10 underrated Hindi films of 2025

In a year that saw Salman Khan giving all he can in Sikandar , Akshay Kumar revving up the nationalism game in Sky Force and Kesari Chapter 2 , Ajay Devgn serving a familiar corruption tale with Raid 2, Ayushmann Khurrana mounting a misguided Thamma , and Vicky Kaushal increasing the decibels with Chhaava; it was the smaller, quieter worlds that got lost along the course. 2025 was the year where spectacles didn’t particularly find resonance, barring the continuing success of Dhurandhar , where the numbing craft created a sense of power amidst its worryingly pro-establishment politics. Yet, the year also saw wild experiments like Karan Kandhari’s Sister Midnight , with a frantic Radhika Apte defying expectations, and Kanu Behl’s creating a major jolt through his roughed up breakdown of feverish masculinity. Agra There were other stories too, some by known directors, some by debutants; some that spurred like magic, some that stung like a bee; films that brought a stirring sensitivity to the medium but didn’t particularly find a larger audience. Lost between an uneven fight for screens or just released rather nonchalantly on OTT, these films couldn’t journey beyond a clout. Most of them received critical acclaim but not all of them could garner as much attention. Here’s a list of 10 underrated Hindi films of the year: 1) Bhagwat Chapter One: Raakshas Arshad Warsi in ‘Bhagwat Chapter One: Raakshas’ | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement A crime-thriller which doesn’t really go beyond the templates of the genre but is revelatory nonetheless. It stars Arshad Warsi as an angry cop, transferred to a North Indian town, who has to investigate a series of kidnappings. In parallel, the story follows Sameer, a charming young man, who sweet-talks a girl to elope with him. The film’s second half is especially striking for how it becomes an exploration of two moral forces pitted against one another. Beyond its tense narrative, Bhagwat also tries to question the communal and patriarchal realities fracturing a country’s essence. 2) Crazxy Sohum Shah in ‘Crazxy’ | Photo Credit: T-Series/YouTube With a mix of some peppy, sentimental and retro vibes in the soundtrack, Sohum Shah’s unusual thriller created little buzz when it had a theatrical release in February. It is an inventive film that gets into momentum right from the first shot as it follows a short-tempered, arrogant Dr. Abhimanyu Sood for the entirety of its 90 minutes runtime. Writer-director Aadesh Prasad fuels Crazxy with plenty of style and heart, creating edgy moments as it reaches a pounding finale. It is a refreshing voice, breaking the clutter with grace. 3) Jugnuma A still from ‘Jugnuma’ | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement Raam Reddy’s luminous, celluloid-ridden exploration combined a meditative enquiry of the metaphysical realm while putting its questioning gaze on feudal structures. Made with a sombre, poetic sensibility, Jugnuma is filled with allegorical nuances that situate it in one man’s journey with the inner self and his frantic quest to understand the outside world. Anchored by Manoj Bajpayee’s haunting...

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