Best Indian documentary movies
Get ready to binge. We've found a collection of must-watch documentary films from India, now streaming on Netflix, HBO, Hulu, Prime Video, and other top services!
Period. End of Sentence. (2018)
Period. End of Sentence. (2018)
In an effort to improve feminine hygiene, a machine that creates low-cost biodegradable sanitary pads is installed in a rural village in Northern India. Using the machine, a group of local women is employed to produce and sell pads, offering them newfound independence and helping to destigmatize menstruation for all.
The Elephant Whisperers (2022)
Sachin: A Billion Dreams (2017)
Fire in the Blood (2013)
Fire in the Blood (2013)
An intricate tale of "medicine, monopoly and malice", Fire in the Blood tells the story of how Western pharmaceutical companies and governments blocked access to low-cost AIDS drugs for the countries of the global south in the years after 1996 - causing ten million or more unnecessary deaths - and the improbable group of people who decided to fight back. Shot on four continents and including contributions from global figures such as Bill Clinton, Desmond Tutu and Joseph Stiglitz, Fire in the Blood is the never-before-told true story of the remarkable coalition which came together to stop 'the crime of the century' and save millions of lives in the process.
While We Watched (2023)
Ladies First (2017)
Ladies First (2017)
An inspirational survival story of Deepika Kumari who, as a girl born on the roadside to abject poverty in rural India, went in search of food, stumbled upon archery, and within 4 years became the Number One archer in the World.
A Little Dream (2008)
A Little Dream (2008)
Life story of world known Scientist and Scholar Dr. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam.
RRR: Behind & Beyond (2024)
RRR: Behind & Beyond (2024)
An in-depth look at the making of S.S. Rajamouli's magnum opus, RRR, with behind-the-scenes footage and exclusive interviews. Explores the vision, challenges, and dedication involved in creating this cinematic phenomenon.
In the Name of God (1992)
In the Name of God (1992)
The film explores the campaign waged by the Hindu right-wing organisation Vishva Hindu Parishad to build a Ram temple at the site of the Babri Masjid in Ayodhya, as well as the communal violence that it triggered. A couple of months after Ram ke Naam was released, VHP activists demolished the Babri Masjid in 1992, provoking further violence.
Caught Out: Crime. Corruption. Cricket. (2023)
Madness in the Desert (2004)
Madness in the Desert (2004)
The story of making "Lagaan," one of the millennium's seminal Indian films, is told from the point of view of production team member Satyajit Bhatkal.
Machines (2017)
Machines (2017)
This portrayal of the rhythm of life and work in a gigantic textile factory in Gujarat, India, moves through the corridors and bowels of the enormously disorienting structure—taking the viewer on a journey of dehumanizing physical labor and intense hardship.
Terror in Mumbai (2009)
Terror in Mumbai (2009)
The inside story of the November 2008 terrorist attack on Mumbai, India - in the words of the victims and of the terrorists themselves. Includes never-before-heard telephone intercepts of the terrorists' conversations with their handlers in Pakistan, CCTV footage from the luxury hotels as they are attacked and the tape of the first interrogation of the sole surviving terrorist Kasab.
Invisible Demons (2021)
Invisible Demons (2021)
A prismatic meditation on pollution in the capital of the World’s biggest free-market democracy and the most polluted and populated city, Delhi – a film about the pollution inside of the human mind.
I Am (2011)
I Am (2011)
I Am is a 2011 Indian anthology film by Onir. It consists of four short films: "Omar", "Afia", "Abhimanyu", and "Megha". Each film shares the common theme of fear and each is also based on real life stories. The film was financed by donations from more than 400 different people around the world, many of whom donated through social networking sites like Facebook. There are four stories but the characters are interwoven with each story. "Abhimanyu" is based on child abuse, "Omar" on gay rights, "Megha" is about Kashmiri Pandits and "Afia" deals with sperm donation. I Am was released with subtitles in all regions as six different languages are spoken in the film: Hindi, English, Kannada, Marathi, Bengali and Kashmiri.
Final Solution (2004)
Final Solution (2004)
This award-winning documentary explores the changing face of right-wing politics in India through a study of the 2002 Gujarat Riots. It specifically examines political tendencies reminiscent of the Nazi Germany of early 1930s. Final Solution is anti-hate/violence, as 'those who forget history are condemned to relive it'.
Ashes to Idols (2021)
Ashes to Idols (2021)
The journey from ashes to idols through the eyes of a teenager who has created many jobs in the process The documentary shows how a teenager decided to get rid of temple's waste by making idols from them and how few jail inmates became his helper in the process.
Brazen Epiphany (2019)
Brazen Epiphany (2019)
Jennifer, after claiming the position of the best journalist in india sat down for a interview. During this interview she is confronted with reasons to what she owes her success which lead to giving birth to such a powerful journalist.
Party Poster (2021)
Party Poster (2021)
Science, religion and politics collide amidst a raging pandemic, when a group of laundrymen set out to design a poster celebrating a hugely popular annual festival worshipping the deity Ganesha.
Reason (2018)
Back to the Future (2023)
Back to the Future (2023)
Is it good.. or bad... or both: a critical assay to fathom the momentous journey of cinema, from analogue to digital. peppered with questions & answers, sighs and pauses!
Unbreakable (2025)
Unbreakable (2025)
This documentary uncovers the dark events of 2024, when, for the first time in India’s history, a sitting Chief Minister and an entire political leadership were jailed without evidence.
Maitanam - The Story of Football in Kerala (2022)
Maitanam - The Story of Football in Kerala (2022)
Football in the Indian State of Kerala runs through the fabric of its society, where "football is life and life is football". The film brings you six unique stories that take you on a journey across the football crazy land of Kerala.
Koose Munisamy Veerappan (2023)
Koose Munisamy Veerappan (2023)
The series explores the life of Veerappan and the people involved in the hunt for the infamous bandit. It showcases interviews with Veerappan, journalists, politicians and the victims’ families.
Priceless (2018)
Priceless (2018)
A documentary film on the shocking truths about the lesser known business of child sex trade in India. Threaded together by spine-chilling personal accounts of survivors of the trade, the film explores the inner workings of this business that has come to engulf every village and city of our nation. The film is narrated by Rajkummar Rao (Hindi), Vidya Balan (English), Kamal Haasan (Tamil), Jisshu Sengupta (Bengali), Nani (Telugu), Puneeth Rajkumar (Kannada) and Sachin Khedekar (Marathi).
