There’s a lot of love for Bollywood in the UAE. We see the best new Hindi movies on the big screen and across streaming services like Netflix, Prime Video or Zee5. Even Disney Plus has some Bollywood content. We pick the best new Hindi movies every week, so bookmark this page and keep coming back.

Crew

Hindi | Comedy | Rating: PG15

Crew is a heist comedy film that follows three whacky women working as cabin crew for the quaintly named Kohinoor Airlines. Their financially challenged lives get entwined with a gold smuggling gang. And what follows is funny and suspenseful. Tabu, Kareena Kapoor and Kriti Sanon headline the cast. It also features Kapil Sharma, Diljit Dosanjh, 

Rajesh Sharma and Saswata Chatterjee are among the others. The film is directed by Rajesh Krishnan, with a screenplay by Nidhi Mehra and Mehul Suri. It’s produced by Ekta Kapoor, Rhea Kapoor, Anil Kapoor, and Digvijay Purohit.

Fighter

Hindi | Action | Rating: PG15

The film follows an Air Force squad that embarks on a mission to safeguard the nation from looming threats. The movie revolves around the Balakot airstrike carried out by the Indian Armed Forces in the vicinity of the town of Balakot in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province in Pakistan. Hrithik Roshan and Deepika Padukone headline the film. Siddharth Anand directs the film, which also stars Anil Kapoor, Karan Singh Grover and Akshay Oberoi. It is Deepika’s third film with Siddharth Anand after Bachna Ae Haseeno and Pathaan. It is also Siddharth Anand’s third movie with Hrithik Roshan after Bang Bang and War.

The movie seems to have suffered the same faith as its theatrical release in the UAE and is unavailable on Netflix.

Ae Watan Mere Watan

Hindi | Biopic | Rating: U

The film is inspired by the life of Usha Mehta, a student activist from Bombay’s Wilson College who organized the Swadeshi Congress Radio (also known as Azad Radio) and helped galvaniZe the Quit India Movement against the British. Sara Ali Khan plays the role of the heroic Usha Mehta. The film also features Sachin Khedekar, Abhay Verma, Sparsh Shrivastav, Alexx O’Nell and Anand Tiwari. Emraan Hashmi has a guest role in the film. Ae Watan Mere Watan is directed by Kannan Iyer and written by Iyer and Darab Farooqui. Dharmatic Entertainment produces it. Sara Ali Khan plays the role of the heroic Usha Mehta.

Madgaon Express

Hindi | Comedy | Rating: UA

This is a buddy comedy that has a trip to the fun-filled Goa by three friends. You can understand the vibes of the movie very well. What starts as a dream vacation soon takes unexpected turns. Produced by Ritesh Sidhwani and Farhan Akhtar, this promises to be a comedy extravaganza. Directed by the talented Kunal Kemmu, the film features a stellar cast, including Divyenndu Sharma, Pratik Gandhi, Nora Fatehi and Avinash Tiwary. This is Kumal Kemmu’s debut as a director. This actor-turned-director has also crooned for the film.

Swatantrya Veer Savarkar

Hindi | Biopic | Rating: U

As the title says, this is a biopic of the right-wing politician and activist Vinayak Damodar Savarkar. The movie, directed by Randeep Hooda, has him playing the eponymous Savarkar. Hooda claimed he has attempted to dissect the life of one of ‘the most misunderstood, debated, and influential among unsung heroes’ through this biopic. Ahead of the film’s release, the talk has been about his body transformation for the role. He has reportedly lost 30 kgs to look the part of the character he plays. The film also stars Ankita Lokhande and Amit Sial in pivotal roles.

Murder Mubarak

Hindi | Thriller | Rating: PG15

Perhaps the most anticipated release of the week. Murder Mubarak is a thriller set around a murder that happens at an upscale club in New Delhi.  The investigating cop, played by Pankaj Tripathi, figures out that everyone in the plot is a suspect. But he also realizes there is so much more than what meets the eye. This whodunnit is a cinematic adaptation of Anuja Chauhan’s novel Club You To Death and is directed by Homi Adajania. The film features an ensemble cast including Pankaj Tripathi, Sara Ali Khan, Vijay Varma, Dimple Kapadia, Karisma Kapoor, Sanjay Kapoor, Tisca Chopra, Suhail Nayyar and Tara Alisha Berry. The makers promise a unique mix of suspense and comedy.

Yodha

Hindi | Action | Rating: PG15

This action thriller film, directed by Sagar Ambre and Pushkar Ojha, has Sidharth Malhotra playing an off-duty soldier who finds himself aboard a hijacked passenger plane. He has to use his wits and physical skills to outwit the villains and save the other passengers. And there is also a typical personal redemption arc to his brave efforts. The action happens in the sky, adding to the tension and tumult. Raashii Khanna and Disha Patani play the female leads, and supporting performances are from Sammy Jonas Heaney, Sharik Khan, and Siddharth Kumar Choudhary.

Bastar: The Naxal Story

Hindi | Drama | Rating: 18+

Directed by Sudipto Sen and Vipul Amrutlal Shah, the film is reportedly based on the real-life incidents of the Naxalite–Maoist insurgency in the Bastar district of Chhattisgarh. The story takes off from the Bastar rebellion that broke out in 1910. The cast is headlined by Adah Sharma. Others in the acting team include Vijay Krishna, Raima Sen, Shilpa Shukla, Anangsha Biswas, Yashpal Sharma, Subrat Dutta, Indira Tiwari, and Kishore Kadam. Amarnath Jha co-writes the film. There is good expectation riding on this film.

Shaitaan

Hindi | Thriller | Rating: PG15

This is billed as a supernatural thriller. It has an interesting cast, headlined by Ajay Devgn, Madhavan and Jyotika. Janki Bodiwala and Anngad Raaj are also part of the cast. After Golmaal Again (2017), this is Ajay Devgn’s return to the horror genre. But that was all out fun. But this promises thrills and chills. Shaitaan is reportedly an adaptation of the 2023 Gujarati horror film Vash. The story revolves around a family on vacation to their farmhouse in a secluded village ruined by an uninvited guest who seems to control the daughter through black magic. The film is directed by Vikas Bahl and produced by Ajay Devgn, Jyoti Deshpande, Kumar Mangat Pathak, and Abhishek Pathak.

Thankamani

Malayalam | Action | Rating: PG15

This movie is said to be based on a real-life incident around a bus service dispute in a place named Thankamani in the Idukki district. The incident, which took place in the 1980s, shook the state of Kerala. Headlined by Dileep, this masala movie is directed by Ratheesh Raghunandan. Dileep plays the character named  Abel Joshua Mathan. Neeta Pillai and Pranitha Subhash play the female leads. Others in the cast of this revenge thriller include Thomman Manguva, Ajmal Ameer, Siddique, Manoj K Jayan, Kottayam Ramesh, Major Ravi, Santosh Keezhatoor, Mukta, Sivakami, Sampath Ram, and John Vijay.

Merry Christmas

Tamil/Hindi | Thriller | Rating: PG15

Merry Christmas has been shot in two languages — Hindi and Tamil — with different supporting actors. Starring Katrina Kaif and Vijay Sethupathi in the lead, the film is directed by Sriram Raghavan and produced by Ramesh Taurani, Sanjay Routray, Jaya Taurani, and Kewal Garg. The combination of Vijay Sethupathi and Katrina Kaif in the movie has been the subject of much discussion. The Hindi version features Sanjay Kapoor, Vinay Pathak, Pratima Kannan, and Tinnu Anand. On the other hand, the Tamil version stars Radhika Sarathkumar, Shanmugaraja, Kevin Jay Babu, and Rajesh Williams in the same roles. The film is a romantic thriller.  Two strangers meet and fall in love right away. However, what starts as a pleasant romance quickly turns for the worse. Critics lavished praise on the film when it was released in January.

Laapataa Ladies

Hindi | Comedy | Rating: PG15

Laapataa Ladies is set in rural parts of the Indian Hindi heartland, and the narrative revolves around two young brides who find themselves lost on a train, setting off a series of perplexing events. The project also marks the ex-couple Kiran Rao and Aamir Khan’s first collaboration since their divorce in 2021.  The film is a collaborative venture between Jio Studios and Aamir Khan Productions. The film’s cast includes Ravi Kishan, Sparsh Shrivastava, Pratibha Ranta, Nitanshi Goel, Chhaya Kadam, Durgesh Kumar, Samarth Mahor, and Shantanu Pandey. This is Kiran Rao’s second directorial after 2011’s Dhobi Ghat.

Operation Valentine

Hindi, Telugu | Action | Rating: PG15

Close on the heels of Fighter, another movie on a fighter pilot and air force action is Operation Valentine.  Directed by debutant Shakti Pratap Singh Hada, the film unfolds around the Pulwama attack and its aftermath on February 14, 2019. In Hindi and Telugu, this bilingual film marks the Bollywood debut of Tollywood actor Varun Tej. He plays Arjun Dev, a brave fighter pilot, and Manushi Chhillar the female lead, plays a radar officer.

Por

Tamil, Hindi | Action | Rating: 18TC

The film is billed as a high-octane action youth drama and shot simultaneously in Tamil and Hindi. Arjun Das and Kalidas Jayaram headline the Tamil version. TJ Bhanu plays the love interest of Arjun Das, and Sanchana plays Kalidas Jayaram’s romantic partner. Helmed by Bejoy Nambiar, the Hindi version is titled Danger and features Harshvardhan Rane and Ehan Bhatt in the lead roles, with Nikita Dutta and TJ Bhanu in supporting parts.

Maamla Legal Hai

Hindi | Comedy | Rating: U

Maamla Legal Hai presents real-life incidents not just from the courtroom but also in the legal ecosystem in a humorous and fun way. This series, which comprises 8 episodes, delves into the lives of lawyers at the Patparganj District Court. Ravi Kishan portrays VD Tyagi, a cunning lawyer who takes on the system. Naila Grewal plays a Harvard graduate, who is passionate about justice. Nidhi Bisht, Yashpal Sharma, and Anant V Joshi are also part of the cast of this series directed by Rahul Pandey.

Balakumar Kuppuswamy
Balakumar Kuppuswamy

An engineer-turned-journalist, K Balakumar’s career began in print publications as a sports writer. That also opened doors for other journalistic avenues like films, music, finance, technology and politics, which nobody can escape in India. After 30 yrs in mainstream journalism, now a freelancer for various digital publications.

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