of the titles here have done exactly that. If you watch one and love it, recommending it to a friend is the best way to keep that second life going.

Where to Start

If you want one film tonight, start with Masaan or Newton. Both are accessible, well-paced and representative of what Bollywood can do at its best. Masaan is the more emotional choice; Newton is the funnier and more satirical one.

If you are in the mood for something gentle, try Photograph or Sir. Both are quiet romances that respect their characters and their audience. If you want something stranger, Eeb Allay Ooo! or Ship of Theseus will give you plenty to think about.

For a lighter evening, Karwaan or Chintu Ka Birthday are safe bets. They are warm without being sentimental, and they work well as introductions to smaller-scale Bollywood storytelling.

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FAQ

What is the most underrated Bollywood movie of all time?

There is no single answer, but Masaan and Ship of Theseus come up most often in critics’ lists. Masaan is the easier watch and the better starting point, while Ship of Theseus is the more ambitious and demanding film.

Are underrated Bollywood movies available with English subtitles?

Yes, most of the films on this list are available with English subtitles on major streaming services. Subtitled versions are the standard way these films reach international audiences, and they preserve the original performances.

Why do good Bollywood movies fail at the box office?

Small releases, limited marketing and competition from star-driven blockbusters are the usual reasons. A film can also be ahead of its time, finding its audience only later through streaming and word of mouth.

Which underrated Bollywood movie should I watch first?

Start with Masaan if you want drama, Newton if you want satire, or Karwaan if you want a warm comedy. All three are strong introductions to Bollywood beyond the blockbusters.

Are these films suitable for viewers new to Bollywood?

Yes. None of them requires prior knowledge of Bollywood conventions, and several are deliberately restrained in style. They are good entry points precisely because they focus on character and story rather than spectacle.

Sources

• Wikipedia, “Masaan” — background on the film’s setting, reception and festival run: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Masaan
• IMDb, Newton (2017) — cast, crew and release details: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6484982/