Who doesn’t love a good mystery movie? Bollywood has especially excelled in this genre in these past few years and has been nominated for some precious awards. Since OTT platforms have become our source of watching movies we have seen some great ones, and there is a list of such iconic mystery movies which will get you glued to your television screens. So if you love the feeling of dark reveals, twists and turns and unmissable drama, then we’ve got you covered. Here is a list of top Bollywood mystery movies that you need to watch if you haven’t already.
1. Talvar
Shruti Tandon, a 14-year-old girl, is brutally murdered in her bedroom. The body of Khempal, the family's domestic helper, is discovered the following day on the terrace. Ramesh and Nutan Tandon, who are portrayed by Neeraj Kabi and Konkona Sen Sharma, do not have time to mourn their daughter's passing because they are soon involved in a situation where the father is being investigated for her murder. Did her father actually kill her? The sensational 2008 double murder case involving Arushi Talwar and their domestic helper Hemraj in Noida inspired the plot of Talvar. Talvar is a compelling and intensely unsettling movie, in large part because of the nature of the crime but also because of the realistic narration that avoids unnecessary melodrama.
2. Ugly
The gritty thriller Ugly by Anurag Kashyap is filled with strong feelings. The movie Ugly is about an awful event (a kidnapping of a child), awful people, who turn out to be even worse than they first appeared to be, and an even worse outcome than the beginning. The start of the film occurs when ten-year-old Kali (Anshika Shrivastava) is given to her loser aspiring actor father Rahul by her depressed and distraught mother Shalini (Tejaswini Kolhapure) (Rahul Bhatt). When her father is collecting a potential script from his cunning agent Chaitanya, Kali vanishes (Vineet Singh). The cast includes everyone from the most despicable street panhandlers to Shalini's second husband, the strong local police chief Shoumik (Ronit Roy). Rahul and Shoumik have a history of animosity, and Shoumik will stop at nothing to exact revenge.
3. Dobaaraa
Dobaaraa is an official remake of the 2018 Spanish film Mirage. Twelve-year-old Anay is using his camcorder to make a home movie for his absent father as a geomagnetic storm rages over Pune. He hears a fight start in the house next door, and as he goes to investigate, he is killed in a car accident. Antara moves into the home with her husband and young daughter 25 years later. The family is curious about the boy who once lived in their home after finding Anay's old television and camcorder. When a new storm threatens the home, Antara looks at the TV screen and recognises young Anay on the night that he will perish. They can still communicate with one another after all these years. 2:12 has passed, and what she tells him will affect both of their futures.
4. Manorama Six Feet Under
Navdeep Singh co-wrote and directed the Indian thriller Manorama Six Feet Under, which was influenced by the contentious Roman Polanski neo-noir classic Chinatown (1974). Rajasthan-based Satyaveer Singh Randhawa, his wife Nimmi, and their son Raju lead middle-class lives while Satyaveer serves as a Junior Engineer for the Lahkot Municipality's Public Works Department. The area is experiencing drought and high temperatures, and the local irrigation minister, P.P. Rathore, has made bold commitments to divert water from Punjab and Haryana via a canal that is being built on a contentious site. Additionally, Satyeveer wrote the fictional book Manorama, which only sold about 200 copies. He was so appalled by this that he chose not to even keep a copy for his personal library. Even worse, he accepts a motorbike from Seema Constructions in exchange for bribe money, is caught, and is suspended while an investigation is ongoing. Now without a job, Manorama Rathore, the wife of the irrigation minister, approaches him and offers him 20,000 rupees to gather proof that her husband is having an extramarital affair. Unaware that he will soon be sucked into a web of lies and deceit, Satyaveer accepts this offer.
5. Kahani (2012)
Kahani directed by Sujoy Ghosh is one of the finest mystery thrillers we have seen. Starring Vidya Balan, the film revolves around Vidya Bagchi (Vidya Balan) a pregnant woman from London who comes to Kolkata in the festive season to look for her missing husband. As she continues her search, she comes across many clues and people who may or may not be involved in her husband’s case. Apart from Vidya Balan's terrific performance and the brilliant script, what made this movie even more interesting was the performance of the rest of the cast members. Till the end you’ll be guessing all the possibilities. So if you haven’t watched this film you’re missing out on a masterpiece.
6. Talaash (2012)
Talaash starring Amir Khan, Kareena Kapoor Khan and Rani Mukherji, directed by Reema Kagti, is a full package. With mind blowing plot, great performance and catchy tunes, the film revolves around Surjan Singh Shekhawat (Amir Khan) who is a cop, investigating a murder case of a popular actor Armaan Kapoor (Vivaan Bhatena). Upon investigating he comes across Rosie (Kareena Kapoor) a red-light area worker who adds mystery to the film. The storyline of this film is so good it will keep you holding to your seats throughout. This film will surely be worth your time if you are looking for something to binge on.
7. Drishyam (2015)
Originally adapted by the Malayalam blockbuster with the same title, Drishyam starring Ajay Devgn, Tabu, Shriya Saran, Rajat Kappor and Ishita Dutta, the story revolves around Vijay (Ajay Devgn) and his family who live a simple happy life until they become the prime suspect in a missing case of Sameer Deshmukh (Risabh Chaddha) the son of IG, Meera Deshmukh (Tabu). The story further shows how Vijay and his family deal with this situation. The movie surely shows how good of an actor Ajay Devgn is, and how much worthy he is of all the praises he got for his performance in this film.
8. Detective Byomkesh Bakshy (2015)
Directed by Dibakar Banerjee, starring the late Sushant Singh Rajput, Detective Byomkesh Bakshy is based on one of the first detective stories created by bestseller Bengali writer Saradindu Bandyopadhyay. The film is set in the 1940s during the Second World War, which follows the first case of Byomkesh Bakshy (Sushant Singh Rajput). Fresh out of college, he agrees to investigate the disappearance of Bhuvan, a chemist. While investigating he discovers that Bhuvan’s case is linked to a much bigger conspiracy. As many people say this film is Bollywood’s Sherlock, the makers have nailed it with the story, screenplay and performance.
9. Andhadhun (2018)
One of the best mystery thrillers ever made, Andhadhun starring Ayushmann Khurrana, Radhika Apte and tabu is an all-in-one. The film revolves around Akash (Ayushmann Khurrana) a blind pianist who accidentally bumps into Sophie (Radhika Apte), upon finding out that he is a pianist she takes him to her father’s restaurant and offers Akash a job. Akash then gets invited to an actor’s residence for a private concert. Upon reaching the actor’s house there is a shocking surprise waiting for him. This film is so unpredictable, that you won’t be able to guess what’s coming next, and that is exactly what the audience loved about it.
10. Badla (2019)
Filled with crazy twists and turns, Badla starring Tapsee Pannu, Amitabh Bachchan and Amrita Singh, this film is one of the best mystery thrillers. The film revolves around Naina Sethi (Tapsee Pannu), a businesswoman who gets accused of killing her lover Arjun (Tony Luke). As the story unravels, we get to see every shade of the characters in the film. And we bet you won’t be able to guess if Naina Sethi (Tapsee Pannu) is actually the culprit or not. Not just the main leads, but even the supporting characters of this film left an impacting performance.
11. Raat Akeli Hai (2020)
Raat Akeli Hai directed by Honey Trehan, and starring Nawazuddin Siddiqui and Radhika Apte is a nail-biting murder mystery. The film revolves around Jatil Yadav (Nawazuddin Siddiqui) who is investigating the murder of an aged and rich politician who is found dead on his wedding night to Radha (Radhika Apte) a young girl. As Jatil Yadav continues his investigation he dives deep into a much darker unresolved case that puts him at risk. This film is so engaging that it will keep you hooked from the start to the very end. And a special mention to the entire cast of this film, they did a brilliant job. So if you’re into dark crime movies then Raat Akeli Hai is the one for you.
12. Haseen Dillruba (2021)
Released on the popular OTT platform Netflix this film is one of the latest mystery movies, Haseen Dilruba starring Taapsee Pannu, Vikrant Massey and Harshvardhan Rane is the perfect murder mystery. The story revolves around Rishabh Saxena (Rishu), who is killed in an explosion in his house, on investigating the cops find that it is a murder and the prime suspect is his wife Rani Kashyap (Taapsee Pannu). The story then goes around how Rani deals with the police and frames her story. Haseen Dillruba has romance, affairs, dark characters and murder, which makes it a perfect combination for a masterpiece. The entire cast did a fantastic job in the film, but Vikrant Massey just stole the show with his amazing acting skills.
13. The Fame Game (2022)
Not only did it mark the comeback of Madhuri Dixit, but the OTT platform welcomed her with open arms with this interesting thriller titled The Fame Game. Quite realistically embodying the role of a superstar, Madhuri played the role of Anamika Khanna who despite all the fame has a life filled with turmoil and struggles as she tries to lead a happy family life. She tries her best to be the best mother and wife, however, life has other plans for her. The interesting part of the storyline begins when she goes mysteriously missing and her family members are forced to take help from the police to find her whereabouts. This OTT show was trending in no time and had fans hooked to their screens. Madhuri Dixit's portrayal of a glamorous star was played to perfection and got her many words of appreciation.
14. Yeh Kaali Kaali Ankhein (2022)
Another bone-chilling thriller series that features some of the best OTT stars on the block right now. Shweta Tripathi has already wowed audiences with her brilliant performance in Mirzapur and Tahir Raj Bhasin has had some back-to-back OTT successes this year out of which Yeh Kaali Kaali Ankhein was one of them that got both critical and commercial success. The show also put Anchal Singh on the map who plays one of the leads in the series. The show revolves around a politician's daughter played by Anchal who would cross all boundaries to get the love of her life which is portrayed by Tahir. The show craftily depicts how power can enable all kinds of crimes. The show builds upon the mystery as Tahir navigates through his struggles to get rid of her as he is already in love with someone else. This dark and twisty tale was so well-received that it got renewed for Season 2 right after its first season.
Thrillers are one of the most binge-watched genres on OTT platforms. The intriguing storylines and captivating performances are sure to keep you hooked to your screens. Here is a roundup of some of the favourite films and shows from this genre that topped our list.
Read More - Best Hollywood Action Movies Dubbed In Hindi
Loading Next Article...
SHOW COMMENTS