The best Indian movies of 2025 did not have a lot in common—except for the fact that they all managed to touch the hearts of people watching them. From intimate family dramas to films dripping with rich folklore, the big screen saw it all this year. Audiences gravitated towards movies that explored themes such as caste, class, sexuality, migration and grief. In a landmark year for South Indian cinema, we also had crowd-pleasing superhero films, seat-gripping revenge thrillers and beloved sports dramas.
In 2025, Indian cinema once again proved that in a country as diverse as ours, our tastes are just as wide-ranging. Films like Homebound and Sabar Bonda made waves internationally—with screenings at Cannes and Sundance—while others like Kantara and Saiyaara became box-office phenomena, drawing audiences back to theatres in large numbers. This list brings together our top 12 picks for the best Indian movies of 2025.
Homebound (Hindi)
Neeraj Ghaywan’s Homebound was based on Kashmiri journalist Bashrat Peer’s New York Times essay, “A Friendship, a Pandemic and a Death Beside the Highway”. Set in North India, the film follows two childhood friends—a Muslim and a Dalit—as they attempt to clear the police force exam. After repeated delays and failures caused by systemic inequalities, the young men give up on their dreams and become migrant workers in Surat, Gujarat. They are then caught in the sudden COVID-19 lockdown in March 2020 with no way to get home. Produced by Karan Johar’s Dharma Productions, the film stars Ishaan Khatter as Mohammed Shoaib Ali and Vishal Jethwa as Chandan Kumar Valmiki. Homebound is a quiet, beautiful film and has been praised for Ghaywan’s direction, Khatter and Jethwa’s performances, the writing and the editing. The film is India’s official entry for Best International Feature Film at the 2026 Academy Awards.
Streaming on Netflix
