Top 8 Best Indian Films of 2023 Theaters & OTT Release, This year some films demand our attention on their own merits, while others simply use tricks to hold it a little longer. From promotions, talk shows, interviews – buzz indicates the pull of a film. With many feature films being released in multiple languages, theatrically as well as OTT, the options have only grown over the years. It’s hard to keep track of it, it’s hard to notice that a title has held the late spot at the cinema for a second week, pushed aside because there’s a bigger release ahead. As the year ends, Let’s take a look at some of the best Indian films released this year.
Top 8 Best Indian Films of 2023 List:
1.Chithha (2023)
Hard-hitting and raw, Chithha is that one film you need to add to your watchlist before the year ends. Based on a true incident, the Tamil drama directed by S. U. Arun Kumar chronicles the kidnapping of school girl named Sundari (a terrific Sahasra Shree), while her uncle Eeswaram (Siddharth) is accused of assaulting Sundari’s friend Ponni. Siddharth easily delivers his career-best performance in a film that handles the sensitivity of the subject matter with a lot of grace and nuance.
Initial release: 28 September 2023
Director: S. U. Arun Kumar
Music by: Songs: Dhibu Ninan Thomas; Santhosh Narayanan; Score: Vishal Chandrashekhar
Distributed by: Red Giant Movies
Production company: Etaki Entertainment
Where to watch: Disney plus Hotstar
2.Aatmapamphlet (2023)
Few films manage to balance scathing anger with such sly satire and humour. The feather-weight touch of Ashish Bende’s Marathi language coming-of-age film Aatmapamphlet skillfully deals with the uncompromising subject matter- intercutting cultural history and personal history together unlike few Indian films in recent memory. Set in 1990s India, the film follows ten-year-old Ashish (a brilliant Om Bendkhale) as he falls in love with his classmate Srusthi. What follows is a wickedly humorous ride, infused with a deft screenplay by Paresh Mokashi. Without a doubt, Aatmapamphlet is one of the very best Indian films of the year.
Initial release: 22 February 2023
Director: Ashish Avinash Bende
Cast: Khushi Hajare, Ketaki Saraf, Pranjali Shrikant, MORE
Language: Marathi
Music by: Saket Kanetkar
Production companies: T-Series; Colour Yellow Productions; Zee Studios
Where to watch: Zee5
3.Ardhangini (2023)
When Suman Chatterjee’s (Kaushik Sen) celebral attack makes him comatose, it brings in his wife Meghna (Jaya Ahsan) and his ex-wife Subhra (an excellent Churni Ganguly) into the same room. What unfolds is a tender, unsentimental drama directed by Kaushik Ganguly, that steers away from cliché-ridden theatrics and revelations. Most of all, its the interpersonal dynamics of the family (along with the fleshed-out supporting characters) that holds this stirring and deeply empathetic film together.
Initial release: 2 June 2023
Director: Kaushik Ganguly
Music by: Songs: Anupam Roy; Score: Amit Chatterjee
Distributed by: Surinder Films
Where to watch: Zee5
4.Sirf Ek Bandaa Kaafi Hai (2023)
A terrific Manoj Bajpayee performance elevates Apoorv Singh Kalki’s resolute courtroom drama Sirf Ek Bandaa Kaafi Hai to new heights. Here, his P.C. Solanki is fighting a case for the girl who has been assaulted by an self-styled and influential godman. Even as the film slips into loud, commercial tropes of courtroom scenes and big showdowns, Bajpayee takes the lead head-on, stirringly holding back when required.
Initial release: 13 May 2023
Director: Apoorv Singh Karki
Cinematography: Arjun Kukreti
Language: Hindi
Production companies: Bhanushali Studios Limited; Zee Studios
Where to watch: Zee5
5.Three of Us (2022)
Set in the Konkan region of Maharashtra, Avinash Arun Dhaware’s beautifully realized drama chronicles an unusual vacation taken by a middle-aged woman named Shailaja Patankar (a mesmerizing Shefali Shah), who has been diagnosed with early onset of dementia. She is accompanied by her husband, played by noted lyricist Swanand Kirkire. Shailaja has this yearning to revisit her school and in this process, seeks out her childhood love Pradeep (Jaideep Ahlawat), who then becomes their tour guide along the way.
Initial release: 24 November 2022
Director: Avinash Arun
Story by: Avinash Arun; Omkar Achyut Barve; Arpita Chatterjee
Music by: Alokananda Dasgupta
Production companies: Allu Entertainment; Matchbox Shots
Where to watch: Netflix
6.Viduthalai Part 1 (2023)
Right from that striking single shot sequence in the opening, director Vetri Maaran constructs a brutal and unforgiving world of guns and violence where a policeman named Kumaresan (Soori) battles his inner conflict in order to catch hold of the local activist named Perumal (Vijay Sethupathi), the leader of the Makkai Padai. The almost graphic nature of violence will almost make you want to turn your eyes away from the screen, but stay along for the ride that Viduthalai promises. Its bone chilling power refuses to leave the mind.
Initial release: 31 March 2023
Director: Vetrimaaran
Producer: Elred Kumar Santhanam
Music director: Ilaiyaraaja
Budget: est. 40 crore
Distributed by: Red Giant Movies
Where to watch: Zee5
7.Dada (2023)
Ganesh Babu’s Dada is one of those films which could have gone wrong due to the melodramatic tendencies of its plot. But it is to the credit of the writing and the performances that Dada retains its impact. Manikandan and Aparna Das play Kavin and Sindhu, the young couple whose lives take a turn when Sindhu becomes pregnant. They decide to keep the baby. What follows is a heartwarming tale of parenthood bolstered by a truly extraordinary performance by Manikandan. The bond he shares with his baby boy Aditya is the beating heart of this wonderful film.
Initial release: 10 February 2023
Director: Ganesh K Babu
Music director: Jen Martin
Distributed by: Red Giant Movies
Budget: est. 4 crore
Box office: est. 20.9 crore
Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video
8.Pokhar Ke Dunu Paar (2022)
Can love survive the pandemic? Parth Saurabh’s beautifully realized feature film asks this question through gazing at the relationship between Priyanka (Tanaya Khan Jha) and Sumit (Abhinav Jha of Dhuin fame), who have returned to the place from where they eloped two place ago. No one is chasing them anymore. Now that they are back, these two individuals yearn to discover themselves all the more. Deftly performed and directed, Pokhar Ke Dunu Paar demands your attention.
Initial release: 2022
Director: Parth Saurabh
Cast: Tanaya Khan Jha, Abhinav Jha, Dheeraj Kumar, Ujjwal Raj, MORE
Where to watch: Mubi
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