8 Indian spy movies to enjoy on OTTs: Shah Rukh Khan's Pathaan to Alia Bhatt's Raazi

Spy is an interesting genre to watch on the big screen. Over the past few years, filmmakers have been delivering some really well-made stories. They always make up for an exciting watch as they are filled with several twists and turns and strong performances. So let us look at 8 of these movies, including Shah Rukh Khan starrer blockbuster Pathaan and Alia Bhatt's intriguing espionage tale Raazi. 

Best spy movies to enjoy on OTT platforms

1. Pathaan (2023)

• Running Time: 146 minutes
• IMDB Rating: 5.9/10
• Movie Star Cast: Shah Rukh Khan, Deepika Padukone, John Abraham
• Director: Siddharth Anand
• Writer: Shridhar Raghavan, Abbas Tyrewala
• Year of release: 2023
• Where to Watch / OTT Platform: Amazon Prime Video

Shah Rukh Khan returned to the big screen after a nearly five-year absence with Pathaan. In it, he plays the role of a RAW agent who fights against a former RAW agent who turns rogue, Jim (played by John Abraham). The film is filled with fantastic action sequences, great patriotism messages, and songs worth grooving on. 

2. Ek Tha Tiger (2012)

• Running Time: 132 minutes
• IMDB Rating: 5.6/10
• Movie Star Cast: Salman Khan, Katrina Kaif
• Director: Kabir Khan
• Writer: Kabir Khan, Neelesh Misra
• Year of release: 2012
• Where to Watch / OTT Platform: Amazon Prime Video

Kabir Khan's Ek Tha Tiger kickstarted the YRF spy universe, which is now one of the biggest franchises in Bollywood. It follows the tale of a RAW agent (Salman Khan) and an ISI agent (Katrina Kaif) as they cross paths and eventually fall in love. It remains one of the best films in the entire franchise and should not be missed.

3. Raazi (2018)

• Running Time: 140 minutes
• IMDB Rating: 7.7/10
• Movie Star Cast: Alia Bhatt, Vicky Kaushal
• Director: Meghna Gulzar
• Writer: Bhavani Iyer, Meghna Gulzar
• Year of release: 2018
• Where to Watch / OTT Platform: Amazon Prime Video

Raazi is directed by Meghna Gulzar and written by Meghna and Bhavani Iyer. The film is based on Harinder Sikka's 2008 novel Calling Sehmat. It follows a RAW agent (played brilliantly by Alia Bhatt) who gets married to a Pakistani military officer's family to leave information prior to the Indo-Pakistan war of 1971. The film was a major critical and commercial success and a must-watch because of its nail-biting suspense. 

4. Vishwaroopam (2013)

• Running Time: 150 minutes
• IMDB Rating: 7.9/10
• Movie Star Cast: Kamal Haasan, Shekhar Kapur, Jaideep Ahlawat
• Director: Kamal Haasan
• Writer: Kamal Haasan, Atul Tiwari, Chakri Toleti
• Year of release: 2013
• Where to Watch / OTT Platform: Hotstar

Co-written, co-produced, acted, and directed by Kamal Haasan, Vishwaroopam was one of the most ambitious and talked about movies of 2013. The film has an impressive set of actors and a storyline that is tightly woven. It follows the story of a classical dancer whose true identity is revealed after his wife hires a detective.

5. Mission Majnu (2023)

• Running Time: 129 minutes
• IMDB Rating: 7.1/10
• Movie Star Cast: Sidharth Malhotra, Rashmika Mandanna
• Director: Shantanu Bagchi
• Writer: Parveez Shaikh, Aseem Arrora
• Year of release: 2023
• Where to Watch / OTT Platform: Netflix

In Mission Majnu, Sidharth Malhotra plays the role of a RAW agent who goes to Pakistan for a coveted mission before and during the 1971 war. The film also stars Rashmika Mandanna, Parmeet Sethi, Sharib Hashmi, Kumud Mishra, and Rajit Kapur. The film can be enjoyed on Netflix if you are into spy stories and espionage.

6. Madras Cafe (2013)

• Running Time: 120 minutes
• IMDB Rating: 7.6/10
• Movie Star Cast: John Abraham, Raashi Khanna, Nargis Fakhri
• Director: Shoojit Sircar
• Writer: Juhi Chaturvedi, Somnath Dey, Tushar Jain 
• Year of release: 2013
• Where to Watch / OTT Platform: Netflix

Shoojit Sircar's Madras Cafe remains one of the most well-made films in the espionage or spy genre. It is centered around the Sri Lankan civil war in the 1980s and 1990s. The film stars John Abraham, Raashi Khanna, and Nargis Fakhri, among others. Upon release, it met with a positive critical response and won the National Award for Best Audiography.

7. D-Day (2013)

• Running Time: 151 minutes
• IMDB Rating: 7.2/10
• Movie Star Cast: Rishi Kapoor, Irrfan Khan, Arjun Rampal, Huma Qureshi
• Director: Nikkhil Advani
• Writer: Nikkhil Advani, Ritesh Shah, Niranjan Iyengar
• Year of release: 2013
• Where to Watch / OTT Platform: Amazon Prime Video

D-Day follows several RAW agents who plan to capture India's most wanted D-company leader. It has a stellar ensemble star cast, including Rishi Kapoor and Irrfan Khan, who delivered some of the best performances on the big screen. The film is thoroughly enjoyable if you are into such grim stories of spies. 

8. Baby (2015)

• Running Time: 159 minutes
• IMDB Rating: 7.9/10
• Movie Star Cast: Akshay Kumar, Taapsee Pannu, Kay Kay Menon, Anupam Kher
• Director: Neeraj Pandey
• Writer: Neeraj Pandey
• Year of release: 2015
• Where to Watch / OTT Platform: Hotstar

Akshay Kumar and Neeraj Pandey collaborate to deliver one of the most well-made espionage spy thrillers of Bollywood. Filled with edge-of-the-seat moments, action, and strong performance, Baby remains one of the best Indian films in this genre. It also inspired a prequel spin-off titled Naam Shabana.