You know that feeling of frustration when you have just finished reading a favourable movie review, and you hop on to a streaming platform, only you realise they do not have that title. It feels even more annoying when the movie in question is an old Hindi film, which is probably difficult to access. Thankfully, Amazon Prime Video has recently added many Hindi titles, both old and new, to the platform.
So if you are in the mood for a wholesome romcom that foreshadowed the Ash-Abhi pairing, a fun musical comedy that gives Dil Chahta Hai (2001) vibes, or intense movies that you missed out on in the past couple of years, and one fun film from 2024, we have the perfect list for you. Here’s an eclectic mix of 5 Hindi movies recently added to Amazon Prime Video.
Kuch Naa Kaho (2003)
Way before Abhishek and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan tied the knot in 2007, they had a spate of movies in which their chemistry was palpable. One of them is Kuch Naa Kaho. This Bollywood classic, which recently made its way to Amazon Prime Video, has the charm of the . The songs are long and melodious, with a troupe of background dancers in identical outfits. The love triangle is stronger than ever, the bad-boy-meets-good-girl trope is thriving, and the main character is named *drum roll*, Raj.
Namrata (Aishwarya Rai Bachchan) is Raj’s (Abhishek Bachchan) secretary. She has been tasked by Raj’s uncle Rakesh (Satish Shah) to find him a suitable bride so that he gets over his casanova ways. Namrata arranges a series of dates for him, which he deliberately sabotages. Gradually, he falls in love with Namrata. But will her young son be okay with their relationship, and what about her ex-husband Sanjeev (Arbaaz Khan)?
The plot is quite simple, but it’s full of heart. The wholesome journey of the suave and sophisticated Raj falling in love with Namrata's intelligent and no-nonsense charm is amped up with playful dialogue.
The vibrant costumes (a fusion of Western styles with the humble kurta) and set design are complemented by the emotionally and the heartfelt lyrics of Javed Akhtar. The movie is a complete package of emotions and intensity.
Jhankaar Beats (2003)
If you had to come up with a one-liner for a condom brand, what would it be? For Deep (Sanjay Suri) and Rishi (Rahul Bose), the pressure to come up with this so as to not lose their advertising job while also practising for an annual pop music competition called ‘Jhankaar Beats’ weighs on them, while they also prepare for significant life events.Deep and his wife Shanti (Juhi Chawla) are expecting, and Rishi is on the brink of divorce. Talk about having too much on your plate.
Jhankaar Beats was Sujoy Ghosh’s directorial debut. He has since given us gems like Kahaani (2012) and Kahaani 2 (2016), as well as the recent thriller flick Jaane Jaan (2023).
This musical comedy is a must-watch Hindi movie on Amazon Prime Video, which was presumably added to bless Gen Z with a polished narrative that manages to be lighthearted and humorous, while also giving them a taste of what the early 2000s films got right. The songs are fun, and despite an ensemble cast, every character’s personality shines through. Some of the subplots are ahead of their time, so if you watch it in 2024, you may be just on time.
Vadh (2022)
When you give an okay-ish script to seasoned actors, you know they will squeeze every ounce of value out of it to give us memorable performances. is an example of this. Shambhunath Mishra (Sanjay Mishra) is a retired school teacher who provides home tuition to make ends meet. He lives with his wife Manju (Neena Gupta) in an old decaying house, while their son has settled down in the US with no intentions of helping them financially.
Shambhunath and Manju live like paupers because they took out an education loan to ensure their son receives a world-class education. But they also have to be at the mercy of Prajapati (Saurabh Sachdeva), a loan shark who mistreats the old couple because they are unable to pay him back and who has his (leering) eye on one of Shambhunath’s young female students.
When we add Shakti (Manav Vij), a corrupt cop, to the mix, we have the ingredients for a delicious thriller, one of the best movies to watch on Amazon Prime Video. There’s blackmail, murder, deceit, revenge, and more. A hard-hitting watch that will leave you satisfied in the end, this Hindi movie on Amazon Prime Video was applauded for its brilliant performances and tight plot. The set-up in the first half leading up to the ‘perfect murder’ is well structured, and the background music is an impactful companion to the intense cinematography.
Joram (2023)
When Karma (Smita Tambe), a grieving mother with a powerful and corrupt system at her fingertips, clashes with Dasru (Manoj Bajpayee), a migrant labourer who will go to any lengths to protect his infant daughter Joram from his sordid past, you get a powerful movie like . Powerful themes of retribution, desperation, power struggles, and justice are at play in this riveting Hindi movie that was recently added to Amazon Prime Video.
The film uses plenty of symbolism to communicate heavy messages rather than resorting to overripe dialogue that relies on extremes. The characters are on a physical and metaphorical journey that takes them from the anonymity of the forest (and the peace of mind that comes with it) to the chaos and danger of the urban forest that is a city seething with social divide.
Bajpayee gives us a masterclass in acting as a man on the run. The rest of the cast also pulls its weight to give us a well-rounded thriller.
Teri Baaton Mein Aisa Uljha Jiya (2024)
This Hindi movie was on Amazon Prime Video soon after its release. The boyish charm of Shahid Kapoor felt like a breath of fresh air after tough-guy roles in Kabir Singh (2019) and Bloody Daddy (2023).
is about Aryan (Shahid Kapoor), a robotics engineer who falls in love with his aunt’s (Dimple Kapadia) robot creation SIFRA (Kriti Sanon).
A laugh fest ensues as he tries to acclimatise SIFRA into his chaotic Delhi family as they prepare for Aryan and SIFRA’s wedding. Mishaps stemming from electrical outages or low battery and misunderstandings caused by metaphorical language that is taken literally (because how else does a robot process instructions?) underline the emotional journey of a man trying to accept that a robot cannot be capable of love.
Dharmendra reprises the lovable grandfather role from Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani (2023). Everyone looks like they had a wonderful time shooting for this film, and that playfulness shines through in this entertaining family movie.
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