TonightOnScreen Catalog
Explore Entertainment • Drama
Search our curated catalog of cinema releases, binge-worthy series, and where to stream them.
Drishyam
Directed by the late Nishikant Kamat, the 2015 Hindi suspense thriller Drishyam is celebrated as one of the sharpest, most gripping mystery masterclasses in Indian cinematic history. Adapted from Jeethu Joseph's legendary Malayalam original, the film stars Ajay Devgn as Vijay Salgaonkar, an uneducated, street-smart cable television operator and devoted family man living in a quiet Goan village. Vijay's peaceful life is shattered when an arrogant boy named Sameer—the only son of Goa's ruthless Inspector General of Police Meera Deshmukh (a formidable, steely Tabu)—blackmails Vijay's teenage daughter Anju with illicit camera footage. During a late-night confrontation, Sameer is accidentally killed by the family in self-defense. Drawing upon his encyclopedic knowledge of cinema thrillers, Vijay orchestrates an audacious, foolproof alibi around the dates of October 2nd and 3rd, conditioning his family to withstand brutal third-degree police interrogation while hiding the body under the very foundation of the police station itself. A riveting psychological chess match between a desperate father and an implacable mother, Drishyam achieved cult classic status and huge commercial success. Celebrated for its tight narrative pacing and peerless screenwriting, Drishyam became a widespread cultural reference point across India for police procedure and tactical alibis. Ajay Devgn's restrained, simmering performance and Tabu's ferocious maternal grief turned this psychological thriller into an enduring cult classic that continues to captivate mystery enthusiasts.
Gully Boy
Gully Boy is Zoya Akhtar's vibrant, culturally explosive coming-of-age musical drama that brought India's underground street-hop revolution into the mainstream cultural spotlight. Inspired by the real-life journeys of Mumbai street rappers Divine and Naezy, the film chronicles the life of Murad Ahmed, portrayed with simmering internal rage, poetic sensitivity, and undeniable swag by Ranveer Singh. Murad is a twenty-two-year-old college student living in a cramped tin-roofed shanty in Mumbai's sprawling Dharavi slum, struggling under the weight of his conservative father's demands, domestic abuse, and the suffocating feeling that his social background defines his destiny. Murad channels his anger and acute observational insights into gritty Urdu-Hindi hip-hop poetry, finding a lifeline when he encounters Shrikant Bhosle, famously known as "MC Sher" and played with infectious generosity, swagger, and brotherly warmth by Siddhant Chaturvedi in an electric breakout performance. MC Sher welcomes Murad into Mumbai's underground rap battles, mentoring him to find his authentic voice as "Gully Boy." Murad's personal world is further ignited by Safeena Firdausi, portrayed with fiery possessiveness, unfiltered humor, and fierce ambition by Alia Bhatt. Safeena is an aspiring surgeon from a conservative Muslim family whose explosive protectiveness over Murad provides some of the film's funniest and most memorable moments. As Murad navigates a part-time job as a chauffeur for the wealthy, tensions with his abusive father Aftab, played with stern realism by Vijay Raaz, and a brief creative connection with wealthy music-production student Sky, played by Kalki Koechlin, he realizes that his music speaks for millions of marginalized youth fighting to claim their space in the sun, culminating in an electric performance of "Apna Time Aayega." With its authentic street jargon, energetic beats, and deeply empathetic social vision, Gully Boy is a modern triumph of youthful rebellion and artistic passion.
Dil Chahta Hai
Written and directed by Farhan Akhtar in a historic directorial debut that permanently transformed modern Hindi cinema, Dil Chahta Hai (The Heart Yearns, 2001) won the National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Hindi and two Filmfare Awards, universally hailed as the definitive coming-of-age cultural touchstone for urban Indian youth. Shattering the melodramatic tropes and traditional conventions of Bollywood, the film brought authentic conversational dialogue, chic western fashion, contemporary humor, and emotional maturity to the screen. The narrative chronicles the enduring bond and subsequent emotional fracturing of three inseparable wealthy Mumbai college graduates: Akash Malhotra (Aamir Khan in an iconic goatee and charmingly cynical persona who disbelieves in true love), Sameer (Saif Ali Khan in a career-redefining, delightfully vulnerable comic turn who falls in love at the drop of a hat), and Siddharth 'Sid' Sinha (Akshaye Khanna in a deeply sensitive, poetic, and National Award-worthy dramatic masterclass). Following a legendary, celebratory road trip to the scenic ruins of Chapora Fort in Goa—which permanently turned Goa into an essential pilgrimage site for Indian youth—the trio's carefree fraternity fractures as adult realities intrude. Akash is dispatched to Sydney, Australia, to manage his family's business, where he unexpectedly falls deeply in love with Shalini (Preity Zinta in a radiant, progressive performance). Meanwhile, Sid shocks his family and friends by falling in love with Tara Jaiswal (Dimple Kapadia), an older, divorced alcoholic interior designer, leading to a bitter confrontation with Akash. Featuring Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy's fresh pop-rock soundtrack and Ravi K. Chandran's glossy cinematography, Dil Chahta Hai is an immortal celebration of youthful brotherhood, love, and maturity.
Article 15
Anubhav Sinha's hard-hitting 2019 crime procedural drama Article 15 stands as one of the most courageous, socially provocative, and critically lauded films in modern Hindi cinema, winning three Filmfare Awards. Inspired by true events, the film stars Ayushmann Khurrana as Ayan Ranjan, a privileged, foreign-educated IPS officer who receives his first posting in the rural hinterlands of Lalgaon, Uttar Pradesh. When two teenage Dalit girls are found gang-raped and hanged from a banyan tree, local subordinate officers—led by the deeply corrupt, casteist Circle Officer Brahmadutt Singh (Manoj Pahwa) and Jatav officer Nishad (Zeeshan Ayyub)—attempt to cover up the crime as an honor killing to protect high-caste landlords. Horrified by the entrenched, dehumanizing caste hierarchy that dictates who can touch whom or draw water from which well, Ayan invokes Article 15 of the Indian Constitution, which prohibits discrimination on grounds of religion, race, caste, sex, or place of birth. Navigating swampy fields, political threats, and departmental apathy, Ayan leads a tireless manhunt for a missing third victim, delivering an unsparing, searing indictment of institutional caste prejudice. Anubhav Sinha's uncompromising directorial vision, Ewan Mulligan's gritty cinematography, and Ayushmann Khurrana's measured intensity make Article 15 a watershed moment in socially conscious Indian cinema that confronts prejudice with unflinching honesty.
Shakti
Shakti is widely hailed by film scholars and audiences alike as a towering cinematic titan and one of the absolute greatest dramatic achievements in Hindi cinema history, representing the monumental, solitary pairing of Indian cinema's greatest acting titans: Dilip Kumar and Amitabh Bachchan. Directed with masterly restraint by Ramesh Sippy and written by the legendary Salim-Javed duo, the narrative constructs an operatic Greek tragedy around the unyielding clash between absolute duty and profound father-son love. Ashwini Kumar is an incorruptible, uncompromising deputy commissioner of police whose total subservience to the letter of the law defines his existence. When notorious underworld kingpin JK kidnaps Ashwini's young son Vijay to secure an inmate's release, Ashwini stoically refuses to trade state duty for personal sentiment, informing the captors that he will not compromise even if they murder his boy. Though Vijay manages to escape, his tender psyche is permanently scarred by the belief that his father valued his uniform over his life. As years pass, Vijay grows into a brooding, resentful young man whose bitter alienation pushes him directly into the lucrative criminal syndicate of rival smuggling boss Narang. While Vijay quickly ascends as an untouchable underworld powerbroker, his doting mother Sheetal is caught in an unbearable crossfire between her unwavering love for her son and her devotion to her husband. The narrative hurtles relentlessly toward a devastating, inevitable showdown where a broken-hearted father must uphold his sacred oath to hunt down his own flesh and blood. Shakti delivers raw, electrifying dramatic confrontations, profound philosophical depth, and career-defining performances that define the highest watermark of dramatic filmmaking.
Badhaai Ho
Directed by Amit Ravindernath Sharma, the 2018 comedy-drama Badhaai Ho was a colossal sleeper blockbuster, grossing over ₹220 crore worldwide on a modest budget and winning two National Film Awards. Ayushmann Khurrana stars as Nakul Kaushik, a 25-year-old middle-class Delhi corporate executive planning his marriage to his wealthy girlfriend Renee (Sanya Malhotra). Nakul's world is turned upside down when his middle-aged parents—gentle railway ticket collector Jeetender (Gajraj Rao in an immortal, endearing turn) and his devoted homemaker wife Priyamvada (Neena Gupta in a career-reviving, heartwarming performance)—discover they are unexpectedly pregnant in their late fifties. Mortified by societal gossip, neighborhood mockery, and the sharp tongue of his grandmother (Surekha Sikri, who won the National Film Award for Best Supporting Actress), Nakul distances himself from his parents in shame. However, as relatives insult his mother and the reality of family solidarity takes hold, Nakul stands up for his parents' love and dignity. Blending laugh-out-loud situational comedy with tender progressive emotion, Badhaai Ho broke taboos on mature intimacy with extraordinary warmth. Winner of two National Film Awards, Badhaai Ho struck a profound chord across urban and rural demographics, solidifying Hindi cinema's golden era of progressive family comedies that tackle cultural stigmas with heartwarming empathy and sparkling humor.
Udta Punjab
Directed by Abhishek Chaubey and co-written by Sudip Sharma, 2016's black comedy crime drama Udta Punjab shook Indian cinema and survived historic censorship battles to become one of the most politically urgent, uncompromising, and critically acclaimed films of the decade, winning four Filmfare Awards. Tackling the crippling socio-economic epidemic of substance abuse in northern India, the narrative interweaves four disparate lives across rural Punjab. Shahid Kapoor stars in a manic, physically uninhibited turn as Tommy Singh, a hedonistic, cocaine-addicted Punjabi rockstar whose glamorous musical persona fueling drug culture collides with jail and self-reckoning. Alia Bhatt delivers a devastating, raw, and transformative performance as 'Bauria', an unnamed migrant farm laborer from Bihar who stumbles upon a discarded parcel of heroin and is brutally enslaved by local narcotics peddlers. Meanwhile, righteous police inspector Sartaj Singh (Diljit Dosanjh in his sensational Hindi cinema debut) teams up with dedicated activist doctor Preet Sahni (Kareena Kapoor Khan) to expose high-level political and pharmaceutical collusion feeding narcotics to Punjab's youth. Featuring Amit Trivedi's raw, electrifying Punjabi score, Udta Punjab is a gritty, courageous, and emotionally shattering indictment of systemic addiction and human resilience.
Singham
Rohit Shetty's 2011 adrenaline-fueled cop action blockbuster Singham inaugurated Bollywood's iconic Cop Universe, grossing over ₹140 crore and permanently etching the roaring lion roar and the catchphrase 'Aata Majhi Satakli!' into Indian popular culture. Ajay Devgn stars in one of his most celebrated, career-defining roles as Bajirao Singham, an honest, fearless police sub-inspector from the village of Shivgad on the Maharashtra-Goa border who commands the fierce loyalty of his community by resolving local disputes with wisdom and bone-breaking martial fury. Singham's life is upended when he confronts Jaikant Shikre (Prakash Raj in an unforgettable, comically villainous tour de force), a ruthless extortionist, corrupt politician, and kidnapping kingpin from Goa. Shikre uses his political clout to transfer Singham to his stronghold in Goa to humiliate and destroy him. Rather than breaking under torture and systemic police corruption, Singham unites the demoralized police force against Shikre, leading an army of khakis into a triumphant final confrontation. Featuring gravity-defying car flips and Ajay Devgn's unyielding intensity, Singham is a pure Bollywood classic. Bolstered by Ajay Devgn's iconic dialogue delivery, fiery action set pieces, and Ajay-Atul's thumping devotional background score, Singham redefined twenty-first-century Hindi action cinema and launched India's first shared mass-action cinematic universe.
Vikramarkudu
Vikramarkudu is an electrifying, furiously entertaining, and massively influential action masala masterpiece directed by S. S. Rajamouli, showcasing 'Mass Maharaja' Ravi Teja in a legendary dual performance that redefined heroic archetypes and became a nationwide sensation, spawning blockbuster remakes in Hindi (Rowdy Rathore starring Akshay Kumar), Tamil (Siruthai starring Karthi), Kannada (Veera Madakari), and Bengali. The narrative opens in Hyderabad with Athili Sathi Babu, a clever, street-smart petty thief and con man who, alongside his loyal sidekick Duvva Abbulu, pulls off humorous heists while falling head over heels for a spirited rural girl named Neeraja. Sathi Babu's carefree life is upended when a mysterious trunk he steals reveals not gold or jewels, but a terrified little girl named Neha who clings to him, tearfully calling him 'Daddy'. Convinced he has been framed, Sathi Babu tries desperately to abandon her, but finds his conscience stirred as brutal, machete-wielding assassins descend upon them from the lawless badlands of Chambal. When Sathi Babu is ambushed and on the verge of death, the mysterious assassins are wiped out by a terrifyingly identical figure: Assistant Superintendent of Police Vikram Singh Rathore. The mortally wounded police officer's backstory is revealed: a fearless, unbribable cop who single-handedly waged war against the barbaric feudal despot Bavuji and his depraved son Munna in the terrorized village of Devgarh. Before succumbing to bullet wounds, Rathore entrusts his daughter to Sathi Babu. Deeply moved and transformed by the noble sacrifice, the petty con man assumes the identity of Vikram Rathore, strapping on the khaki uniform to unleash absolute, ruthless vengeance on Bavuji's criminal empire.
Sharaabi
Sharaabi represents the pinnacle of emotional melodrama and tragic character study within Amitabh Bachchan's illustrious collaboration with director Prakash Mehra. At the beating heart of this musical masterpiece is Vicky Kapoor, the solitary and deeply sensitive son of an ultra-wealthy, emotionally distant industrialist, Amarnath Kapoor. Deprived of maternal warmth since infancy and perpetually sidelined by a father who measures life exclusively in ledger balances and commercial profits, Vicky seeks sanctuary from cold loneliness inside bottles of alcohol. Beneath his perpetual intoxication, however, lies an extraordinarily generous, erudite, and righteous soul who uses his fortune to aid the destitute, defend the defenseless, and mock the hollow vanity of aristocratic high society. Raised with genuine affection only by the household blind servant and a devoted munshi, Vicky's aimless existence finds profound purpose and redemptive light when he encounters Meena, a talented, dignified dancer striving to care for her aging father. As Vicky falls deeply in love with Meena's grace and unyielding self-respect, he strives to overcome his crippling addiction to prove his worthiness. However, cruel misunderstandings, class prejudices orchestrated by corrupt business associates, and the stubborn arrogance of his father threaten to tear their fragile romance apart. Enriched by Bappi Lahiri's immortal musical score and Kishore Kumar's timeless vocals—featuring classics like 'Inteha Ho Gayi Intezaar Ki' and 'De De Pyar De'—Sharaabi weaves an intensely moving portrait of familial alienation, unrequited parental affection, and the desperate yearning for human connection that elevates commercial Hindi cinema to high art.
Newton
Directed by Amit V. Masurkar, the 2017 black comedy political satire Newton captured the National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Hindi and was selected as India's official submission for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 90th Academy Awards. Rajkummar Rao delivers an extraordinary, critically lauded performance as Nutan 'Newton' Kumar, an idealistic, incorruptible young government clerk obsessed with honesty and punctuality. Newton volunteers for a perilous election duty assignment in a remote, conflict-ridden tribal village nestled deep in the dense, Naxalite-controlled jungles of Chhattisgarh. Accompanied by cynical, battle-hardened CRPF Assistant Commandant Aatma Singh (Pankaj Tripathi in an exquisite, nuanced turn of pragmatic fatigue) and local tribal election liaison Malko (Anjali Patil), Newton is determined to conduct free and fair voting for the village's 76 registered voters using an electronic voting machine. Confronted by terrified tribal villagers who have never heard of democracy, staged voting for international journalists, and armed military intimidation, Newton's stubborn moral compass sparks a dark, poignant battle of wills. An essential cinematic reflection on democracy.
Lootera
Directed by Vikramaditya Motwane and inspired by O. Henry's 1907 classic short story The Last Leaf, Lootera (2013) is revered by critics and cinephiles as one of the most poetic, visually sublime, and heartbreaking romantic period dramas ever produced in Hindi cinema. Set in 1953 in the aristocratic rural town of Manikpur, West Bengal, against the backdrop of the Zamindari Abolition Act, Pakhi Roy Chowdhury (Sonakshi Sinha in a career-best, melancholic performance), the pampered, sheltered daughter of a wealthy Bengali zamindar, suffers from chronic asthma. Her quiet existence is ignited when charismatic visiting archaeologist Varun Shrivastav (Ranveer Singh in a deeply nuanced, understated performance) arrives to excavate ancient temple ruins on their estate. As an intense romance blossoms and an engagement is finalized, Varun's dark secret as a professional con man and antique thief surfaces on the wedding day, leaving Pakhi betrayed, heartbroken, and ruined. A year later, in the snowy, isolated hills of Dalhousie, a terminally ill Pakhi waits to die as autumn leaves fall from her lone tree, while a fugitive Varun returns seeking redemption. With Amit Trivedi's masterpiece soundtrack and Mahendra Shetty's painterly 35mm cinematography, Lootera is an achingly beautiful, timeless ode to sacrifice and art.