Overview: A 26‑Year Snapshot of Indian Cinema
IMDb has released a comprehensive report that tracks the Most Popular Indian Films on IMDb from January 1, 2000 to August 31, 2025. Each year, the platform identifies the five most popular Indian films based on a combination of user engagement, ratings, and popularity signals from a global audience (with the database now topping 250 million ratings). The result is a unique, year‑by‑year view of what captured attention across Bollywood, Telugu cinema, and other Indian film industries over a quarter of a century.
How the list is compiled
The methodology centers on sheer user interest—ratings, watch activity, and other interactions on IMDb. The list is not a box‑office tally; it reflects what audiences around the world chose to rate and follow in a given year. The outcome is a Top 130 Indian Movies list, built from 26 yearly five‑film snapshots. This makes it a useful barometer of changing tastes, genres, stars, and storytelling styles across two dozen years of Indian cinema.
First‑place winners by year: a quick look at the top film
Here are the films that topped the yearly list for many of the early and recent years, illustrating how preferences shifted over time. (Note: this section highlights the year and the top film; full year‑by‑year variations exist for the remaining four spots each year.)
- 2000 — Mohabbatein
- 2001 — Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Gham
- 2002 — Devdas
- 2003 — Kal Ho Naa Ho
- 2004 — Veer-Zaara
- 2005 — Black
- 2006 — Dhoom 2
- 2007 — Taare Zameen Par
- 2008 — Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi
- 2009 — 3 Idiots
- 2010 — My Name Is Khan
- 2011 — Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara
- 2012 — Gangs of Wasseypur
- 2013 — The Lunchbox
- 2014 — PK
- 2015 — Baahubali: The Beginning
- 2016 — Dangal
- 2017 — Baahubali 2: The Conclusion
- 2018 — K.G.F: Chapter 1
- 2019 — Uri: The Surgical Strike
- 2020 — Dil Bechara
- 2021 — Pushpa: The Rise
- 2022 — KGF: Chapter 2
- 2023 — Animal
- 2024 — Pushpa 2: The Rule
- 2025 — Saiyara
These top picks reveal a blend of romance, drama, action, and urban‑centric stories, with larger‑than‑life spectacles like Baahubali and K.G.F sharing the limelight with intimate, character‑driven titles such as The Lunchbox and Nenokkadine in the Telugu film scene.
Notable Telugu highlights in the annual Top 5
Several Telugu films have earned a coveted spot among IMDb’s yearly five. Notable examples include:
- Magadheera (2009) — 4th place
- Nenokkadine (2014) — 4th place
- Arjun Reddy (2017) — 4th place
- Ala Vaikuntapuramulo (2020) — 2nd place
- RRR (2022) — 2nd place
- Salar (2023) — 4th place
These entries underscore Telugu cinema’s growing resonance with global audiences—storytelling that ranges from epic action to bold, contemporary dramas.
What this list tells us about Indian cinema
The IMDb Most Popular Indian Films list highlights several sustained trends. Romantic melodramas and family dramas have consistently drawn large audiences, while action epics and urban thrillers find broad appeal across continents. The prominence of films like Baahubali and K.G.F alongside socially resonant titles such as Taare Zameen Par and The Lunchbox demonstrates a healthy diversity: grand spectacles and intimate tales can coexist and both influence global perceptions of Indian cinema.
Why this matters for fans and creators
For fans, the annual Top 5 serves as a guided map of must‑watch titles across languages and eras. For filmmakers and distributors, it offers a pulse read on what the international audience is embracing in real time, informing future projects, casting decisions, and festival strategies. The 2000–2025 span shows enduring popularity for certain stars and franchises, while also making room for new voices that capture the zeitgeist.
Looking ahead
As IMDb expands its data and user base, the Most Popular Indian Films list will continue to evolve. Audiences can expect more cross‑language collaborations, fresh storytelling formats, and regional films that break into wider markets. The next 5, 10, or 26 years will likely bring new champions alongside enduring favorites from the past.
