Indian Cinema Series 1 - Thriller Movies

Indian Cinema Series 1 - Thriller Movies - My Favorites

I am not a movie buff. I watch selected movies in theaters as well as at home. But last few days, I spent time exploring movies in other languages and realized that Indian cinema does have an amazing library of movies, if one chooses to expand their territory.

So here's the list of thriller movies I enjoyed watching.

They top my list of best thrillers because they stick to the genre, no unnecessary songs (some don't have a single song), no unwanted scenes, style of storytelling, makes your mind think, surprises till the end, suspense is well maintained and more beautifully revealed. (And am not a fan of grotesque murders)

I understand Kannada, Telugu, Tamil, Marathi, and a bit of Malayalam; so I enjoyed watching these more. But if you don't know the language, you will also find these movies in Amazon Prime, Netflix, Einthusan etc... with subtitles.

1. Mumbai Police - Malayalam - 2013

IMDB - https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2924472/
Trailer - https://youtu.be/95_TzrQpiwc
Plot excerpt from IMDB - ACP Antony is the only one who knows the truth behind ACP Aaryan's murder. Antony meets with an accident, losing his memory and is unable to reveal the killer. He is forced to investigate the murder again hoping that he remembers something.
Director - Roshan Andrews
Highlights - Performance, Climax, No songs, Not Commercial. Tops my list for amazing storyline and climax.

2. A Wednesday - Hindi - 2008

IMDB - https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1280558/
Plot excerpt from IMDB - A retiring police officer reminisces about the most astounding day of his career. About a case that was never filed but continues to haunt him in his memories - the case of a man and a Wednesday.
Director -  Neeraj Pandey
Highlights -  Storyline, Performance, Not Commercial - my all time favorite.

3. Dhruvangal Pathinaaru (D16) - Tamil- 2016

IMDB - https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6380520/
Trailer - https://youtu.be/xpt2jfiL5GY
Plot excerpt from IMDB- A police officer retires after he loses his right leg in an accident while investigating a case. Five years later, he is forced to relive his past as he narrates the story to his friend's son.
Director - Karthick Naren
Highlights - Storyline, Style of storytelling, Direction, No songs, Not Commercial
(Karthick's first movie of his Thriller Trilogy. Naragasooran is the second which will be released next month this year, https://youtu.be/vKy__q_MMYw)

4. Kahaani - Hindi - 2012

IMDB - https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1821480/
Trailer - https://youtu.be/j1wEeuAosNM
Plot excerpt from IMDB - A pregnant woman's search for her missing husband takes her from London to Kolkata, but everyone she questions denies having ever met him.
Director -  Sujoy Ghosh
Highlights - Storyline, Performance, Direction, Commercial movie, Climax

5. Drishyam - Malayalam - 2013 (Remade in Hindi, Telugu, Tamil)

IMDB - https://www.imdb.com/title/tt3417422/
Trailer - https://youtu.be/eMASubc1y_k
Plot excerpt from IMDB - A man goes to extreme lengths to save his family from punishment after the family commits an accidental crime.
Director - Jeethu Joseph
Highlights - Storyline, Direction, Performance, Climax

6. Manorama Six Feet Under - Hindi - 2007

IMDB - https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0920464/
Trailer - https://youtu.be/ocT2Wrq3v9Y
Plot excerpt from IMDB - Satyaveer, proud author of a tawdry and thoroughly unsuccessful crime novel, is approached by a woman named Manorama to investigate her husband, whom she suspects of having an affair. As in the best noir thrillers, things go pear-shaped for Satyaveer as he becomes embroiled deeper in the intrigue.
Director - Navdeep Singh
Highlights -  Storyline, Performance

7. Imaikkaa Nodigal - Tamil - 2018

IMDB - https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6186910/
Trailer - https://youtu.be/Q0QoCgbwPjs
Plot excerpt from IMDB - A suave CBI officer (Nayanthara), is in search of a serial killer who kidnaps and kills the children of important people. The killer, however, is targeting his nemesis next.
Director -  R A Gnanamuthu
Highlights -  Storyline, Commercial movie (so expect action, romance, songs, drama)

8. Table No 21 - Hindi - 2013

IMDB - https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2229842/
Trailer - https://youtu.be/RUC3SZgo_DA
Plot excerpt from IMDB - A couple is drawn into a game show with a whooping winning prize. However the game turns into more than a survival for them with no escape.
Director - Aditya Datt
Highlights -  Storyline, Performance, Commercial

9. Rangitaranga - Kannada - 2015

IMDB - https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4432480/
Trailer - https://youtu.be/L8wWqg2oYiQ
Plot excerpt from IMDB - Mysterious events begin to unfold after a reclusive novelist and his wife move back to her ancestral village, followed by a journalist.
Director -  Anup Bhandari
Highlights -  Direction, Performance, Cinematography (And my soft corner for my hometown Mangalore :) )

10. 7th Day - Malayalam - 2014

IMDB - https://www.imdb.com/title/tt3661988/
Trailer - https://youtu.be/HHVdXbNQI1Q
Plot excerpt from IMDB - A suspended crime branch officer gets involved in the investigation of a twisted case after he suspects a group of 5 friends of weird behavior
Director - Syamdhar
Highlights -  Not commercial, Storyline

11. Thani Oruvan - Tamil - 2015 (Remade in Telugu - Dhruva)

IMDB - https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4987556/
Trailer - https://youtu.be/r5Lih8rKd6k
Plot excerpt from IMDB - Siddharth Abimanyu, an influential scientist, is involved in various illegal medical practices. Mithran, an efficient IPS officer, decides to expose him.
Director - M Raja
Highlights -  Direction, Commercial movie (so expect action, romance, songs, drama), (and my childhood crush Arvind Swamy :) His style in negative role is commendable.)

12. Vettah - Malayalam - 2016

IMDB - https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5324456/
Trailer - https://youtu.be/MtdZTYHTCt0
Plot excerpt from IMDB - Two police officers trapped in a web of deception and lies from everyone they trust after they take up a case involving a mysterious man who is arrested for a double homicide.
Director - Rajesh Pillai
Highlights -  Direction, Performance

13. Memories - Malayalam - 2013

IMDB - https://www.imdb.com/title/tt3124456/
Trailer - https://youtu.be/3m-o_PTxZvw
Plot excerpt from IMDB - Sam Alex, a drunkard ex-cop, is forced to investigate a series of murders which are committed in the same pattern. His search leads to a serial killer, and something more than what he expected.
Director - Jeethu Joseph
Highlights -  Performance, (For people who watched Breathe webseries on Amazon, you will be surprised :))

14. Theevram - Malayalam - 2012 (Dubbed in Tamil - Aaththiram)

IMDB - https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2568760/
Trailer - https://youtu.be/39T4fJGQys0
Plot excerpt from IMDB - A missing auto-rickshaw driver and unidentifiable mutilated body parts found at different places stir up an investigation revealing the history of the auto-rickshaw driver and his murderer.
Director -  Roopesh Peethambaran
Highlights -  Storyline, Direction

15. Ittefaq - Hindi - 1969

IMDB - https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0064506/
Trailer - https://youtu.be/1zGNihbRT8k
Plot excerpt from IMDB - Taking place almost entirely over the course of one stormy night, a woman is terrified when an accused murderer escapes from a mental hospital and seeks refuge in her home.
Director - Yash Chopra
Highlights - Storyline (This was remade in 2017, a disaster; no where close to this original movie)

16. Aamir - Hindi - 2008

IMDB - https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1241195/
Plot excerpt from IMDB - A doctor of Indian origin returning to Mumbai from London is forced to participate in a terrorist plot
Director -  Raj Kumar Gupta
Highlights -  Storyline, Perfromance (Rajeev Khandelwal was just mind blowing in this debut film)

I have not watched Andhadhun - Hindi - 2018, but have a feeling that will be a good thriller too. Mera Saaya, Gumnaam, 100 days were good Hindi thrillers too for their time. Since am not huge fan of grotesque murders; so Vettaiyadu Vilayadu, Ratasasan, Raman Raghav etc... I have not included them in my list, but they are quite popular movies :)

Dedicated to my friend, who loves watching movies, and I hope you watch these non bollywood movies too, so you get a feel of real Indian Cinema. My next set will be on Spy movies :)

Comments

My Favorite Read - 6 - The Climb by Anatoli Boukreev (and Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer)

So, now that I want to get into some serious mountaineering activities, I started with reading books on mountains. When you check for top few books on mountains the one that comes up is " Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer " followed by “ The Climb by Anatoli Boukreev" ; both based on the 1996 Everest disaster which was made quite controversial. I started with "Into Thin Air' and while I was reading, I was continuously in conflict with Jon's views. Mind you, my memory is pretty weak when it comes to remembering details of any story - whether its books or movies. I had watched few documentaries and the Everest movie based on this topic; but that was a while ago. when I started reading this book 2 weeks back, I had no background; you can say I was totally new to this story. And yet, it was difficult for me to understand some of Jon's accusations or feelings. But nevertheless, Jon's style of writing was amazing; he knew how to keep reader's...

Ahamasmi Yodha - My First Tattoo

I finally did it. It isn’t a great achievement to show off, but for me it’s one more item on my bucket list getting fulfilled. So I am very happy about it. What did I do? Oh like I said nothing great – I just got my FIRST Tattoo :) My first Tattoo Artist I had done a lot of research on it since last couple of months. I wanted to get it done on my birthday, but it somehow dint work out. For all the first timers, I wanted to list out my personal experience, just in case it helps :) First of all, I felt it will be very helpful if you have some friends who would have got it done already. But I dint have that privilege. So I went through lot of blogs and articles in About.com, Wikihow, YahooAnswers etc… Well Google, the new lord of knowledge :) has all that you need to know. So, in summary, what I got from all these sites were First decide on what you want to get tattooed and where. Go over it again and again, since it is permanent, you will have to live ...

Dear Dost

Dear Dost, I know you are dealing with a lot in life. A lot has happened in the past that has changed you. A lot is happening right now, that is forcing you to change. A lot of decisions you have to make that's exploding your brains. You are multi tasking like some superhero. You have issues at home, in the family, in your personal life, that you are juggling with. You have professional problems that you are dealing with. A lot - that's what's happening to you right now. When I met you, I saw "a lot" has changed in you. I have changed too, and so have you. But what I could not ask you was - are you still you? I remembered Gulzar's words, written back in 1995 (atleast that's what the source says, I had listened to Jagjit Singh singing this, and it had registered in me since then). din kuchh aise guzārtā hai koī jaise ehsāñ utārtā hai koī dil meñ kuchh yuuñ sambhāltā huuñ ġham jaise zevar sambhāltā hai koī aaina ...

Home is a house without loved ones!

Home is a house without loved ones! It was September 24th 2005 when I left my home and since then till now I have been to home like some far away relative staying out of town, visiting our family once or twice in a year during diwali or New Year or some ones wedding. A guest in my own home! I joined this software industry on 26th September 2005 in Mysore, then I travelled to Pune in 2006 for a year and then to Bangalore in 2007 for one more year and then to London in 2008 for roughly a year and now in USA-2009. In all these 4 years, I have been busy. Busy getting adjusted to life outside home, for the one who has never stayed out of home, in even a hostel before – to handle this freedom yes definitely thrilling J, seeing new places, making new friends, keeping in touch with old ones. Professional career, half yearly appraisal fights, CRRs, freaking and idiotic managers, some stupid colleagues, some shrewd ones, and some of your own frequency. All this while, I did not really miss my ho...

Love, Loss and Father's Day

I have been meaning to write this post for a while now, but somehow words fail me. I started writing, and stopped at the first two sentences, erasing and rephrasing, re-iterating the process every time I attempted to write this. 8 months later, today on Father’s day, I think I finally am able to put words into meaningful sentences. It’s weird how most of the times, I just need an inspiration, an idea or a feeling to write pages together without any effort; and then there are times, when my mind is cluttered with so many thoughts ,eager to be put on paper that I find it hard to form a single straight sentence. But I feel like writing today, so here it goes. My best friend lost her mom to a health incident few months back. When I spoke to her she asked me how did I handle it when my dad passed away few years back. I could not explain it to her then, I just said you will learn to live through it. That was when I first tried to write this blog. Even after so many years, ...

Zindagi Gulzar Hai - A feast to ones eyes!

Today I am here to make a much interesting comparison of our current Indian TV industry with our neighboring country’s television industry. Interesting because I never thought I would ever engage in watching any of the Pakistan TV series/movies or listening to their music. My disinterest in Pakistan entertainment was not because of the tensed relationship with the country. But I myself am not a big fan of TV serials. The kind of drama that is filled in Indian TV Channels today is just exhausting and tiring to watch. I hardly follow any Indian TV series. When I visit home on vacation, I join my family in watching the program they watch and that’s how I keep myself updated with what is trending in the TV industry. I love listening to music and I listen to all genres of music. I did start listening to Pakistani music since last few years and have admired their music. Strings, Fuzon, Kaavish, Jal, Rahat Fateh Ali Khan, Ghulam Ali, Parveen Abida, Quratulain Baloch and many ...

Celebrating the Bridge for Friends!

Just like any other bridge, this one plays a role of connecting you and me. Some are brand new, very inviting, clean and pure, presenting to be strong, yet to get exposed to the harsh reality of life. Some have weathered in many seasons, with few bars of railings missing, few broken planks, yet they stand strong, like huge metal bridges. Some are reinforced with fresh materials every few years, so we stay connected strong and safe for entire lifetime. Some are beyond repair, standing there rusty and broken. Not because it's impossible to fix the gap, but just waiting for equal support from the other side to mend it. Some were meant to serve one another just once. The need to cross that bridge never arose again, doesn't mean we don't remember how important that bridge was in our journey. To new and old, deep and shallow, strong and weak, connected and broken friendships, I am grateful to have known you one way or another. Happy Friendships Day! 🍻

Alaska Diaries - Innocence is Fearless

Innocence is fearless. Innocence is free from consciousness of how it gets perceived. Innocence just acts, reacts at free will. On the Denali National park bus, there was a 6 year old boy, Matt. While driving in the park, there were couple of folks riding the bike, and the guide made a comment " We call them Meals on the Wheels! " ; we all giggled, smiled for 2 secs ; like we did on most of his jokes; and got back to the normal serious self. After almost a minute or two, this kid started laughing out loud. And he told his mom " Oh.. Now I got the joke. Oh that's so Funny. Hahaha.. Meals on the Wheels!! " and he was laughing his heart out. He was the only one in the bus laughing but that dint stop him from doing so. For a full 8-10 mins, he went on and on , reminding himself of that phrase and laughing. I laughed for 4-5 mins with him just because of the way of his laughter; I couldn't control. This happened in the morning; but now on the way...

A Pink Soap Box

There it was. I was cleaning my bathroom cabinets and it was hiding in the bottom shelf. A small plastic pink soap box. I held it and was instantly taken back to year 1999. When I had been in a hostel for the first time in my life. For the first time I was staying away from home, away from my family, all by myself in some unknown place with strangers. Not until 7 years later that I finally moved out of home and started living independently, did I experience that same nauseated feeling again. But that day, that moment, it was going to be the first time in my life, staying away from my family, and first’s are always special. It’s funny, how this pink soap box takes me on a time travel right back to that moment. The school was just about 15 minutes walk from our home. But that year they had some summer camp, that required kids to stay for 15 days in school’s hostel. I remember my uncle and mom dropping me off near the hostel gate. It’s...

My Favorite Read - 1 - A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman

I have been meaning to write about the books that I have enjoyed reading for quite some time now; but amidst all the chaos, I never got a chance or made time to write. Am finally starting series of reviews about the books I have enjoyed reading; and although there are lot of them that I have loved, I cannot think of a better one than this to start my series; one that I recently finished reading. A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman It's the way this book is written; it's so refreshing, and all the characters, you just fall in love with them. Ove, Sonja, Parvaneh, Rune, the cat, the dog, the Saab - the emotions of a man tied to tool box, radiators and all the other hardware mechanics in the world. We have a famous comedy series in Hindi - Sarabhai vs Sarabhai. For people who know what I am talking about, can you recall Dushyant? The way he gets so emotional about a broken lift or refrigerator or water cooler. Basically, he portrayed a comic version of...

When Silence Speaks...

Search This Blog