Bollywood, Beyond, and the Big What-Ifs of 2025

2025 was a year that posed a lot of questions for Indian movie lovers. At the forefront of it was the worrisome question whether Bollywood was slowly fizzling away as an industry and popular cinema was moving outside the predominantly Hindi-speaking belt to stories that revered the art of storytelling itself.

Other questions that many tried to find answer to were: Did the thunderous success of Saiyaara prove that there was still a mass audience hungry for original that has nothing to do with a franchise film on a blockbuster level? Would the unprecedented back-end deal secured by a major Indian director this year force local studios to rethink their long-held grip on creative rights? How drastically would the grand mythic world-building of Kantara: A Legend Chapter-1 reshape the future of homegrown cinematic universes? And at a time of too many formats experimentation , what was the ideal way to watch a sensory avalanche like War 2 — IMAX, 4DX, Atmos, or simply the loudest single-screen in your city?

These questions only multiplied as the year came to its end as it presented the bigger threat to the medium: the steady erosion of India’s traditional theatre-going culture, or the debut of the country’s first AI-generated “star,” capable of dancing, fighting, and delivering pan-Indian dialogue without breaking a sweat or demanding a vanity van? Would Sanam Teri Kasam leave you crying two litres of tears, or three? Was that really the hero performing those daredevil stunts in Coolie, or was the VFX team the real superstar? And seriously — what on earth is a K-pop Demon Hunter doing so well and why did we all just nod and go along with it?

Search trends across the year revealed a handful of films that dominated conversations, memes, fan theories, and breathless speculation. Some delivered, some divided, but all of them captured the collective curiosity of the internet.

Here is our year-ender look at the movies that defined 2025’s cinematic chatter:

Saiyaara

If there was one film that fired up the internet’s latent longing for poetic love stories, it was Saiyaara that also launched two new faces - Ahaan Pandey and Aneet Padda. Long before release, its atmospheric teasers bathed in dusk light, drenched in bittersweet melody sparked massive anticipation and it was the romance revival nobody saw coming.

When the film arrived, it delivered an old-school romance wrapped in contemporary narrative depth. Saiyaara proved that in a year of spectacle, the heart still ruled.

Kantara: A Legend Chapter-1

Rishab Shetty returned with a prequel steeped deeper in folklore, dramatic world-building, and the visceral mysticism that made the original Kantara a cultural phenomenon. The internet was obsessed with every reveal—new deities, new rituals, and the origins of the power struggle that shaped the first film.

The movie’s cultural richness sparked debates among scholars, fans, and folklore enthusiasts. It became more than a movie; it became a conversation about identity and inheritance.

Coolie

No way mass cinema can ever become uncool in India. The announcement alone—a classic title reborn for a new generation—sent fan communities into overdrive. Every poster drop was a festival. With high-voltage action set pieces and a throwback masala spirit, Coolie became 2025’s loudest, most unabashed celebration of star power of Rajnikanth.

War 2

The expansion of the Indian spy universe hit a crescendo with War 2 with Jr. NTR and Hrithik Roshan . Even before release, speculation about crossovers, cameos, and the clash of titans fueled endless fan theories. Who would fight whom? What global threat loomed? How would it tie into previous films?

The movie answered enough questions to satisfy fans—but left just enough tantalising loose ends to ensure internet sleuthing continues well into next year.

Sanam Teri Kasam

Nearly a decade after the original became a sleeper hit with an emotional cult following, the return of Sanam Teri Kasam ignited intense online sentimentality. The music that had always the franchise’s beating heart triggered millions of nostalgic posts, throwback edits, and fan tributes. For those who discovered the film late, this was a chance to be part of the conversation in real time.

Marco

Dark thrillers often enjoy niche fandoms, but Marco broke the mold. Its noir palettes, morally ambiguous characters, and cryptic early trailers made it one of the most discussed films online, especially among younger cinephiles. Fan theories about the protagonist’s layered psyche flooded Reddit and X, turning Marco into the year’s most intellectually dissected Indian thriller.

Housefull 5

Say what you will about the Housefull franchise—people watch it, people discuss it. The fifth installment had the internet buzzing with curiosity: How do you scale chaos even bigger? But also why was Housefull 5 needed. Through wild multi-timeline antics and a cast stacked for maximum madness, Housefull 5 reaffirmed its brand.

Game Changer

Few films endured as long and as public a production journey as Game Changer, and that only intensified curiosity when it finally reached the finish line. A politically charged storyline, a superstar-led narrative, and a promise of high-octane drama made this one of the year's most searched titles. The release triggered intense debates about the story, the performances, and the parallels to real-world politics.

Mrs

Sometimes the internet’s curiosity gravitates towards quieter narratives, and Mrs. was the year’s perfect example. An introspective film questioning societal expectations and marital identity, it gained momentum through word of mouth, critic endorsements, and heartfelt audience discussions. Originally in Malayalam titled The Great Indian Kitchen, Mrs, a remake in Hindi starring Sanya Malhotra once again reminded viewers that intimate storytelling still has the power to spark widespread conversation.

Mahavatar Narsimha

No film carried visual expectations quite like Mahavatar Narsimha. Grand mythological visuals, massive sets, and an aura of divine ferocity surrounded each promotional drop. Audiences were fascinated by how the classic avatar would be interpreted for modern sensibilities. The film’s scale made it one of the most searched, most debated, and most anticipated mytho-epics of the year.