Best of Bollywood Thrillers 2017 and 2018
written by Souranath Banerjee
Nowadays thrillers are back in demand. But then again there’s always an appetite for thrilling stories in Bollywood, the problem is on the supply end of it.
Let’s face it, well made Indian thrillers are rare to find but fortunately this year we have just enough of Bollywood thrillers to make an entertaining list!
Hope you have seen them all, if not then go ahead and have a thrilling life!
10. The Ghazi Attack (2017)
Film trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xn2qOnKuOoc
Inspired by true events from the Indo-Pakistani war of 1971.
The film reveals the true story behind the mysterious sinking of the US loaned Pakistani submarine PNS Ghazi when it stealthy ventured the shore of Visakhapatnam to destroy Indian aircraft carrier INS Vikrant.
Directed by Sankalp Reddy, superb plot, a tad overdramatic but then again an entertaining thriller and surely India’s first ever Submarine war movie.
9. Blackmail (2018)
Film trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TDF1qdUtbzw
A man finds out that his wife is having an affair. But instead of the typical agitated confrontation, he secretly blackmails his wife’s lover for money!
Directed by Abhinay Deo, a comedy thriller pretty similar to the director’s earlier film Delhi Belly, the characters spiralling down through a vortex of chaos and mayhem. Irrfan Khan makes the film worth your time.
8. Raid (2018)
Film trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3h4thS-Hcrk
The story of a fearless Income-tax officer who dared to raid the mansion of the most powerful man in Lucknow!
Directed by Raj Kumar Gupta, based on several real accounts of challenging tax-raids where influential people will go to any length to stop the officers from doing their work honestly.
Ajay Devgn and Saurabh Shukla at their best.
7. Mom (2017)
Film trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hctApy_i-qg
Veteran actress Sridevi‘s last film as a protagonist, this is a perfect revenge thriller where a ‘mom’ when denied justice in the courtroom seeks vengeance over her daughter’s abusers in her own way.
Directed by Ravi Udyawar, often predictable but with fine performances from Akshaye Khanna and Nawazuddin Siddiqui the film stands out as a decent thriller.
6. Parmanu: The Story of Pokhran (2018)
Film trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qN_9DnBh3hM
On 13 May 1998 Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee held a press conference to declare India as a nuclear state!
Directed by Abhishek Sharma, this film portrays the story of how Captain Ashwat Raina (played by John Abraham) plans and executes the mission of India’s second confidential nuclear test series at Pokhran.
Not only a thrilling story but a historic moment of triumph for our country portrayed in this film.
5. Monsoon Shootout (2017)
Film trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JdbAgeowew8
To shoot or not to shoot, that is the question! A rookie cop’s first assignment and he has to take a decision that will affect his life professionally and personally for ever.
Directed by Amit Kumar, good storytelling (structurally innovative), superb performances by Vijay Varma, Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Neeraj Kabi and Tannishtha Chatterjee. A must watch thriller indeed.
4. Tigers (2018)
Film trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dJxsiUvccuM
Coming from the Oscar winning director of No Man’s Land (2001) Danis Tanovic, this is the story of a pharmaceutical salesman in Pakistan (played by Emraan Hashmi) who challenges a multinational health care corporation realising that they are responsible for the death of hundreds of babies everyday!
Based upon a true tragic incident that took place in Pakistan in late 1990s and early 2000.
3. Ittefaq (2017)
Film trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mvfvoCdPrII
Kind of a remake of B.R. Chopra‘s 1969 film Ittefaq, directed by B.R. Chopra’s grandson Abhay Chopra.
One crime scene, two suspects and their two contradicting versions of the same murder, it is time for the detective to decide which story to believe and who to arrest!
Starring Sidharth Malhotra, Sonakshi Sinha and Akshaye Khanna this is one thriller that keeps the suspense till the end.
2. Raazi (2018)
Film trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YjMSttRJrhA
A brave Indian woman from Kashmir marries a Pakistani officer with a dangerous motive to spy on the Pakistani army.
Directed by Meghna Gulzar, superb acting by Alia Bhatt, Vicky Kaushal and Rajit Kapoor.
An adaption of Harinder Sikka’s novel “Calling Sehmat” based of true events during 1971 Indo-Pak war. Surely the best spy movie of India till date.
1. Andhadhun (2018)
Film trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2iVYI99VGaw
A blind pianist must report a crime which he never saw! But then he seems to be always in the wrong place in the wrong time to see what a blind man should never have seen!
Brilliantly crafted by my favourite director Sriram Raghavan, super cool performances by Ayushmann Khurrana, Tabu and Radhika Apte. Undoubtedly one of the best thriller of recent times!
and (The ‘+1’ film is not necessarily the best but certainly the most innovative one. A must watch)
+1. Pihu (2018)
Film trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zhWLhuEhXm4
Here comes an out-of-the-box Bollywood concept – a cute two year old girl who finds her mom not waking up and Dad out at work, tries her best to make herself at home!
Directed by Kapri Vinod, beautifully performed by child-actor Pihu Myra Vishwakarma. Shot in one location, one character – a thrilling 1st half that goes a bit repetitive in the 2nd. A very different kind of thriller; according to me such innovative ideas should be encouraged more often!
A few other thrillers though not on the list but still worth your time are Baazaar, Love Sonia, In the Shadows, Ajji, Gurgaon, and Long Live Brij Mohan.
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Poster courtesy: www.imdb.com.
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Directed by 
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narrative style!
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to be enough to create a cinema of superlative order.