Many Indian films surprised the audience and critics with their unexpected success in 2024. While some films received positive reviews but struggled at the box office, others exceeded all expectations. ‘Hanu-Maan’ became a big hit in Tollywood and ‘Munjya’ surprised everyone with its performance at the box office. ‘Aavesham’ set new records in Malayalam cinema, while ‘Amaran’ and ‘Maharaja’ impressed with strong acting. Here are some films of this year which stood out from the rest.
Hanu-Mana
Directed by Prashant Verma, the film stars Teja Sajja in the lead role. Hanu-Man explores the journey of Hanumanthu, a character who gains the powers of Lord Hanuman. It has quickly become one of the highest-grossing Tollywood films at the Indian box office.
IMDB Rating: 7.7
Where to watch: Jio Cinema
Munjya
Munjya stars Sharvari, Abhay Verma and Mona Singh and is directed by Aditya Sarpotdar. The film surprised everyone with its unexpected success at the box office, crossing the Rs 100 crore mark despite not having any major star power. Within no time it became the first super-duper hit of the year.
IMDb Rating: 6.4
Where to watch: Disney Hotstar
passion
Fahadh Faasil’s performance in Aavesham was highly appreciated and the film emerged as one of the highest-grossing Malayalam films of the year. It is one of the highest-grossing Malayalam films of all time. Fahadh’s portrayal of gangster Ranga was particularly praised for its intensity and authenticity.
IMDB Rating: 7.8
Where to watch: Prime Video
Amaran
Starring Sivakarthikeyan and Sai Pallavi, Amaran clashed with Lucky Bashkar at the box office, but the competition did not hurt its theatrical performance. The film became the second highest-grossing Tamil film of the year behind Thalapathy Vijay’s The Goat.
IMDB Rating: 8.3
Where to watch: Netflix
King
Directed by Nithilan Saminathan, Maharaja stars Vijay Sethupathi in the lead role. Made on a modest budget of Rs 20 crore, the film grossed over Rs 182.50 crore worldwide, surpassing the earnings of Baahubali 2 in some markets. The film was praised for its compelling narrative and excellent performances, especially by Vijay Sethupathi and Anurag Kashyap.
IMDB Rating: 8.5
Where to watch: Netflix
Field
Starring Ajay Devgan in the role of late football coach Syed Abdul Rahim, Maidaan tells the story of the India national football team. Released during Eid on April 11, 2024, it had high expectations, but despite positive reviews, it struggled at the box office, making it one of the most surprising flops of the year.
IMDB Rating: 8
Where to watch: Prime Video
woman 2
Stree 2 surprised everyone with its massive success at the box office in 2024 and became the second highest-grossing Hindi film of the year. Its success can be attributed to positive word-of-mouth presentation, great performances, effective humor and scares. The film’s win underlined the power of horror-comedy and the importance of audience recommendations.
IMDB Rating: 7
Where to watch: Prime Video
Strike
Despite a modest budget, Kill performed impressively at the box office and grossed Rs 47.1 crore worldwide. The suspenseful, thrilling story contributed to making it one of the surprise hits of the year.
IMDB Rating: 7.5
Where to watch: Disney Hotstar
merry christmas
Directed by Sriram Raghavan, Merry Christmas garnered critical attention for its unexpected twists and compelling narrative. The film stars Katrina Kaif and Vijay Sethupathi. Its interesting story and plot twists made it a standout in the thriller genre.
IMDB Rating: 6.9
Where to watch: Netflix
missing ladies
Kiran Rao’s comedy Lapata Ladies became a sleeper hit in 2024 thanks to its unique blend of humor and drama. Despite the small budget, it grossed over Rs 25 crore worldwide. The film premiered at the prestigious Toronto International Film Festival, where it received a standing ovation. It was later selected by the Film Federation of India as the country’s submission for the Best International Feature Film category at the 97th Academy Awards.
IMDB Rating: 8.4
Where to watch: Netflix
Also read: Year Ender 2024: Ambani Wedding to Lawrence Bishnoi vs Salman Khan, the biggest newsmakers of the year
