Amazon Prime seems to be leading the way on (legal) streaming of Indian movies. They have 173 pages of results for the search “Hindi movies” and many of them are from just this past year! Here is just a list of what I found:
Raazi– starring Alia Bhatt, Raazi tells the story of an Indian spy battling with her own moral dilemmas as conflict with Pakistan looms. Raazi was praised for Alia’s performance and its nuanced depiction of the relationship between India and Pakistan.
October A contemplative romance from Shoojiit Sircar starring Varun Dhawan and Banita Sandhu.
Loveyatri– a small town love story with all the usual conventions as well as a celebration and ode to the art of the Garba. A village boy travels to London to find the girl he fell in love with during the festival season. This movie features one of the most popular songs of the year, “Chogada.” (You’re singing it now, aren’t you?)
Gold -Stars Akshay Kumar in a fictionalized account of independent India’s hockey victory at the 1948 Olympic Games.
Karwaan– This one has a delightful cast of Irrfan Khan, Dulquer Salmaan, and Mithila Palkar. Three misfits meet on the road to exchange the swapped bodies of their deceased loved ones. It’s quirky sure, but works.
Sonu ke Titu ki Sweety Luv Ranjan’s latest enjoyed a lot of popularity this year and several hit songs. You can see my review of this one here.
Mitron – Like SKTKS, Mitron is a about a man who won’t grow up. His parents arrange a marriage with an ambitious woman and they both try to decide what they want to do with their lives.
Thugs of Hindostan– This one came out only last month in December and fell completely flat, suffering from a derided premise and the fact that the entire film was leaked online ahead of its theatrical release. The box office returns would not have been great anyway, a real waste of Aamir Khan and Amitabh Bachchan’s first team up.
Dhadak – a Hindi remake of a beloved Marathi film (Sairat) this film served primarily to launch its star kid actor Janhvi Kapoor and Ishaan Khattar.
Satyameva Jayate Wikipedia describes this John Abraham starrer as a “vigilante action film”
Fanney Khan The distraught father (Anil Kapoor) of a talented daughter kidnaps a famous singer (Aiswarya Rai) with the help of his friend (Rajkummar Rao), with whom the singer falls in love.
Angrezi Mein Kehte Hain tells the story of three different couples and their perspectives on love. It’s one of those smaller films that didn’t get the hype, but deserves much more appreciation.
Blackmail – Irffan Khan plays a husband who finds out his wife is having an affair with a younger man and decides to blackmail the couple. Blackmail was promoted as a black comedy but, in my opinion, it’s too gross to land as funny.
A Suitable Girl “Three Indian women struggle with their parents’, and culture’s, demands that they marry in this sharp documentary.”
Padmaavat – the most controversial movie of 2018 can now be safely watched from the comfort of your living room. Stars Deepika Padukone, Shahid Kapoor, and Ranveer Singh in a historical epic with tragic consequences.
Race 3– this movie may be most famous for its meme-worthy dialogue. It’s another entry in Bollywood’s version of the Fast and the Furious series, with a cast led by Salman Khan.
Pari – This horror film earned Anushka Sharma praise for her role as a woman connected to a demonic cult. Truly scary stuff, but also uncommon quality in this genre.
Hate Story IV– Sex, lies, jealousy, sultry songs. You get it.
Missing – 2018 offered us several horror movies and thrillers, including this one. It stars Tabu, how much else do you need to know?
Hichki – Rani Mukherjee is a teacher determined to inspire and help her students, despite her own struggle with Tourette’s.
Nawabzaade– You know what the world needs? Another comedy where three adolescent guys chase a girl by, among other things, making her cry, breaking into her home, watching her sleep, and stalking her. If that sounds like something you would enjoy (again) you may find a lot to like in Nawabzaade.
Bollypen 