Undiscovered Gems of Indian Cinema: Compulsory Overviews of Unheralded Motion Pictures
Discovering Hidden Gems: Uncovering Underrated Indian Films
In the vast landscape of Indian cinema, there are numerous films that, despite their exceptional quality, have not received the widespread attention they deserve. These underrated films, available on platforms like Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Zee5, MUBI, and Hotstar, offer a unique blend of fresh storytelling, strong performances, and socially relevant themes.
One such film is Masaan (2015), a Hindi drama set in the holy city of Varanasi. The film interweaves two tragic stories of a young woman ostracized for a sexual encounter and a boy from a lower caste falling in love across social lines, earning praise at Cannes but failing to reach the wider audience it merits.
Another underrated gem is Ship of Theseus (2013), a Hindi/English philosophical drama that explores identity through three stories: a blind photographer who regains sight, a monk facing a moral dilemma, and a stockbroker uncovering organ theft. Despite receiving international accolades, the film remains undiscovered by many Indian viewers.
Eeb Allay Ooo! (2019), a satirical drama about a young migrant's bizarre government job of scaring away monkeys from public buildings, offers biting satire on class and identity, but failed to gain mainstream traction.
Regional films also fall into the category of underrated due to linguistic and distribution barriers. For instance, Sairat (2016), a Marathi romance-social drama that tells the story of a lower-caste boy and an upper-caste girl's forbidden love in rural Maharashtra, was a huge success in the region but remained underrated nationally, becoming the first Marathi film to cross ₹100 crore.
Films like Court (2014), a Marathi/Hindi/English legal drama about an aging folk singer's trial, unveiling flaws and biases in the Indian judicial system, and Thithi (2015), a Kannada comedy-social drama chronicling the lives of three generations of men in a rural village after the death of their 101-year-old patriarch, offer a fresh perspective on regional narratives.
Underrated films span all genres, often blending them in unique ways. For example, Tumbbad (2018) is a Hindi horror-mythology film set in 20th-century Maharashtra, following a man's obsession with an ancestral treasure and the consequences of greed. On the other hand, Super Deluxe (2019) is a Tamil dark comedy-drama that weaves together four bizarre stories in modern-day Chennai, dealing with themes like gender identity, morality, and religion.
In addition to streaming platforms, film festivals like IFFI, MAMI, or the Dharamshala International Film Festival can also be sources for discovering hidden gems. Using filters like "IMDb rating above 7.5, under 100,000 votes" can help discover hidden cinematic gems. Some films or short versions are even uploaded directly by creators on YouTube and Vimeo.
Among the underrated titles that highlight diversity across language and region (Hindi, Punjabi, Marathi, Urdu, Kashmiri) and combine various cinematic genres and styles—from realistic dramas and fantasy to thrillers and character studies—while engaging with socially significant themes like migration, patriarchy, debt, and crime are:
- Superboys of Malegaon (Hindi, Drama): An underdog story with a fresh, uplifting narrative showing how "nobodies" can achieve big dreams.
- Tanvi: The Great (Hindi, Drama): Praised for emotionally honest storytelling that avoids melodrama, focusing on realistic and simple moments which provide depth and freshness.
- Crazzy (Hindi, Drama): Features a unique Tarantinoesque style blending tension, raw intensity, and bold storytelling, paying homage to Amitabh Bachchan.
- Hanere De Panchi (Punjabi, Urdu, Kashmiri): Produced by Hansal Mehta and directed by Shashank Walia, this drama represents linguistic diversity and explores social issues pertinent to the northern regions of India.
- Koyta (Hindi/Marathi, Action-Fantasy): Directed by Radhikka Apte and produced by Vikramaditya Motwane, this film tells the story of a migrant sugarcane cutter who gains superpowers and fights family debt.
- Bayaan (Hindi, Police Procedural Thriller): Selected for the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival, this film examines modern India's crime and social tensions through a gripping thriller about a missing person case in Jaipur, highlighting regional nuances and contemporary issues.
- Kohrra (Punjabi, Crime Drama Series): Though a series, it stands out for its atmospheric portrayal of Punjab, detailed characterization, and incisive look at patriarchy, family secrets, and trauma, offering a socially relevant and diverse narrative.
These titles offer a compelling reason to explore beyond mainstream Indian cinema and discover the wealth of underrated films that our country has to offer.
- The exceptional quality of underrated Indian films can be found on various streaming platforms such as Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Zee5, MUBI, and Hotstar.
- Masaan, a uniquely blended drama of romance, tragedy, and social commentary, received praise at Cannes but remained undiscovered by many.
- Ship of Theseus, a philosophical drama exploring identity, was internationally acclaimed yet remains undiscovered by many Indian viewers.
- Eeb Allay Ooo! is a satirical drama about class and identity that struggled to gain mainstream traction.
- Sairat, a Marathi romance-social drama about forbidden love, was a regional success but remained underrated nationally.
- Court, a Marathi/Hindi/English legal drama unveiling flaws and biases in the Indian judicial system, and Thithi, a Kannada comedy-social drama chronicling three generations in a rural village, offer unique perspectives on regional narratives.
- Tumbbad, a Hindi horror-mythology film, and Super Deluxe, a Tamil dark comedy-drama weaving together bizarre stories, exemplify the blend of various genres found in underrated films.
- Film festivals like IFFI, MAMI, or the Dharamshala International Film Festival can be sources for discovering hidden cinematic gems.
- Superboys of Malegaon, Tanvi: The Great, Crazzy, Hanere De Panchi, and Koyta offer a diverse array of language, genre, and social themes in underrated Indian films.
- Bayaan, a police procedural thriller set in Jaipur, and Kohrra, a Punjabi crime drama series, delve into contemporary issues and regional nuances, further showcasing the hidden wealth of underrated Indian cinema.
- By exploring underrated films beyond mainstream Indian cinema, one can discover the wealth of cinematic gems supporting diverse languages, genres, and socially relevant themes.
