Where does your favourite rank? IMDb has dropped its top 250 Indian movies of all-time list and it’s, as expected, full of surprises. The list, which covered every Indian movie release till date, features classics from all decades, genres, and regions. Together, the 250 movies on the list have received more than 8.5 million votes on IMDb.
The current No. 1 movie on the list is last year’s critically acclaimed 12th Fail, which was directed by Vidhu Vinod Chopra and headlined by Vikrant Massey. The list also includes contemporary movies like Vijay Sethupathi’s Maharaja, Kantara, and Kiran Rao’s Laapataa Ladies, which is India’s official entry to the Oscars.
Of all the films on the list, five titles from 2024, including Maharaja, Ajay Devgn’s Maidaan, The Goat Life, Laapataa Ladies, and Manjummel Boys made it to the top 250 club. The earliest movie on the list is Satyajit Ray’s classic Pather Panchali, released in 1955. The top 20 list includes three Aamir Khan starrers– 3 Idiots, Taare Zameen Par and Dangal.
Here are the top 20 titles from the list, as of September 22, 2024:
1. 12th Fail
2. Gol Maal
3. Nayakan
4. Maharaja
5. Apur Sansar
6. Anbe Sivam
7. Pariyerum Perumal
8. 3 Idiots
9. #Home
10. Manichitrathazhu
11. Black Friday
12. Kumbalangi Nights
13. Rocketry: The Nambi Effect
14. 777 Charlie
15. Kireedam
16. C/o Kancharapalem
17. Taare Zameen Par
18. Sandesham
19. Dangal
20. Laapataa Ladies
With seven titles, director Mani Ratnam has the highest number of movies on the list, followed by Anurag Kashyap with six titles. The list also includes six movies along with their sequels: Drishyam (Malayalam) and Drishyam 2 (Malayalam), Drishyam (Hindi) and Drishyam 2 (Hindi), Munna Bhai M.B.B.S. and Lage Raho Munna Bhai, Jigarthanda and Jigarthanda DoubleX, K.G.F: Chapter 1 and K.G.F: Chapter 2 and Baahubali: The Beginning and Baahubali 2: The Conclusion.
Honoured by 12th Fail topping the list, Vikrant Massey reflected on the most touching scene from the film for him and said, “The scene I want to highlight is the champi sequence between Manoj and his mother, which was a pivotal moment in the film when Manoj comes to the realization that his grandmother has passed. What makes it special is the amount of planning and production that goes into shooting even a single shot. In this scene, in the background, there’s a door with magic light—the brief period when day meets night, lasting only 5 to 7 minutes.
“Vidhu Vinod Chopra sir and DOP Rangarajan Ramabadran designed this master shot months in advance. On set, we actors had to be precise, as we had only those few minutes to capture it. Geeta ji and I chose not to use glycerin for this emotionally taxing scene, opting instead to feel as close to the moment as possible. It was a scene where we were required not to cry, but weep. So, it was a big challenge. It took several rehearsals, but we managed to pull it off.”
The list was launched to celebrate IMDb reaching 250,000 followers on its India Instagram handle, which was launched two years ago. To celebrate this, IMDb has also designed a limited-edition collectible poster of the Top 250 Highest Rated Indian Movies of all time, which will be presented as a gift to select entertainment industry leaders.
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