Regarding caprifying thrillers, Bollywood often surprises us with a daring, unexpected and psychologically complex narration. Although the industry is better known for his colorful musicals and his great romances, in recent decades, he has quietly built an unforgettable thrillers – films that challenge the public, challenge the formula and leave a lasting impression.
These films are not only consisting in solving a mystery or hunting a killer – they want to take off from social layers, explore the human psyche and face uncomfortable truths. Some are closely rolled whodunits, some are tales of granular revenge, and some immerse themselves in the twisted spirit of their protagonists. What they all have in common, however, is their ability to hold your attention from the first image to the last.
In this list, you will find old-fashioned suspense thrillers that always punch, cult classics that have found love long after their release, and the Bend-Benders of the new age redefining the genre. Whether it is a blind pianist who may not be as helpless as it seems, a woman looking to take revenge in Kolkata's narrow ways, or a serial killer confessing her crimes with disturbing calm – each of these films has a unique story, style and mood.
So take your popcorn, draw the curtains and prepare for the intelligent, elegant and superbly executed cinematic suspense. These ten bollywood thrillers are perfect for a night when you want predictable entertainment – they are designed to keep your pulse.
Director: RAM GOPAL VARMA
Casting: Urmila Matondkar, Manoj Bajpayee, Sushant Singh
A psychological thriller takes place entirely in a house, Kaun? is strange, unpredictable and brilliantly claustrophobic. With only three characters and only one location, the film makes you guess until its frightening final revelation. Urmila offers obsessive performance, while the ambiguous presence of Manoj Bajpayee makes tension unbearable. It is one of the most underestimated jewels of Indian cinema in the genre.
2. Manorama: Six feet under (2007)
Director: Navdeep Singh
Casting: Abhay Deol, Raima Sen, Gul Panag
Inspired by Chinatown, this neo-black thriller is a slow combustion mystery in a small town in Rajasthan. Abhay Deol plays an amateur detective who falls into a political scandal while investigating an apparently simple case. With dry mind, dusty landscapes and layers of deception, manorama is the kind of thriller that is gradually revealed and rewards your patience.
Director: Neeraj Pandey
Cast: Naseeruddin Shah, Anupam Kher, Jimmy Sheirgill
Tennt, powerful and deeply relevant, on Wednesday! takes place on a single afternoon while an anonymous appellant threatens to bomb Mumbai unless some requests are satisfied. With electrical performance by Naseeruddin Shah and Anupam Kher, the film raises ethical questions while delivering an impulse suspense. It is not only a thriller – it is a social declaration with a blow.
Director: Sujoy Ghosh
Cast: Vidya Balan, Nawazuddin Siddiqui, parambrata chatterjee
Against the festive chaos of Kolkata, Kahaani follows a pregnant woman in search of her missing husband. What starts as an emotional quest soon turns into a captivating story of deception, revenge and hidden identity. The performance of Vidya Balan is fierce and vulnerable, and the breathtaking torsion of the film is always considered one of the most emblematic of Bollywood.
Director: Nishikant Kamat
Casting: Ajay Devgn, Tabu, Shriya Saran, Ishita Dutta
A man who will do everything to protect his family – Drishyam is not only a thriller, it is a master's degree in conspiracy. As the secrets collapse and a police investigation ends, the film leads you to bite your nails until the end. Tabu is threatening as a determined cop, while Ajay Devgn's quiet intensity carries the film through his emotional and moral dilemmas. The film has a suite and a third part would be in preparation.
Director: Sriram Raghavan
Cast: Varun Dhawan, Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Yami Gautam, Huma Qureshi
Dark, violent and morally complex badlapur tells the story of a man whose quest for revenge extends over 15 years. Varun Dhawan throws his chocolate image for a covering and diaper performance, while the unpredictable charm of Nawazuddin adds a whole new dimension to the film. It is not your standard revenge saga – it's much more disturbing.
7. Raman Raghav 2.0 (2016)
Director: Anurag Kashyap
Interpreter: Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Vicky Kaushal
Inspired by the real serial killer of the 1960s Raman Raghav, this psychological thriller explores the twisted spirit of a murderer and the fragile mental health of a cop pursuing him. Nawazuddin is terrifying as a disturbed Raman, and Vicky Kaushal gives a dark and introspective performance. Anurag Kashyap's signature style – grain, raw and shamelessly – makes a disturbing but unforgettable watch.
Director: Sriram Raghavan
Casting: Ayushmann Khurrana, Tabu, Radhika Apte
What happens when a blind pianist testifies to murder? This is only the beginning of this deliciously winding thriller. With a black comedy, moral ambiguity and jaw remains, Andhadhun constantly pulls the carpet under your feet on the right to the very last scene. Ayushmann is perfect, but Tabu is badly unpredictable, steals the show. A modern thriller defining gender.
Director: Sujoy Ghosh
Casting: Amitabh Bachchan, Taapsee Pannu, Amrita Singh
Drama of captivating chat and mice, Badla keeps you at the idea that the final framework. Adapted from the Spanish film The Invisible Guest, it is the dynamic between the calm lawyer and probing Amitabh Bachchan and the apparently trapped businesswoman, Taapsee Pannu who keeps the tension razor. Sujoy Ghosh weaves a mystery closely full of red herring and layers in layers.
Director: Nikhil Nagesh Bhat
Casting: Lakshya, Tanya Maniktala, Raghav Juyal
One of the most visceral thrillers of recent years, Kill is an incessant filming of action survival aboard a moving train. Which starts as a love story quickly degenerates into a brutal fight and soaked in blood for survival. With cascades of kibble and high emotional issues, Kill repels the limits of the Thriller genre in Indian cinema – and firmly puts Lakshya on the map as a star of the action to watch. Unlike traditional Bollywood thrillers who spend suspense or psychological drama, Kill is visceral, kinetics and absolutely relentless. He has more in common with international action thrillers such as RAID or the Busan train than with everything we have seen from Indian Cinema in the consumer public in recent years.
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