2024 was a year when promising mainstream directors broke their shells to narrate familiar tales with a personal and empathetic touch. Films like Kishkindha Kaandam explored mythological themes with a contemporary twist, while Girls Will Be Girls provided a refreshing and subversive look at the coming-of-age genre. A significant national conversation revolved around the country’s need for constructive cinematic literacy. The preference for Kiran Rao’s Laapataa Ladies, an enjoyable yet flawed film, over Payal Kapadia’s luminous Grand Prix-winning work, highlighted the myopic vision of India’s film circles towards non-Hindi films.

The regional cinema also made waves, with films like Meiyazhagan offering a poignant narrative rooted in cultural authenticity, and Kill captivating audiences with its adrenaline-pumping action and stylized execution. Lubber Pandhu, a gripping rural drama, delves into the fierce rivalry between two gully cricket stars. Aavesham tells the story of three engineering students who befriend a feared local gangster to settle scores.

Featuring a mix of surprisingly well-crafted Hindi films and outstanding regional productions, a prominent feature of Indian cinema this year has been the fluidity of spoken dialogue used by many films. This break from linguistic and traditional constraints has enabled these films to clearly express their love or critique for the times and places they project.

Here Are The 20 Best Indian Films of 2024:
www.highonfilms.com/the-best-indian-movies-of-2024/