Best Hindi Movies on Disney+ Hotstar
Do you know those wholesome movies that leave you with a fuzzy, happy feeling later? Sometimes, those are the best Hindi movies to watch when you are feeling low. Then there are those movies that give you a boost of motivation to snap you out of the lazy monotony.
And then, among all these titles, you will find an underrated gem that will blow your mind.
If you want an eclectic selection of movies that tick all these boxes, check out this list of the best Hindi movies on Disney+ Hotstar.
Chhichhore (2019)
When Aniruddh’s (Sushant Singh Rajput) son tries to attempt suicide after not doing well in his IIT entrance exams, Anirudh tries to motivate him by recounting stories of his college days. He recalls how his group of friends was labelled as “losers” and how they overcame all kinds of challenges through their college years with each other’s help and motivation.
Chhichhore’s crux is flashbacks of Anirudh during college, along with his friends, including Sexa (Varun Sharma), Acid (Naveen Polishetty), and now ex-wife Maya (Shraddha Kapoor).
This movie is subtle in its messaging and wholesome in its portrayal of a group of college friends experiencing life with all its fun highs and lows. It is full of empathy, humour, heartbreak, and collective victory over hardships—brilliantly portrayed by an expressive cast without being formulaic.
Mission Mangal (2019)
This movie is loosely based on the Mangalyaan mission and the obstacles the scientists had to face to make the Mars Orbiter Mission a reality.
With Rakesh Dhawan (Akshay Kumar) and Project Director Tara Shinde (Vidya Balan) at the helm, a team of scientists consisting of Ekta (Sonakshi Sinha), Neha (Kirti Kulhari), Kritika (Taapsee Pannu), Varsha (Nithya Menen), and Parmeshwar (Sharman Joshi) take on this mission.
The department faces a mountain of problems, from budget restrictions to technical hiccups at every stage of the mission. However, the movie is not just about the mission itself. Through a solid screenplay, it touches upon various aspects of gender issues, work versus family, and more.
A Thursday (2022)
This thriller flew under the radar because of its OTT release, but it’s worth skipping an evening out to stay in and watch this brilliant film. The storyline is relatively straightforward: Naina (Yami Gautam) teaches at a daycare and decides to hold 16 kids captive.
It’s a classic hostage situation, so of course, there will also be a hostage negotiator. ACP Alvarez (Neha Dhupia) and Javed Khan (Atul Kulkarni) are brought to the scene to talk to Naina.
With the twisted plan of killing all the kids in alphabetical order (poor little Aakash) until her demands are met, the rest of the movie goes into various social themes of mental health, child abuse, and rape. The film does an excellent job of communicating strong messages without taking the drama to an extreme level.
Yami Gautam’s acting will give you goosebumps. A Thursday crisply portrays how our justice system is crumbling. At 2 hours and 9 minutes, it’s a concise watch with a cohesive story.
12th Fail (2023)
12th Fail tackles a subject that strikes fear within anyone who grew up within the Indian education system: UPSC. It narrates the real-life story of IPS Officer Manoj Kumar Sharma and is an adaptation of a biography of the same name written by Anurag Pathak, which came out in 2019.
Manoj Kumar Sharma faced numerous financial obstacles to fulfil his dream of becoming an IAS officer, and his wife, Shraddha Joshi, an IRS officer, was by his side. Vikrant Massey and Medha Shankr as Manoj and Shraddha are a delight to watch, and the supporting cast does not miss a beat.
You will cry, cheer, and feel inspired, and if you have been through the UPSC grind or any academic struggle, you will feel seen.
Gulmohar (2023)
When families get together, there will be drama, or…more drama. If there’s anything Kapoor and Sons (2016) taught us, it’s that no family is perfect, and sometimes, the happiest families have deep cracks under the surface.
This movie mirrors the sentiment Kabir (Ranveer Singh) in Dil Dhadakne Do (2015) expressed when he said, “Iss ghar main sab upar upar se baat karte hai.Asli baat toh koi karta hi nahi ek dusre se" (In this house, everyone talks about superficial things, no one talks to each other about real issues.”).
In Gulmohar, Arun Batra (Manoj Bajpayee), an emotionally drained father, wistfully says the same, “Kabhi kabhi toh lagta hai ek hee ghar mei rehte hai, phir bhi koi kisi ko nahi jaanta.” (Though we all live in the same house, we don’t know each other.”)
This is one of the best Hindi movies on Disney+ Hotstar because it captures the emotions that bubble to the surface when the Batras, a family of 6, comes together to celebrate their last few days in their family house before it’s torn down. Sharmila Tagore as Kusum Batra, the gay matriarch who drops truth bombs every few scenes, is a force to be reckoned with.
The entire cast came together beautifully to show familial conflict, the relevance of traditional values in modern families, and relatable conversions that will make you feel like you are a part of the Batras, too.