8 Bollywood Spy Films To Watch Before Janhvi Kapoor’s Ulajh: From Kabir Khan’s Ek Tha Tiger To Meghna Gulzar’s Raazi
Spy thrillers are one of the most popular movie genres among cine-goers. The covert operations, intellectually stimulating plots, thrilling twists and turns and action-packed drama often make for an intriguing watch on the big screen.
8 Bollywood Spy Films to Watch ( Photo Credit – YouTube )
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Bollywood filmmakers have created several gripping movies in the genre that turned out to be the highest grosser upon release. Next is Ulajh, the highly anticipated patriotic spy thriller set against the backdrop of the Indian Foreign Service. It is the latest exploration of the spy genre by National Award-winning filmmaker Sudhanshu Saria. It features Janhvi Kapoor alongside a talented ensemble cast including Gulshan Devaiah, Roshan Mathew, Adil Hussain, and Rajesh Tailang. Before you catch Ulajh in the cinema on August 2, 2024, watch these well-made spy thrillers which will be worth your time.
Ek Tha Tiger (2012)
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This Kabir Khan directorial is a very tight action drama smartly coupled with a pleasing love story between an Indian and a Pakistani spy. A fresh plot, gripping screenplay, good music and exceptional direction make Ek Tha Tiger a must-watch spy thriller. Salman as Indian spy Tiger is irreplaceable; the action sequences are on point and his chemistry with Katrina Kaif, who plays a Pakistani spy is appealing. Ek Tha Tiger is considered to be the best movie in the Tiger franchise backed by Yash Raj Films. The film’s plot line reads, “A RAW agent, Tiger, is sent to Dublin to observe an Indian scientist who is suspected of sharing nuclear secrets with the ISI. He meets and falls for his caretaker Zoya, a girl with a dark secret.”
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Madras Cafe (2013)
Watch on Netflix
Directed by veteran Shoojit Sircar, Madras Cafe revisits the issues of ethnic strife in Sri Lanka in the late 1980s and early 90s, during the assassination of Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi. Inspired by real events, the film revolves around an Indian intelligence agent’s journey to a war-torn coastal island to head covert operations shortly after the India-peace-keeping force withdraws. In the film, John Abraham plays the Indian Army’s special officer Vikram Singh, who gets embroiled in a civil war and unfathomable conspiracy to kill the former prime minister of India. The film also has Nargis Fakhri, essaying the role of a British war correspondent Jaya who is on a mission to divulge the real truth of the civil war. The well-crafted plot, entangled characters and unveiling of conspiracies will keep you gripped till the end.
Director Neeraj Pandey and actor Akshay Kumar gave a masterpiece, Baby, in 2015. It is one of the finest spy films in which each scene, background score, cinematography and everything is nearly perfect. The film centers on Ajay, who heads an elite counter-intelligence unit to track the terrorists’ international tentacles to stop an attack at the heart of India. The film has Danny Denzongpa, Anupam Kher, Rana Daggubati, Kay Kay Menon, Taapsee Pannu, Mikaal Zulfiqar, Rasheed Naz, and Madhurima Tuli in pivotal roles. It is a hard-hitting action thriller which delves into the precarious life led by intelligence and army people to protect our country.
Raazi (2018)
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Meghna Gulzar’s spy thriller is dedicated to the unsung heroes who sacrifice their lives, love, family and everything to the nation. The engaging narrative laced with strong performances by Alia Bhatt and Vicky Kaushal will give you patriotic chills throughout. The film is an adaptation of Harinder Sikka’s novel Calling Sehmat. Set in 1971, the film is based on a true-life story involving a 20-year-old Kashmiri girl who was sent to Pakistan in 1971, to source out any information she could, as the war was becoming imminent between India and Pakistan.
War (2019)
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A deadly war begins when Indian RAW agent Khalid, with a murky past, goes on a mission to hunt and eliminate his former mentor, agent Kabir who has gone rogue. Directed by Siddharth Anand, the film displays a massive face-off between Hrithik Roshan and Tiger Shroff packed with high-octane action sequences. Backed by Yash Raj Films, the film turned out to be one of the blockbusters in 2019, raking in Rs 475 crore at the box office worldwide. The film is a well-crafted entertainer which will keep you hooked with spellbinding action and twisting plotline.
Romeo Akbar Walter (2019)
Watch on Jio Cinema
Set against the backdrop of the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971, the film features John Abraham as a banker Rehmat Ali aka Romeo, who is chosen by the RAW chief to be an Indian spy in Pakistan where he faces physical and emotional challenges. The film is said to be inspired by the life of Indian spy Ravindra Kaushik. Directed by Robbie Grewal, the film also stars Mouni Roy, Jackie Shroff and Sikander Kher. Though the film did not perform commercially well, it is counted as one of the best movies that gave tribute to all those spies of our country who never got their due recognition.
Mission Majnu (2023)
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Directed by Shantanu Bagchi, Mission Majnu revolves around an undercover Indian spy who embarks on a mission to expose a covert nuclear weapons program in the heart of Pakistan, averting World War III in the process.
Siddharth Malhotra headlines the spy thriller alongside Rashmika Mandanna in this emotional, engaging and exciting spy thriller. The film is high on patriotism and heroic deeds, making it a must-watch film in the genre.
Khufiya (2023)
Watch on Netflix
This spy thriller by the ever-talented Vishal Bhardwaj is based on Amar Bhushan’s espionage novel Escape to Nowhere. The film unravels the intricate web of deceit and intrigue as an operative of the R&AW who is struggling with her dual identity as a spy and a lover, is assigned to track down a mole compromising national security. The film stars Tabu, Wamiqa Gabbi, Ali Fazal, Ashish Vidyarthi, and Atul Kulkarni in important roles. The film has as many twists and turns. Its unpredictability factor in the storyline and plot keeps you bound to the engaging plot.
