12 Best Bollywood Movies of 2020

Talking about the Best Bollywood Movies of 2020, Bollywood kicked off the first year in a new decade strong with quite a few praiseworthy films already. If we look at any given year, Bollywood offers a bunch of new movies to its moviegoers, and the majority of them fall under the average to below-average and the category. But, there will always be a handful of movies that will captivate, entertain and make the viewers experience delightful. So, here is a list of the Best Bollywood Movies of 2020 which you shouldn’t miss!

Last Updated on January 6, 2021

Related: Underrated Bollywood Movies of 2020
Also Read: Best Indian TV Shows of 2020 on OTT

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12. Dolly Kitty

Starring – Konkona Sensharma & Bhumi Pednekar
Director – Alankrita Srivastava
Streaming Platform – Netflix

[This excerpt comes from Surya’s ‘Dolly Kitty’ Review]

First on the list of the Best Bollywood Movies of 2020, in Dolly Kitty Aur Woh Chamakte Sitare, the narrative follows the lives of two cousins who cannot stand each other, stash their differences aside when life throws them a curveball, and all they need is some sister love.

Dolly Kitty Aur Woh Chamakte Sitare purely concentrates on the two primary characters of Dolly and Kitty, and the narrative is structured around them and navigate based on the decisions they take in life. And on that standpoint, the movie succeeds from beginning to end, their thoroughly written characters and the solid performances from Konkona and Bhumi pilot the film on a captivating note.

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 11. Gunjan Saxena: The Kargil Girl

Starring – Janhvi Kapoor & Pankaj Tripathi
Director – Sharan Sharma
Streaming Platform – Netflix

[Also Read: An Alternative Take on ‘Gunjan Saxena‘ by Surya Komal]

Over the recent past, Bollywood has churned out quite a few movies with the armed forces in the backdrop, kindling a fervor of ‘josh’ in a country that suddenly turned desh-bhakt over the last few years. Debutante director Sharan Sharma’s Netflix release, Gunjan Saxena: The Kargil Girl, surprises you here. While the name sounds like yet another story of valor and patronization of our armed forces, this Janhvi Kapoor-starrer, on the contrary, is the story of a woman trying to break through a man’s world. – Anurag Rao (The Filmy Basti!)

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10. Chhapaak

Starring – Deepika Padukone & Vikrant Massey
Director – Meghna Gulzar
Streaming Platform – Disney+Hotstar

[This excerpt comes from Sayantani’s ‘Chhapaak’ Review]

Are you a person who can’t handle violence? Meghna Gulzar has always been a prominent director in dealing with serious issues in a quite matured way. Chhapaak is a real-life story of an acid survivor named Laxmi Agarwal. The narrative structure of the film is non-linear.

Chhapaak is a slow-paced film. It is not a struggle between Malti and Babbu but also a film where Malti has to handle her struggle in a positive way. The slow pace of the film shows the slow lifestyle of Malti. Apart from this Shankar Ehsaan Loy’s music has been an additional brown point for the filmgoers.

The film leaves an indelible impact on our minds. While watching the film, the spectators will understand that such a horrific situation can occur with any soul. Such painful and teary experience can only felt. The brilliant craftsmanship of Meghna Gulzar will take you to a two hours heavenly journey of Chhapaak.

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9. Bulbbul

Starring – Tripti Dimri & Avinash Tiwary
Director – Anvita Dutt
Streaming Platform – Netflix

[Also Read: An Alternative Take on ‘Bulbbul’ by Surya Komal]

Bulbbul on Netflix explores the story of a blood-thirsty demon haunting a village and killing problematic men. Not entirely a horror movie, Bulbbul is excellent from the get-go. Even though at the very beginning it deals with child marriage, but as the movie progressed it kept getting better and is such an astounding empowering film with a touch of horror. The narrative written by Anvita Dutt was a stroke of pure genius and every minute of it was worth watching. One of the Best Bollywood Movies of 2020. – Zoha Junaid (@zohasreviews)

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8. Serious Men

Starring – Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Aakshath Das
Director – Sudhir Mishra
Streaming Platform – Netflix

[This excerpt comes from Surya’s ‘Serious Men’ Review]

Lies, secrets, and the by-products that come with it is the theme of the Netflix Original Film, Serious Men, directed by Sudhir Mishra. Entertaining through and through with its comedy and the appealing premise, however, it also sheds light on a few imperative topics from social stratification to the increasing mental struggle of students and many more.

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7. Panga

Starring – Kangana Ranaut, Richa Chadda
Director – Ashwini Iyer Tiwari
Streaming Platform – Disney+ Hotstar

Director Ashwini Iyer Tiwari’s third directorial, Panga, starring Kangana Ranaut, Richa Chadda, and Jassi Gill is an endearing and heart-warming tale of a former Kabaddi captain making her comeback after a hiatus of 8 years.

Apart from Kangana, the credit for this lovely movie goes to its director-writer Ashwini Iyer Tiwari as well. Like her debut film, Nil Battey Sanatta (2016), which touched a delicate mother-daughter equation, Panga is her ode to the female tribe, giving them the impetus to fly and that it is never too late to pursue one’s dreams! Without a doubt, one of the Best Bollywood Movies of 2020. – Anurag Rao (The Filmy Basti!)

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6. Shakuntala Devi

Starring – Vidya Balan, Sanya Malhotra
Director – Anu Menon
Streaming Platform – Amazon Prime

[This excerpt comes from Nirmal’s ‘Shakuntala Devi’ Review]

Directed by Anu Menon and starring Vidya Balan and Sanya Malhotra in the lead roles, Shakuntala Devi, the film, includes a compelling narrative, a well-written screenplay, and other aspects, including comedy, quick-wit of Shakuntala, and last but, not least, several complex numbers. The performance of Vidya Balan was remarkable to watch as this is a riveting biopic of a genius mind. One of the Best Bollywood Movies of 2020.

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5. AK vs AK

Starring – Anil Kapoor & Anurag Kashyap
Director – Vikramaditya Motwane
Streaming Platform – Netflix

[This excerpt comes from Chicks’ ‘AK vs AK’ Review]

Vikramaditya Motwane’s Netflix Original, AK vs AK, starring Anil Kapoor and Anurag Kashyap in the lead roles, opens a new dimension to Indian Cinema. It brings to the table an unseen form of filmmaking in mainstream cinema. A Superstar, a diabolical director, and a kidnapped daughter are what made the crux for AK vs AK. All in all, the film would have been a masterstroke if it wasn’t for the patchy screenplay. The film is a big step in the right direction.

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4. Chintu Ka Birthday

Starring – Vinay Pathak & Tillotama Shome
Director – Devanshu & Satyanshu Singh
Streaming Platform – ZEE5

Set in 2004 in Baghdad, right after Saddam Hussein’s demise, Chintu Ka Birthday explores the story of an Indian parent isolated in their home on the eve of their son’s birthday surrounded by the aggression of the USA Troops. The simple production design, straightforward story, compelling performances from the cast, and the wonderful direction makes Chintu Ka Birthday a must watch and one of the Best Bollywood Movies of 2020. – Surya Komal

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3. Ludo

Starring – Various
Director – Anurag Basu
Streaming Platform – Netflix

“Ludo is life, life is Ludo.” Anurag Basu, as a director, is known for his eccentric portrayal of characters and storylines and Ludo is different, quirky, eccentric, and dark. Movies like Ludo are the toughest to put together. There have been countless times when filmmakers fail to present two parallel stories, let alone four. In terms of the number of cast members, Ludo was an ambitious project. Despite that, this film delivers due to its multi-talented cast.

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2. Raat Akeli Hai

Starring – Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Radhika Apte
Director – Honey Trehan
Streaming Platform – Netflix

[Also Read: An Alternative Take on ‘Raat Akeli Hai‘ by Surya]

Who does not love a murder mystery? Raat Akeli Hai on Netflix explores the story where Raghubeer Singh, an old and rich Thakur, is murdered on his wedding night, and the whole family is under suspicion. Inspector Jatil Yadav (Nawazuddin Siddiqui) takes over the case as the lead investigator, and the remainder of the film details the ins and outs of the crime scene.

Trust me, the movie is intriguing. The quest to find the suspect is thrilling and exciting, and the entire family is creepy and weird in their own sense with multiple backstories that relate to the murder. The whodunit drama makes the narrative interesting and the climax is satisfying. If you want to watch something exciting, thrilling, go for Raat Akeli Hai on Netflix. One of the Best Bollywood Movies of 2020. – Sneha Panchal (@snehareviews)

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1. Kaamyaab

Starring – Sanjay Mishra
Director – Hardik Mehta
Streaming Platform – Netflix

[This excerpt comes from Neelam’s ‘Kamyaab’ Review]

Next on the list of the Best Bollywood Movies of 2020, Kaamyaab is full of heart and is dedicated to those that Sudheer (Sanjay Mishra) refers to as the ‘Aaloo’ of Bollywood films – the character artists and the extras, because ‘Yeh log sab jagah fit ho jaate hai.’

The one thing we all can bet for a fact that even while being the best of movie buffs, most of us would have never cared to know or recall the names of eight out of ten famous side-kicks and extras that we have repeatedly seen in dozens of films year after year. From the time we were growing in the 80s, 90s and to date. Kaamyaab, written and directed by Hardik Mehta, brings us their struggles & behind the scene stories.

Kaamyaab largely turns out to be a significant watch with the positives outweighing the negatives. If you’re one of those people who complains or is tired of hearing that ‘Bollywood mein achi filmein nahi banti’ and open to exploring the slightly off-beat indie stories, Kaamyaab deserves to be seen. The fact that such underrated movies are now backed by big and note-worthy production houses like Red Chillies Entertainment and Drishyam Films certainly gives a gleeful hope for the future of our Bollywood cinema.

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