Bollywood witnessed a prolific release of movies this year, where a select few not only soared in terms of box office revenue but also garnered praise from critics. The cinematic landscape was dominated by high-budget, star-studded masala films, yet amidst this, a handful of understated gems managed to resonate with audiences. This article presents a curated list of the top Bollywood movies of 2023, taking into account factors like IMDB ratings, popularity, and overall box office success.
Table of Contents
12th Fail
The movie tells the story of the real-life IPS officer Manoj Kumar Sharma. It is about how Mr Sharma rose from the depths of poverty and broke the societal shackles and personal struggles to crack the UPSC exam and then go on to achieve the highest cadre in the Indian Police Service. The movie stars Vikrant Massey in the lead role.
- Genre: Biographical drama
- IMDB rating: 9.2
- Cast: Vikrant Massey, Medha Shankar, and Joshi Anantvijay
- Director: Vidhu Vinod Chopra
- Box-office collection (Gross Global): Rs 44.52 crores
- Where to watch: In Cinemas
Sirf Ek Bandaa Kaafi Hai
The movie shows how an ordinary lawyer Adv. PC Solanki takes on a popular godman who violates a young follower of his and the poor victim and family only have Mr Solanki to their rescue. The case drags on for 5 years and in this time, the lawyer, his family, and the victim’s family face death threats and attacks from the godman’s goons. So, whether they will finally get justice is the plot of the movie.
- Genre: Courtroom drama
- IMDB rating: 7.9
- Cast: Manoj Bajpayee, Surya Mohan Kulshreshtha, Jai Hind Kumar
- Director: Apoorv Singh Karki
- Box-office collection (Gross Global): NA
- Where to watch: Zee5
OMG 2
Yet another courtroom drama around topics such as sex education, devotion, religion, etc. The film is a spiritual successor to the 2011 movie named OMG. In the new one, Akshay Kumar plays a messenger of Lord Shiva who comes to the aid of a staunch devotee of the lord, Kanti Sharan Mudgal (played by Pankaj Tripathi). The latter and his family are ousted by the community for a case of sexual activity by his teen son.
- Genre: Comedy-drama
- IMDB rating: 7.7
- Cast: Akshay Kumar, Pankaj Tripathi and Yami Gautam Dhar
- Director: Amit Rai
- Box-office collection (Gross Global): Rs 221.08 crores
- Where to watch: Netflix
Mission Raniganj
Another Akshay Kumar movie but this one didn’t perform as well as the above one. But its heart is in the right place and critics have noticed that. Akshay plays the role of Jaswant Singh Gill, a real-life engineer from IIT Dhanbad who ploys a mechanism to rescue 65 miners who were trapped in a collapsed Raniganj Coalfields in 1989. His heroic efforts were nationwide news when it happened but only now brought to the attention of the modern audience.
- Genre: Disaster Thriller
- IMDB rating: 7.7
- Cast: Akshay Kumar, Parineeti Chopra, Rajesh Sharma
- Director: Tinu Suresh Desai
- Box-office collection (Gross Global): Rs 45.66 crores
- Where to watch: Yet to release on OTT
Gulmohar
Oh, how sweet and heartfelt this movie is. A family movie, out and out. Gulmohar is the name of the house in which our lead characters have spent a big part of their lives. But now they are all moving away in their own separate ways including the matriarch. These last few days and moments at the house amidst the shifting process disclose several tensions and secrets. By the end of it, this movie may prove cathartic in many ways.
- Genre: Family drama
- IMDB rating: 7.7
- Cast: Sharmila Tagore, Manoj Bajpayee, Simran
- Director: Rahul V. Chittella
- Box-office collection (Gross Global): NA
- Where to watch: Disney+ Hotstar
Satyaprem Ki Katha
This movie would surprise you if you go into it and show patience for the story to unfold. The lead pair has acted their heart out and the story touches on some difficult topics for Indian society, still in 2023. While it begins with a middle-class guy falling in a one-sided love with a girl, and somehow they get married too, it’s only once they are together, that he discovers some things about his partner’s life and acts to mend their lives.
- Genre: Romantic drama
- IMDB rating: 7.2
- Cast: Kartik Aaryan, Kiara Advani, Supriya Pathak, Gajraj Rao
- Director:Sameer Vidwans
- Box-office collection (Gross Global): Rs 117.77 crores
- Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video
Jawan
A man and his army of 6 young women go into vigilante mode, hijacking, kidnapping, looting, and asking for ransom. We learn of his motivation as we go further into the story. The story is also about vengeance against the big baddie arms dealer and the system that enables such nefarious elements. The movie is full of slick action and marvellous set pieces.
- Genre: Action thriller
- IMDB rating: 7.1
- Cast: Shah Rukh Khan, Nayanthara, Vijay Sethupathi
- Director: Atlee
- Box-office collection (Gross Global): Rs 1148.32 crores
- Where to watch: Netflix
Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani
KJO is back with a romantic movie for the sensibilities of 2023. But here too there are familial and cultural differences coming in between two lovebirds and each and every shot in the movie is vibrant and gorgeous. Music by Pritam aids in the whole “love is in the air” vibe of the movie.
- Genre: Romance, family, drama
- IMDB rating: 6.7
- Cast: Ranveer Singh, Alia Bhatt, Jaya Bachchan, Dharmendra, Shabana Azmi
- Director: Karan Johar
- Box-office collection (Gross Global): Rs 355.61 crores
- Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video
Pathaan
This movie marked the return of King Khan to the big screen after 4 long years and he came in with a big bang. Pathaan is part of the YRF Spy Universe and so our protagonist plays an Indian agent. He is on a mission to save the country and stop the villain. In this mission, he stumbles upon the heroine. Can he trust her or is she a femme fatale?
- Genre: Action thriller
- IMDB rating: 5.9
- Cast: Shah Rukh Khan, Deepika Padukone, John Abraham
- Director: Siddharth Anand
- Box-office collection (Gross Global): Rs 1050.3 crores
- Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video
Gadar 2
The sequel to Gadar (2001) is very much a nostalgic treat to the fans of the original movie. The story takes place years after the first one and now the hero is settled down with his family. But a twisted turn of events makes him go on a one-man fight against the evil forces and hurdles in his way to save his loved ones.
- Genre: Action drama
- IMDB rating: 5.3
- Cast: Sunny Deol, Utkarsh Sharma, Simratt Kaur Randhawa
- Director: Anil Sharma
- Box-office collection (Gross Global): Rs 691.08 crores
- Where to watch: Zee5
| Best Bollywood Movies 2023 | Release date |
| 12th Fail | October 27th |
| Sirf Ek Bandaa Kaafi Hai | May 23rd |
| OMG 2 | August 11th |
| Mission Raniganj | October 6th |
| Gulmohar | March 3rd |
| Satyaprem Ki Katha | June 29th |
| Jawan | September 7th |
| Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani | July 28th |
| Pathaan | January 25th |
| Gadar 2 | August 11th |
FAQs
What are the most anticipated upcoming Bollywood movies in 2023?
The following are the most awaited Bollywood movies of 2023 yet to be released: ANIMAL (December 1st), Sam Bahadur (December 1st), and Dunki (December 21st).
Which is the top-grossing Bollywood movie of 2023?
These are the top-grosser movies of Bollywood this year: Jawaan ( Rs 1148.32 crores), Pathaan (Rs 1050.3 crores), and Gadar 2 (Rs 691.08 crores).
