From Kiran Rao’s Laapata Ladies to Vasan Bala’s Jigra, here are all the Hindi movies & TV shows we’re keeping our eyes peeled for in 2024.
As 2023 draws to a close, it’s safe to say that both film and TV, as is tradition with almost every other year, were pretty hit and miss — the broad footprint and the titles themselves. Unremarkable by most measures, it blurs into the background. It demonstrated that what worked in 2002 still works in 2023, for better and for worse. There were run-of-the-mill crowd-pleasers like Jawaan and out-of-field surprises such as Three of Us. Major filmmakers also faltered. Vishal Bhardwaj continued his streak of duds with the underwhelming Khufiya, and Zoya Akhtar broke hers—the streak of knockouts, that is — with the insipid The Archies. Nevertheless, we can always have confidence in what lies ahead.
Between new projects from some of the most exciting directors in the country — Sriram Raghavan, Dibakar Banerjee, Sanjay Leela Bhansali, and Abhishek Chaubey, to name just a few — and brand new seasons of universally applauded TV shows, 2024 is packed with a host of potential heavyweights. And that is just scratching the surface. Given that, speculation is irresistible.
So following is a year-starter, where I’ll break down some of the most anticipated Hindi movies and TV shows of 2024. The list also includes films that were originally scheduled for 2023 but were pushed back due to various reasons. Obviously, there’s much uncertainty surrounding some of these titles, and release dates are always subject to change, so don’t be surprised if a few of these resurface on our ‘most anticipated of 2025’ list.
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1 . Kho Gye Hum Kahan (Netflix)
Arjun Varain Singh’s debut feature is being described as a coming-of-age drama for the digital age. The film is scheduled for release on December 26, 2023, on Netflix. It would’ve been remiss not to give the film a shout-out due to mere technicalities. The film is co-written by and produced under the banner of Zoya Akhtar and Reema Kagti and will follow Adarsh Gaurav, Siddhant Chaturvedi, and Ananya Panday in pivotal roles as friends trying to navigate the highs and lows of youth.
2. Laapataa Ladies (Kiran Rao)
The long-awaited sophomore venture from director Kiran Rao, Laapata Ladies in an unexpected turnaround, is a comedy set in rural India following a swapping narrative. The film is being advertised as a narrative about womanhood and self-discovery that is simultaneously heart-warming and heart-breaking. Rao’s first feature, Dhobi Ghat, makes abundantly clear her skills behind the camera and her unconventional approach to form. What’s not to get excited for? Backed by Aamir Khan Productions, the film is set to release in theatres on January 5, 2024.
3. Jigra (Vasan Bala)
With just a couple of films under his belt, Vasan Bala has firmly established himself as one of the most exciting directorial voices in the country. His last two features were raging successes in niche circles. Jigra stars Alia Bhatt as the lead and is co-produced by her and Karan Johar under their respective banners. The plot details are unknown as of yet, but the talent associated with the projects has fans more than excited. The film is slated to release in theatres on September 27, 2024.
4. LSD 2 (Dibakar Banerjee)
Dibakar Banerjee needs no introduction; he boasts one of the most thought-provoking filmographies in the business — Oye Lucky Lucky Oye, Khosla Ka Ghosla, and of course, Love Sex aur Dhoka, just to name a few. The first look at the sequel has been unveiled, which hints at a narrative of contemporary social media addiction and love in the age of the internet. The predecessor’s unusual advances in form have fans more than excited for what’s next on the table. The film will star Nimrat Kaur Ahluwalia and hit theatres on February 16, 2024. Unsought for, but welcome.
5. Made in India (Nitin Kakkar)
Advertised as the ‘biopic of Indian cinema’, Made in India is the biopic of producer-writer-director Dadasaheb Phalke, also known as the ‘father of Indian cinema.’ With S.S. Rajamouli backing the project and national award-winning director Nitin Kakkar at the helm, the film has all the ingredients to be both a critical and commercial success. It is set to release in six different languages: Hindi, Marathi, Telugu, Malayalam, Tamil, and Kannada. The release date is under wraps as of yet.
6. Metro…in dino (Anurag Basu)
Learning that a sequel to one of the most beloved Hindi dramas of the 2000s (Life in a Metro) is in the works is reason enough to get you pumped. The film, produced by Bhushan Kumar under the T-Series banner, has been dubbed an anthology of “heartwarming stories of contemporary couples.” The film also boasts a star-studded cast, including but not limited to Aditya Roy Kapoor, Sara Ali Khan, Anupam Kher, and Pankaj Tripathi, with Anurag Basu set to reprise his role as the director. The tentative release date is March 29, 2024.
7. Merry Christmas (Sriram Raghavan)
The proposition that Andhadhun, directed by Sriram Raghavan, is one of the finest Indian crime thrillers of the last decade is not unfounded. Even the filmmaker’s duds are not short of virtues; the craft speaks for itself. Merry Christmas is set to be another in his string of thrillers. It’s a bilingual project that was shot simultaneously in Tamil and Hindi and stars Katrina Kaif and Vijay Sethupathi in lead roles. The project will mark both Raghavan and Kaif’s debuts in Tamil cinema. After several postponements, the film is set to release in theatres on January 12, 2024.
8. Delhi Crime Season 3 (Netflix)
On to TV! The Emmy-nominated police procedural drama has been renewed for a third season. The first season of Delhi Crime, set during the aftermath of the Nirbhaya case, was without a doubt one of the best seasons, streaming India has produced yet. The main cast is all set to return for the new season, with Shefali Shah reviving her role as DCP Vartika Chaturvedi. The show is currently in the scripting stage, with the shoot lined up for the beginning of 2024. If all goes well, the new season will be at hand by the end of 2024.
9. Gulkanda Tales (Rahi Anil Barve)
Another much-awaited sophomore project. With just one feature under his belt, Rahi Anil Barve has successfully made a name for himself. His first outing, Tumbbad, was a vastly accomplished dark fairy-tale, which was unlike anything that was commonplace. While there is little to no information available regarding the plot of the series, fans of the director are eagerly awaiting what the man has up his sleeve this time. The first season of the series will feature Pankaj Tripathi, Abhishek Banerjee, and Kunal Khemu in lead roles. There is no tentative release date as of now.
10. Heeramandi (Netflix)
Hopes are high for Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s foray into the seasonal format of TV, a period project the likes of which have been hallmarks of the director’s body of work. Sources have described it as the digital equivalent of K. Asif’s Mughal-e-Azam. The plot outline tells of it as a courtesan tale set in pre-independence India. With a directorial track record that speaks for itself and a cast that includes Sonakshi Sinha, Richa Chadha, and Aditi Rao Hydari, the results will surely be fascinating, to say the least. The release schedule is under wraps.
11. Killer Soup (Netflix)
Donning the hats of both showrunner and director, Abhishek Chaubey’s latest, which is based on a true story, is a dark comedy that will follow an incompetent crook with dreams of a better life. The genre is scarcely alien to Chaubey, and needless to say, expectations are high for what he might be cooking up this time around (pun intended). Adding to the pot, the film will feature the likes of Manoj Bajpayee and Konkana Sen Sharma in lead roles. The “tantalizing blend of intrigue and dark humour” will hit Netflix on January 11, 2024.
12. Paatal Lok Season 2 (Amazon Prime)
The first season of Paatal Lok came out of nowhere and caught everyone by surprise. Just when crime-drama fatigue was setting in the Indian streaming milieu, the series put a spin on a template that had become entirely too familiar. It was some of the most memorable hours of Indian TV ever produced in the streaming era. The bar is set quite high, and it would be interesting to watch how the new season measures up. Sudip Sharma would be returning as the writer and creator, with Jaideep Ahlawat reviving his role as Hathiram Chaudhary. The release schedule is not yet known.
13. The Family Man Season 3 (Amazon Prime)
Yet another TV series up for renewal is the universally acclaimed espionage spy thriller The Family Man, with a third season in the works. The series follows Srikant Tiwari (Manoj Bajpayee) as an intelligence officer struggling to juggle his personal and professional lives. The duo Raj & DK will reprise their roles as directors and creative heads for the latest season. The shoot is slated to begin in February, with the finished product hopefully making it to our TV screens by the end of the year.
Conclusion
So, here was my rundown for the Hindi movies you’d want to get in line for in 2024. I’ve tried to whittle down the list to titles that we are most anxious to check out. The catalogue packs a lot of promise, so clear your calendars all the way through the year, it’s never too early to get excited.
