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Top 11 Bollywood mystery movies that’ll keep you guessing until the end: Vidya Balan’s Kahaani to Aamir Khan’s Talaash
Who doesn’t love a good mystery movie? If you’re looking for recommendations, here’s a curated list of the best Bollywood mystery movies that will awaken the detective in you!
Let’s admit it- there’s nothing better than watching a movie that slowly unfolds with every twist and turn. The need and anticipation to know what’s going to happen next, keeps audiences at the edge of their seats. Over the years, Bollywood has produced many such mystery movies that the cine-goers have loved and adored.
For those who love the feeling of being taken on a journey to an unknown destination through exceptional storytelling, these Bollywood mystery movies are the best way to feed the need!
11 Bollywood mystery movies to watch if you haven’t already
1. Jaane Jaan (2023)
- IMDb Rating: 7.0
- Stars: Kareena Kapoor Khan, Jaideep Ahlawat, Vijay Varma
- Director: Sujoy Ghosh
- Writers: Sujoy Ghosh, Raj Vasant
- Where to watch: Netflix
Jaane Jaan is an adaptation of the 2005 Japanese novel The Devotion of Suspect X by Keigo Higashino. It revolves around a single mother, who gets involved in the murder of her husband. Meanwhile, the math teacher next door helps her cover up the murder, while a police officer is determined to find out the truth.
2. Andhadhun (2018)
- IMDb Rating: 8.2
- Stars: Ayushmann Khurrana, Tabu, Radhika Apte
- Director: Sriram Raghavan
- Writers: Arijit Biswas, Yogesh Chandekar, Sriram Raghavan
- Where to watch: Netflix
In Andhadhun, Ayushmann Khurrana plays the role of Akash, a blind pianist who ends up with a regular live music gig at a cafe. The owner asks Akash to visit the house of a famous actor who wanted to surprise his wife with a surprise concert on their anniversary. On reaching the actor's residence, Akash finds himself in a mess that he can't get out of.
3. Drishyam (2015)
- IMDb Rating: 8.2
- Stars: Ajay Devgn, Tabu, Shriya Saran
- Director: Nishikant Kamat
- Writers: Jeethu Joseph, Upendra Sidhaye
- Where to watch: Jio Cinema, Netflix, Disney+ Hotstar
Drishyam is one of those Bollywood movies that had fans raving about endlessly back when it was released. It is a story about a family who have their happy lives turned upside down once they are termed suspects in a case involving the sudden disappearance of the son of the Inspector General of Goa Police.
4. Rahasya (2015)
- IMDb Rating: 7.6
- Stars: Kay Kay Menon, Tisca Chopra, Ashish Vidyarthi
- Director: Manish Gupta
- Writers: Manish Gupta
- Where to watch: Zee5, Amazon Prime Video, YouTube
It is quite evident from the title that the story is packed with mystery. The eighteen-year-old daughter of a doctor is found murdered in her own house and all the fingers are pointed at the father. Kay Kay Menon, who plays the role of a CBI inspector working on the case, finds that there is more than meets the eye. With the list of suspects growing long, it becomes a classic whodunnit situation.
5. Talvar (2015)
- IMDb Rating: 8.1
- Stars: Irrfan Khan, Konkona Sen Sharma, Neeraj Kabi
- Director: Meghna Gulzar
- Writers: Vishal Bhardwaj, Aditya Nimbalkar
- Where to watch: Disney+ Hotstar, Netflix
Based on the infamous 2008 Noida double murder case, Talvar explores the different possibilities that lead to the crime. 14-year-old Shruti is found murdered at her home, and so is Khempal the house help. The parents of the girl are prime suspects but investigating officer Ashwin Kumar, played by Irrfan Khan, won't rest till he has all the facts of the case.
6. Detective Byomkesh Bakshy! (2015)
- IMDb Rating: 7.6
- Stars: Sushant Singh Rajput, Anand Tiwari, Neeraj Kabi, Swastika Mukherjee
- Director: Dibakar Banerjee
- Writers: Urmi Juvekar, Dibakar Banerjee, Saradindu Bandopadhyay
- Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video
Set in the 2nd World War torn Calcutta during the 1940s, Sushant Singh Rajput starrer Detective Byomkesh Bakshy follows the adventure of Byomkesh Bakshy, who is fresh out of college, and agrees to investigate the disappearance of Bhuvan Banerjee. However, he finds out that there’s a much bigger conspiracy connected with this!
7. Table No. 21 (2013)
- IMDb Rating: 7.2
- Stars: Paresh Rawal, Rajeev Khandelwal, Tina Desai
- Director: Aditya Datt
- Writers: Sheershak Anand, Shantanu Ray Chhibber, Abhijeet Deshpande
- Where to watch: Jio Cinema, Zee5, YouTube
Vivaan Agasthi and Siya Agasthi are a happy married couple who become lucky winners of a luxurious vacation to Fiji. While enjoying their trip to the islands, they are approached by a stranger with a proposition of a game with a whopping prize money that is hard to turn down. The rules are simple, the couple must always tell the truth in order to win. As the game levels up each time, Vivaan and Siya realize that the game might end up costing them their lives.
8. Kahaani (2012)
- IMDb Rating: 8.1
- Stars: Vidya Balan, Parambrata Chatterjee, Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Indraneil Sengupta, Saswata Chatterjee
- Director: Sujoy Ghosh
- Writers: Sujoy Ghosh, Advaita Kala, Suresh Nair
Set against the backdrop of the bustling city of Kolkata, a pregnant woman is on a mission to find her missing husband. Vidya Bagchi, played by Vidya Balan, is trying to connect the dots that might lead to the disappearance of her beloved. Her search for clues leads her to meet various people who have motives of their own.
Kahaani has so many layers, that the viewer is compelled to think of all the possibilities without getting to the correct one. Vidya's performance in the movie definitely stands out as one of the best in her career.
9. Talaash: The Answer Lies Within (2012)
- IMDb Rating: 7.2
- Stars: Aamir Khan, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Rani Mukerji
- Director: Reema Kagti
- Writers: Reema Kagti, Farhan Akhtar, Zoya Akhtar, Anurag Kashyap
- Where to watch: Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, YouTube
Talaash revolves around Inspector Surjan Singh Shekhawat who is tasked with investigating a death caused by a car accident. A case that was seemed straight-forward, turned out to be puzzle too big to solve for Surjan Singh. He is aided by a sex worker named Rosie in trying to uncover the truth, all of it while Surjan is dealing with his broken marriage.
10. Manorama: Six Feet Under (2007)
- IMDb Rating: 7.5
- Stars: Abhay Deol, Raima Sen, Gul Panag
- Director: Navdeep Singh
- Writers: Navdeep Singh, Devika Bhagat
- Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video, YouTube
Satyaveer Singh, a middle-class married man, is approached by his boss' wife to investigate her husband's alleged affair and collect proof. Already in financial hardship, Satyaveer accepts the offer, unaware of what lies ahead of him. Tasked with finding out the truth, Satyaveer needs to find answers and find them fast.
11. Gupt: The Hidden Truth (1997)
- IMDb Rating: 7.3
- Stars: Bobby Deol, Kajol, Manisha Koirala, Om Puri
- Director: Rajiv Rai
- Writers: Shabbir Boxwala, Rajiv Rai, Naeem Shah
- Where to watch: Zee5
Bobby Deol’s character Sahil does not share the healthiest of relationships with his father Jaisingh. The rift increases when Jaisingh wants Sahil to marry Sheetal (Manisha Koirala), who he had chosen for him. Sahil on the other hand wants to marry Isha (Kajol). Jaisingh is found dead after an argument with Sahil, and the latter is handed a life sentence. He manages to escape prison to find his father's real killer and bring them to justice.
So, what are you waiting for? Go ahead, and add these Bollywood mystery movies to your watchlist!
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