During our teenage years, long before the domination of streaming and binge-watching started, we lost many opportunities of watching some high-rated content as these movies didn’t get validation from the censor board. But now when we are in our adult stage, we are realizing how informative and revolutionary these movies are. These a-rated movies not just explored some taboo issues but also challenged our social norms. Filmmakers like Anurag Kashyap and Vishal Bhardwaj not just pushed the cinematic boundaries but also changed the curve of the industry. Here we bring you a list of the top 10 A-rated Bollywood movies that are nothing less than cult classics:
1. Gangs of Wasseypur: You can’t call yourself a Bollywood buff if this movie is not in your all-time favorite list. The tale of two gangs of Wasseypur this movie captures the crime and tension of the town created among the citizens after their Godfather gets killed.
2. Bandit Queen: Based on the revolutionary life of Phoolan Devi or widely known as Bandit Queen, this movie was premiered at the directors' Fortnight section of the 1994 Cannes Film Festival. In the most gruesome manner movie is a must-watch flick.
3. Monsoon Wedding: With a star-studded cast including Naseeruddin Shah, Lillete Dubey, Shefali Shah, and Vasundhara Das, this creation of Mira Nair explored many untouched taboos of the society and created a classic that can’t be missed.
4. Dev D: The movie took the popularity of Abhay Doel to sky seven. Portraying some controversial topics as drugs and heart broke, this movie explored the story of an NRI who falls into the drug trap after getting heartbroken.
5. Hazzaron Khwaishein Aisi: A poignant tale set in the backdrop of a tumultuous political standpoint, ‘Hazaaron Khwaishein Aisi’ grabs your attention from the first frame and never let's go. A commentary on the Indian political atmosphere leading up to the Emergency in 1975, this romantic drama focuses on three Delhi University students, their dreams and aspirations amidst the turmoil around them.
6. Delhi Belly: It you are looking for a movie with a perfect mix of thrill, comedy and drama, Delhi Belly is the right station for you. A comedy of errors if you may. But not the PG-13 kind. The NSFW kind.
7. Maachis: This 1996 period political thriller stars Chandrachur Singh, Om Puri, Tabu, and Jimmy Sheirgill in the lead roles and revolves around the rise of the Sikh insurgency in Punjab in the 1980s.
8. Hey Ram: Set in an alternate history, this 2000 film stars Kamal Haasan, Vasundhara Das, Rani Mukerji, and Shah Rukh Khan in lead roles and revolves around India's partition.
9. Pinjar: A 2003 film based on a novel of the same name by Amrita Pritam, Pinjar stars Urmila Matondkar, Manoj Bajpayee, and Sanjay Suri in lead roles and is set in the time of the 1947 partition.
10. Dhobi Ghat: Starring Prateik Babbar, Monica Dogra, Kriti Malhotra, and Aamir Khan in lead roles, this 2010 film follows the journey of 4 very different people in Mumbai, as their lives intersect.
