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National Film Archive of India's 125 Great Indian Films

125 films Ranked Updated 3 days ago
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Pukar
101.

Pukar

Sohrab Modi 1939 2h 45m

A love affair and two feuding families who play out a Romeo and Juliet type drama in 17th century India, under the Emperor Jehangir.

Pyaasa
102.

Pyaasa

Guru Dutt 1957 2h 26m 8.0

Vijay, a destitute poet, searches for true love while attempting to get his work published. With the assistance of two women in his life, his dream comes true - but at a cost that causes Vijay to rethink his worldview.

Raja Harishchandra
1913 40m

Revolves around the noble and righteous king, Harishchandra, who first sacrifices his kingdom, followed by his wife and eventually his children to honor his promise to the sage Vishwamitra.

Ram Rajya
104.

Ram Rajya

Vijay Bhatt 1943 2h 24m

Following Bhagwan Shri Ram's 14 year exile, whereby he demolishes the evil empire of Lord Ravan, rescues his wife, Sita, and returns triumphantly home to Ayodhya to be crowned the King. Bhagwan Ram arranges for Sita to be placed on top a funeral pyre, and when she comes out unscathed with the Lord of Fire himself appearing and asking Bhagwan Ram...

105.

Ramshastri

Gajanan Jagirdar 1944 2h 2m

Prabhat's expansively mounted historical set at a contentious period of the Maratha empire is a biographical of Ramshastri Prabhune (1720-89), chief justice at the court of Madhavrao and later of Nana Phadnavis, and a major figure in the development of an indigenous legal code.

Roja
106.

Roja

Mani Ratnam 1992 2h 17m

Roja, a simple girl from a village in Tamil Nadu, makes desperate efforts to find her husband, Rishi, after he is kidnapped by militants during a secret undercover mission in Kashmir.

Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam
Guru Dutt, Abrar Alvi 1962 2h 32m

A Zamindar neglects his wife and prefers the company of alcohol and dancing girls. The decadence of the Bangali Zamindar milieu and the raising bourgeoisie in the late 19th century, seen through the eyes of a young upward mobile rustic seeking fortune in Calcutta, and fascinated by the lady of the house.

Samskara
108.

Samskara

Pattabhirama Reddy 1970 1h 53m

Narayanappa, a Madhwa Brahmin man, dies in the Agrahara of the village Durvasapura. As per Madhwa customs, his last rites must be performed at the earliest. However, due to Narayanappa's rebellious actions in life, which included eating meat, consuming liquor and marrying a prostitute, there is disagreement amongst the Brahmins of the village as...

P. N. Ramachandra Rao 1981 2h
Sant Dnyaneshwar
Vishnupant Govind Damle, Sheikh Fattelal 1940 2h 19m

It's the story of a boy who finds enlightenment by experiencing religious hipocrisy and dogmatism. Dnyaneshwar liberated the "divine knowledge" locked in the Sanskrit language to bring that knowledge into Prakrit (Marathi) and made it available to the common man.

Seema
111.

Seema

Amiya Chakrabarty 1955 2h 21m

Gauri, an orphan, is falsely accused of theft and lands up in a reformatory run by Ashok. Due to her rebelliousness, she gets into trouble. But, gradually she comes into her own with Ashok's help.

Shahjehan
112.

Shahjehan

Abdul Rashid Kardar 1946 2h 1m

Shahjehan (a raw Rehman in one of his first releases) is approached by a Rajput chieftain, Jwala Singh, narrating the plight of his foster daughter, Ruhi (Ragini), who is blessed with unheard of beauty. This gives rise to an army of suitors, who indulge in violence to prevent her from getting married by scaring her to-be grooms. Her beauty, conf...

Shatranj Ke Khilari
Satyajit Ray 1977 2h 9m 10.0

In the year 1856, Nawab Wajid Ali Shah is the King of Awadh, one of the last independent kingdoms of India. The British intend to control this rich land and send General Outram to clear way for an annexation. Pressure is mounting amidst intrigue and political maneuvers, but the Nawab whiles away his time in pursuit of pleasure and religious prac...

Sholay
114.

Sholay

Ramesh Sippy 1975 3h 28m 6.5

After his family is slain by notorious bandit Gabbar Singh, former Inspector Thakur Baldev Singh enlists low-level outlaws Jai and Veeru to capture Gabbar and seek revenge.

Shree 420
115.

Shree 420

1955 2h 48m

The story of a small-town man who comes to make it big in the city, where he is almost instantly relieved of all his possessions. Homeless and penniless, he is taken in by a woman who looks after him.

Shyamchi Aai
Āchārya Atre 1953 2h 32m

The plot revolves around a boy called Shyam and his relationship with his mother. It shares the effect Shyam's mother has had on Shyam's life and upbringing, and how he is taught to stick to his ideals and principles, even in the face of poverty. The relationships of all the individuals in Shyam's family are explored.

Street Singer
Phani Majumdar 1938 2h 15m

Two street urchins dream of singing and making it big in the glamorous world of theatre in Calcutta.

Teen Kanya
118.

Teen Kanya

Satyajit Ray 1961 2h 53m 10.0

Three stories with three central female characters linking the stories together. The first one concerns an orphan girl who grows attached to the postmaster she is caring for after he teaches her to read and write. The second one is a supernatural tale about a woman obsessed with the jewels her husband buys for her. The final one follows a young ...

Teesri Kasam
Basu Bhattacharya 1966 2h 39m

A naive bullock-cart driver falls for a traveling dancer.

Teesri Manzil
Vijay Anand 1966 2h 55m

Blaming him for the suspicious death of her sister, a young woman sets out to exact revenge on a nightclub drummer. She becomes romantically involved with a charismatic young man she meets on the way, unaware that he is the suspect.

Thillana Mohanambal
A. P. Nagarajan 1968 2h 55m

A classical bharatanatyam dancer and a nathaswaram player fall in love against the wishes of her family.

K. Subrahmanyam 1939

A spirited contribution to the Independence movement, deploying Gandhian themes.

Udayer Pathey
Bimal Roy 1944 2h 2m

Anup loses his job writing speeches for a wealthy industrialist and decides to focus on finishing his novel. But when his former boss steals Anup’s unpublished book, he throws himself into socialist politics.

Umbartha
124.

Umbartha

Jabbar Patel 1982 2h 29m

After her husband’s death, Mrs. Mahajan runs a prosperous household with her two sons, while her daughter-in-law Sulabha grows increasingly restless in her domestic role. When she accepts a job as a Superintendent of a distant women’s reformatory against her family’s wishes, she sets out to seek her independence and pursue a career in social ser...

Uski Roti
125.

Uski Roti

Mani Kaul 1970 1h 46m 7.0

The film depicts the life of a truck driver Sucha Singh and his wife Balo. Balo has to get Sucha Singh's food ready every day, walk a long distance through the fields and wait for him on the highway as he drives past the village. He leads an independent life, playing cards with his friends and spending time with his mistress, and comes home only...

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