9xMovies: Hindi films of the 2000s and early 2010s in English, from Queen, Piku and 2 States to Vicky Donor, Band Baaja Baaraat, Iqbal, Rock On!! and Khosla Ka Ghosla!, and where to watch them

How 9xMovies looks

9xMovies keeps the simple, sturdy look of the original 9xmovies.in of 2015. A charcoal band at the top holds the 9xMovies logo with its red 9X badge. Below it, a steel-blue menu bar carries white uppercase links to the home page, the Bollywood movies, the comedy, romance and wedding shelves and the A to Z list, with a blue My List button at the right. A white index bar follows, with a grey 9XM INDEX tab and bold grey links to every shelf. On a phone, these links fold into a menu behind a three-line button.

The home page opens with a red Latest Movies heading over a grid of poster cards, each with a thin border, a small dark tag with the year and a large title with the language and running time, just like the original. Further red headings introduce the comedy, romance and wedding shelves. At the right, the sidebar holds the search field with a blue Go button, a light-blue Follow 9xMovies box and a Popular Movies list. The footer has a dark menu band and a black copyright line.

The colours, the menu bars, the red headings and the light-blue sidebar headings were measured from an archived copy of the 2015 home page. A later version of the site used the same theme as another brand in this portfolio, so the earlier design keeps 9xMovies distinct.

Using the site

There are three easy ways into the catalogue. The first is the search field in the sidebar: type a few letters of a title, such as Queen, Golmaal or Dulhan, and matching films appear as you type. The second is the 9XM Index bar, with the shelves Comedy, Romance, Wedding films, Dramas, Music and dance, and Sport and big dreams, together with four year shelves and a Top rated shelf. The third is the A to Z list, which holds every film in alphabetical order. The Finding a title page collects some handy search tips, such as the many ways Hindi titles are spelled in English.

Every title page gives the story in English, the year, the running time, the director, the main cast, the studio and the original title. Below the story there is a country menu and a Watch now button. Choose your country, press the button, and JustWatch opens with the subscription, rental, purchase and free services that carry the film where you live. Hindi films of these years are widely available on the large streaming services in India and around the world, almost always with English subtitles.

The My List button keeps a personal list of films in your browser. The My List page explains how to export the list to a small file and take it to another device.

A new kind of Hindi film

The heart of 9xMovies is the new kind of Hindi film that grew up after 2005. Queen, from 2014, directed by Vikas Bahl, follows Rani, a shy young woman from Delhi whose fiancé calls off the wedding the day before. She decides to go on her honeymoon to Paris and Amsterdam alone, and on the way she discovers friendship, freedom and herself. Kangana Ranaut's warm, funny performance made the film one of the most loved of its decade. Piku, from 2015, directed by Shoojit Sircar, follows an architect in Delhi, her eccentric old father, played by Amitabh Bachchan, and a taxi company owner, played by Irrfan Khan, on a long road trip to Kolkata, and it is a gentle comedy about families, ageing and love.

Vicky Donor, also by Shoojit Sircar, introduced Ayushmann Khurrana in a bright Delhi comedy about a young man, his mother and grandmother, and an unusual job. Dum Laga Ke Haisha, from 2015, set in Haridwar in the nineties, follows a young man and the educated, confident bride he is reluctant to accept, until a village race teaches him her worth. Khosla Ka Ghosla!, from 2006, directed by Dibakar Banerjee, is a sharp and funny story of a middle-class Delhi family who outwit a property shark with the help of a theatre troupe. These films showed how much humour and heart could be found in ordinary lives.

Hindi comedy

Comedy is the largest shelf on 9xMovies, with 137 films, and the Hindi comedy help page picks the best places to begin.

The big family comedies of the 2000s are full of mistaken identities, slamming doors and happy chaos. The director Priyadarshan was the master of the form: Hungama, from 2003, follows two young people who pretend to be a wealthy couple's son and daughter-in-law, Garam Masala, from 2005, follows two photographers juggling three air hostess fiancées, and Khatta Meetha is a lively satire about a road contractor. Rohit Shetty's Golmaal Returns and Bol Bachchan are bright, loud comedies with large casts, and David Dhawan's Dulhan Hum Le Jayenge and Partner are cheerful star vehicles.

The quieter comedies are just as rewarding. Welcome To Sajjanpur, from 2008, directed by the veteran Shyam Benegal, follows a young man who writes letters for the villagers of a small town and becomes the keeper of all their secrets. Jolly LLB, from 2013, follows a struggling Meerut lawyer who takes on a big case in Delhi. Ankhon Dekhi, directed by Rajat Kapoor, follows an old man who decides to believe only what he sees with his own eyes, and Atithi Tum Kab Jaoge? is a warm comedy about a guest who refuses to leave. Khichdi: The Movie brings a famous television family to the cinema.

Hindi romance

Romance runs through Hindi cinema, and the Romance shelf holds 131 films. The Hindi romance help page gives a short list.

The early 2000s were the age of the grand romance, with famous songs and stars. Dhadkan, from 2000, follows a young woman torn between duty and love, Mujhe Kucch Kehna Hai introduced Tusshar Kapoor beside Kareena Kapoor, Rehnaa Hai Terre Dil Mein brought the director Gautham Vasudev Menon and the actor R. Madhavan to Hindi cinema, and Hum Tumhare Hain Sanam gathered Shah Rukh Khan, Salman Khan and Madhuri Dixit in one film.

The romances of the following years were lighter and more natural. Socha Na Tha, from 2005, was the first film of the director Imtiaz Ali, who went on to make Love Aaj Kal, a story of love in two generations. Jaane Tu... Ya Jaane Na, from 2008, with music by A. R. Rahman, follows two best friends who take a long time to realise they are in love, and 2 States, from 2014, adapted from the novel by Chetan Bhagat, follows a Punjabi boy and a Tamil girl who must win over each other's families. Hasee Toh Phasee, Khoobsurat and Kismat Konnection are cheerful romantic comedies.

Wedding films

Few things are as Indian as a big wedding, with its music, dances, relatives and endless food, and the Wedding films shelf holds 61 titles. The Wedding films help page gathers the favourites.

Band Baaja Baaraat, from 2010, directed by Maneesh Sharma, follows two young people in Delhi who start a wedding-planning business together, and it introduced Ranveer Singh beside Anushka Sharma. Vivah, from 2006, directed by Sooraj Barjatya, is a gentle and traditional story of an arranged marriage that blossoms into love. Tanu Weds Manu, from 2011, directed by Aanand L. Rai, follows a quiet doctor from London and a wild young woman from Kanpur, and its sequel Tanu Weds Manu: Returns brings them back four years later, with Kangana Ranaut in a double role.

The wedding comedies are full of colour. Mere Brother Ki Dulhan follows a young man who falls for the bride he has found for his brother, Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania is a lively romance on the eve of an arranged marriage, Shaandaar takes place at a grand destination wedding, and Dolly Ki Doli is a caper about a very unusual bride. The shelf is a perfect place to plan a film night during the wedding season.

Music and dance

Songs are part of almost every Hindi film, and some films put music and dance at the very centre. The Music and dance shelf holds 16 of them, and the Music and dance help page introduces them.

Rock On!!, from 2008, directed by Abhishek Kapoor, follows four friends who once played in a college rock band and come together again years later, and its songs became anthems for a generation. Jhankaar Beats, from 2003, follows two friends in Mumbai who love the music of R. D. Burman and enter a band competition. London Dreams follows two childhood friends who dream of music stardom in London, and Sur: The Melody of Life is a drama about a singing teacher and his gifted pupil.

Dance takes centre stage in Aaja Nachle, from 2007, in which Madhuri Dixit returns to her small home town to save the old open-air theatre where she learned to dance. ABCD, directed by the choreographer Remo D'Souza, follows a dance teacher who trains a group of talented young street dancers, and Chance Pe Dance follows a young man who dreams of becoming a star dancer while delivering bread in Mumbai.

Sport and big dreams

Some of the most inspiring films of these years are about sport and about people who hold on to their dreams. The Sport and big dreams shelf holds 14 titles, and the Sport and big dreams help page lists them.

Iqbal, from 2005, directed by Nagesh Kukunoor, follows a young man from a village, deaf and mute since birth, who dreams of bowling for the Indian cricket team, with the help of his sister and an old, forgotten coach played by Naseeruddin Shah. It is one of the most loved family films of its decade. Mary Kom, from 2014, tells the true story of the great Indian boxer who won world championships and an Olympic medal, with Priyanka Chopra in the title role. Dhan Dhana Dhan Goal follows a struggling football club in London's Southall, and Patiala House follows a young man in the same area who longs to play cricket for England.

Dreams of other kinds fill the rest of the shelf. Hawaa Hawaai, directed by Amole Gupte, follows a boy who works at a tea stall and dreams of roller-skating, helped by a kind coach. Manjhi: The Mountain Man, from 2015, tells the true story of Dashrath Manjhi, who spent twenty-two years cutting a road through a mountain with a hammer and chisel, with Nawazuddin Siddiqui in a powerful performance. Kai Po Che!, adapted from Chetan Bhagat, follows three friends in Ahmedabad who open a cricket academy.

Films for children

Hindi cinema of these years made several lovely films for children, and the Films for children help page gathers them. Stanley Ka Dabba, from 2011, directed by Amole Gupte, follows a cheerful schoolboy who arrives at school with an empty hand at lunchtime and the greedy teacher who keeps eating his classmates' lunches; it was made with real schoolchildren over many Saturdays, and it is full of life. The Blue Umbrella, directed by Vishal Bhardwaj from a story by Ruskin Bond, follows a girl in a Himalayan village whose beautiful blue umbrella is envied by everyone.

The fantasies are great fun. Jajantaram Mamantaram, from 2003, is a playful version of Gulliver's travels in which a traveller lands in a land of tiny people, Aabra Ka Daabra follows a boy at a school of magic, and Bhoothnath Returns brings back the friendly ghost of the earlier film, played by Amitabh Bachchan. Paathshaala follows a new English teacher at a school where the children are under too much pressure, and Super Nani is a family comedy about a grandmother who finds her confidence.

Dramas

The Dramas shelf holds 59 films about families and everyday life, and the Dramas help page introduces the best of them. Black, from 2005, directed by Sanjay Leela Bhansali, follows a girl who is blind and deaf and the eccentric teacher, played by Amitabh Bachchan, who opens the world to her; Rani Mukerji's performance is one of the finest of the decade. Guzaarish, by the same director, is a lyrical film about a magician whose life is changed by an accident, and Parineeta, from 2005, is a beautiful period romance set in Kolkata in the sixties, based on the novel by Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay.

Family dramas with big casts were popular too. Baabul stars Amitabh Bachchan and Rani Mukerji, Apne brings together Dharmendra and his sons Sunny and Bobby Deol in a story of boxing and family pride, and Cheeni Kum, directed by R. Balki, is a witty romance between a grumpy chef in London and a much younger woman. Delhi-6 is a colourful portrait of the old lanes of Delhi, Lootera is a quiet period romance set in Bengal in the fifties, and Ship of Theseus is a thoughtful, beautifully made film about three lives connected by organ donation.

Shoojit Sircar and Nagesh Kukunoor

Two directors stand out for the warmth of their films. Shoojit Sircar, with his writer Juhi Chaturvedi, made Vicky Donor and Piku, two films that find humour in Delhi and Kolkata families with great affection; the Shoojit Sircar help page introduces them. Nagesh Kukunoor, the subject of the Nagesh Kukunoor page, made Iqbal and Dhanak, a joyful road movie about a young girl and her blind brother who travel across Rajasthan to meet a film star, hoping he will help the boy see again.

Stars of the decade

The films on 9xMovies show the rise of a whole generation of stars. Ranveer Singh began his career in Band Baaja Baaraat and went on to Lootera. Ranbir Kapoor appears in Wake Up Sid, a gentle coming-of-age story about a rich young man in Mumbai, Rocket Singh: Salesman of the Year, a funny and honest film about a young salesman, and Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani, a cheerful romantic comedy. Ayushmann Khurrana began with Vicky Donor and continued with Dum Laga Ke Haisha, and Alia Bhatt appears in 2 States, Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania and Shaandaar.

The great stars of earlier years shine too. Amitabh Bachchan appears in Black, Cheeni Kum, Piku, Baabul and Bhoothnath Returns, each a very different role. Kangana Ranaut leads Queen and the Tanu Weds Manu films, Akshay Kumar stars in comedies from Garam Masala to Khatta Meetha and the sport drama Patiala House, and Shahid Kapoor appears in Vivah, Kismat Konnection, Chance Pe Dance and Shaandaar.

Through the years

The four year shelves follow the story of these fifteen years. The 2000 to 2004 shelf, with 64 films, is the era of the big romances and family entertainers, from Dhadkan and Kya Kehna to Hungama and Jhankaar Beats. The 2005 to 2009 shelf, with 86 films, is the busiest, the years when new directors such as Imtiaz Ali, Dibakar Banerjee and Nagesh Kukunoor brought fresh voices, with Socha Na Tha, Khosla Ka Ghosla!, Iqbal and Rock On!!.

The 2010 to 2012 shelf, with 48 films, brought Band Baaja Baaraat, Tanu Weds Manu, Stanley Ka Dabba and Vicky Donor, and the 2013 to 2015 shelf, with 59 films, gathers Queen, 2 States, Piku and Dum Laga Ke Haisha, some of the most loved films of the decade. The Through the years help page links every shelf.

Delhi, Mumbai and the small towns

The films of these years love their cities. Delhi is the home of Band Baaja Baaraat, Khosla Ka Ghosla!, Vicky Donor, Queen and Piku, with its crowded markets, its middle-class colonies, its weddings and its winter evenings. Delhi-6 wanders through the narrow lanes of the old city, and Delhi in a Day follows a young English traveller who stays with a wealthy Delhi family and sees the city through their household.

Mumbai is the setting of Wake Up Sid, Rocket Singh: Salesman of the Year, Jaane Tu... Ya Jaane Na and Chance Pe Dance, a city of offices, colleges, sea breezes and dreams. The small towns of North India came into their own in the 2010s, with Tanu Weds Manu in Kanpur, Dum Laga Ke Haisha in Haridwar, Raanjhanaa in Varanasi and Welcome To Sajjanpur in a village of Madhya Pradesh. Watching them together is a lovely way to travel across North India.

Indians abroad

Many films of the 2000s followed Indian characters around the world. Queen sends its heroine to Paris and Amsterdam, London Dreams, Patiala House, Dhan Dhana Dhan Goal and Cheeni Kum take place among the Indian communities of London, Love Aaj Kal moves between London, San Francisco and Delhi, and Kismat Konnection and I Hate Luv Storys are light romances with international settings. Chandni Chowk to China sends a cook from Delhi all the way to China in a playful kung fu comedy.

These films speak especially to Indian families living abroad, who see their own lives in the stories of second-generation children, homesick parents and young people finding their place between two cultures. They are also a lovely way for friends from other countries to discover modern India.

Picks by age

Hindi films are usually made for the whole family, but some are especially good for certain ages. The A family film night help page gives a short list, and here is a longer one.

For younger viewers, the films for children come first: Stanley Ka Dabba, Hawaa Hawaai, The Blue Umbrella, Jajantaram Mamantaram and Bhoothnath Returns are bright and gentle. For the whole family, Iqbal, Golmaal Returns, Welcome To Sajjanpur, Vivah and Mary Kom are funny, warm and inspiring.

For older viewers and young adults, the new voices of the 2010s are the best place to start: Queen, Piku, Band Baaja Baaraat, Dum Laga Ke Haisha and 2 States are witty, heartfelt and full of life. For an evening of classic star power, choose Hum Tumhare Hain Sanam, Dhadkan or Parineeta.

Planning a film night

A Bollywood film night is a lovely way to share these films with friends and family. Choose a theme, save a few films in My List and watch one each evening. A wedding week might move from Vivah to Band Baaja Baaraat, Tanu Weds Manu and Mere Brother Ki Dulhan. A road trip weekend might pair Piku with Dhanak and Queen. A music evening might start with Rock On!! and end with Aaja Nachle.

Many families like to plan around the festivals: comedies for Diwali, romances for the monsoon, and wedding films for the wedding season in the winter months. The year shelves are useful too, for a nostalgic trip back to the films of your own school or college days.

Great directors

Following a director is a rewarding way to explore the catalogue. Imtiaz Ali made Socha Na Tha and Love Aaj Kal, romances with a natural, unforced style. Aanand L. Rai made Tanu Weds Manu, Tanu Weds Manu: Returns and Raanjhanaa, films full of small-town colour. Maneesh Sharma made Band Baaja Baaraat and Shuddh Desi Romance, and Abhishek Kapoor made Rock On!! and Kai Po Che!, two films about friendship.

Sanjay Leela Bhansali made Black and Guzaarish, grand and lyrical films with remarkable performances. Rohit Shetty made Golmaal Returns and Bol Bachchan, and Priyadarshan made Hungama, Garam Masala and Khatta Meetha, the great comedies of the decade. Amole Gupte made Stanley Ka Dabba and Hawaa Hawaai, two of the finest films for children of these years, and the veteran Shyam Benegal made Welcome To Sajjanpur.

Hidden gems

Beyond the famous titles, the catalogue holds many smaller films that deserve a wider audience. Dasvidaniya, from 2008, follows a quiet office worker who learns that he has little time left and sets out to fulfil his list of wishes, a film both funny and moving. Ankhon Dekhi is a gentle, wise comedy about an old man in Delhi. Hazaaron Khwaishein Aisi is a story of three friends in the seventies. Ship of Theseus is one of the most admired independent Indian films of the decade.

A few more: Jhankaar Beats is a cheerful film about friendship and music, Delhi in a Day is a sharp comedy of manners, The Blue Umbrella is a small treasure for children, and Dhanak is a sunny road movie through the deserts of Rajasthan. Gandhi, My Father is a thoughtful drama about Mahatma Gandhi and his eldest son.

The songs

The songs of these films are an essential part of their charm. A. R. Rahman wrote the music for Jaane Tu... Ya Jaane Na and Delhi-6, Shankar–Ehsaan–Loy wrote the music for Rock On!! and many romances, and Pritam wrote the songs for Love Aaj Kal and many of the most popular comedies. Many viewers come to these films first for the songs, and many songs, from the wedding numbers of Band Baaja Baaraat to the rock anthems of Rock On!!, are still played at parties and weddings today.

Learning Hindi with films

Hindi is spoken by hundreds of millions of people, and films are one of the best ways to begin learning it. The Learning Hindi with films help page gives a few tips. Comedies such as Golmaal Returns and Welcome To Sajjanpur use everyday speech and lots of repetition, and songs help you remember words and rhythms. Watch a film with English subtitles first, then again with Hindi subtitles, and listen for the words that come back again and again.

Friends and growing up

Friendship is one of the great themes of the Hindi films of these years. Rock On!! follows four college friends who meet again after ten years apart, Kai Po Che! follows three friends who start a business together, and Jhankaar Beats follows two friends and colleagues united by their love of music. Dostana is a playful comedy about two friends who pretend to be a couple to rent a flat in Miami, and Hazaaron Khwaishein Aisi follows three college friends into adult life.

The coming-of-age films are full of charm. Wake Up Sid follows a carefree young man who finally grows up when a new friend arrives from Kolkata, Jaane Tu... Ya Jaane Na follows a group of college friends in Mumbai, and Rocket Singh: Salesman of the Year follows a young graduate who learns that honesty is the best business plan. These films are a lovely choice for teenagers and young adults.

Strong women on screen

The films of the 2010s gave Hindi cinema some of its most memorable heroines. Queen follows a young woman who discovers her own strength on a journey alone, Piku follows a busy architect who looks after her father with patience and humour, and Mary Kom follows a boxer who becomes a world champion. Dum Laga Ke Haisha gives Bhumi Pednekar a wonderful debut as a confident young bride, and Tanu Weds Manu: Returns lets Kangana Ranaut play two very different women.

Earlier in the decade, Black and Parineeta gave Rani Mukerji and Vidya Balan two of their finest roles, Aaja Nachle celebrated a dancer who returns to save her home town's theatre, and Khoobsurat is a cheerful comedy about a lively physiotherapist in a royal household. These films are a wonderful way to see how Hindi cinema began to tell women's stories in new ways.

Fantasy and magic

Hindi cinema of these years also made playful fantasies. Jajantaram Mamantaram sends a traveller to a land of tiny people, Aabra Ka Daabra takes place at a school of magic, and Bhoothnath Returns follows a friendly ghost who returns to Earth with a mission. God Tussi Great Ho imagines a man who is given God's powers for a few days, Love Story 2050 is a romance with a journey into the future, and Fun2shh... Dudes in the 10th Century is a comedy of time travel. Hawaizaada is a colourful story inspired by an early Indian dream of flight.

These films are a lovely change of pace on a family evening, especially with younger children, and they show how much fun Hindi cinema can have when it lets its imagination run free.

Through the year

Hindi film releases follow the festivals of the year. Diwali, the festival of lights, is the biggest release date, when the great stars bring out their new films and families go to the cinema together, and Eid, Christmas and the long summer holidays are busy seasons too. Many families follow the same rhythm at home, with a cheerful comedy such as Golmaal Returns or Hungama for Diwali, a romance such as Socha Na Tha or Love Aaj Kal for the monsoon, and the wedding films for the wedding season.

The school holidays are a good time for the films for children and the sports films, from Stanley Ka Dabba and Hawaa Hawaai to Iqbal and Mary Kom. And any quiet Sunday is a good time for one of the gentle dramas, such as Piku or Dhanak.

For a longer celebration, many families plan a whole festival week: a big comedy on the first night, a wedding film on the second, a music film on the third and a gentle drama to close the week. The shelves on 9xMovies make it easy to plan such a week in a few minutes, and My List keeps the plan safe until the festival arrives.

From the page to the screen

Many films of these years were adapted from books and stories. 2 States and Kai Po Che! come from the best-selling novels of Chetan Bhagat, whose light, funny stories of young India were hugely popular. Parineeta comes from the classic Bengali novel by Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay, and The Blue Umbrella from a much-loved story by Ruskin Bond, who wrote about the hills of North India for more than half a century. Lootera was inspired by a short story by O. Henry, moved to the Bengal of the fifties.

Other films found their stories in other cinemas. Hungama and Garam Masala were inspired by Malayalam comedies, Rehnaa Hai Terre Dil Mein was the Hindi version of a Tamil hit by the same director, and Bol Bachchan was a new take on a famous comedy of the seventies. Watching an adaptation after reading the book, or alongside the original film, is a fun way to see how stories travel.

The great comic actors

Behind the stars, these films are full of wonderful comic actors. Paresh Rawal is the heart of many comedies, from Hungama and Garam Masala to Atithi Tum Kab Jaoge? and Cheeni Kum, with his perfect timing and endless invention. Arshad Warsi brings his easy charm to Golmaal Returns, Jolly LLB and Dhan Dhana Dhan Goal, and Boman Irani is a delight in Khosla Ka Ghosla!, Jolly LLB and Bhoothnath Returns.

Rajpal Yadav adds slapstick energy to Khatta Meetha and many other comedies, and Vinay Pathak and Ranvir Shorey, who appear in Dasvidaniya and Khosla Ka Ghosla!, became favourites of the new, gentler comedy of the decade. Sanjay Mishra gives a beautiful performance in Ankhon Dekhi, and Annu Kapoor steals many scenes in Vicky Donor. Their scenes are often the most quoted parts of a film.

Families on screen

The Indian family, with its parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins all under one roof, is at the centre of many films on 9xMovies. Khosla Ka Ghosla! shows a Delhi family uniting against a property shark, Vivah and Baabul follow families preparing for weddings, and Apne and Yamla Pagla Deewana bring a real father and his sons, Dharmendra, Sunny and Bobby Deol, together on screen.

The newer films looked at families with fresh eyes. Piku follows a daughter and her father, Dum Laga Ke Haisha a young couple and their families in Haridwar, Vicky Donor a mother and grandmother in Delhi, and 2 States two families from opposite ends of India who must learn to accept each other. Khichdi: The Movie brings a famously eccentric television family to the cinema. These films are especially enjoyable when watched with your own family, who will recognise many of the arguments and the jokes.

Hindi cinema around the world

Hindi films are watched far beyond India. In the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, the Gulf countries, Singapore, Malaysia, Nepal and many other places, large South Asian communities fill cinemas for the big releases, and streaming services now carry Hindi films to viewers in almost every country, usually with English subtitles. Many viewers who speak little Hindi have discovered these films through friends and family, drawn in by the songs, the colours and the warmth of the stories.

9xMovies is written in English so that these films can reach everyone: second-generation families who understand Hindi better than they read it, friends and partners who are new to Bollywood, and film lovers who simply want to discover a new world of stories. The Watch now button on every page shows where each film is available in your country.

Teachers and schools

Some of the most moving films of these years are about teachers and their pupils. Black follows an eccentric, devoted teacher who refuses to let his young pupil remain shut away from the world, and Iqbal follows a forgotten old cricketer who becomes the coach of a gifted village boy. Paathshaala follows a young English and music teacher who stands up for his pupils against a school obsessed with money and publicity, and ABCD follows a choreographer who turns a group of young street dancers into a team.

The school films for children are full of affection. Stanley Ka Dabba shows the friendships, games and lunch-box rivalries of a Mumbai classroom, and Hawaa Hawaai follows a kind young coach who trains a group of children from the streets to skate. Super Nani and Bhoothnath Returns also have lessons to teach, wrapped in comedy. These films are lovely to share with children and with anyone who remembers a teacher who changed their life.

Road trips and journeys

The road movie became one of the favourite forms of the new Hindi cinema. Piku follows a long drive from Delhi to Kolkata with a cranky father and a patient taxi company owner, Dhanak follows a brother and sister across the deserts of Rajasthan, and Queen follows a young woman on a journey through Europe that changes her life. Honeymoon Travels Pvt. Ltd. follows a busload of newly married couples on a holiday in Goa, and Chalo Dilli follows two strangers who travel together from Jaipur to Delhi after missing their flight.

These journeys are about much more than the destination: the characters discover new places, meet unexpected friends and learn something about themselves on the way. They make perfect films for a holiday evening, or for planning a trip of your own.

A trip down memory lane

For many viewers, the films of the 2000s are the films of their childhood and school years, watched on television with the whole family, on video discs borrowed from friends, or in the cinema on a special evening out. Songs from Dhadkan, Kya Kehna, Mujhe Kucch Kehna Hai and Hum Tumhare Hain Sanam filled the radio, and the comedies of Priyadarshan and David Dhawan were repeated on television so often that many viewers can still recite whole scenes.

Watching these films again today is a joyful trip down memory lane, and sharing them with children who are meeting them for the first time is a lovely way to pass on a little family history. The year shelves make it easy to find the films of a particular moment, from the 2000 to 2004 shelf for the turn of the century to the 2013 to 2015 shelf for the films that many young viewers remember from their own school days. Many families keep a nostalgia list in My List, ready for the next holiday evening, and add a new favourite each year.

Some families make it a game: each person chooses a film from the year they were born or the year they finished school, and the others guess why it was chosen. Others pick a favourite star and follow their films in order, from the first role to the most recent. However you choose, the films of these years reward a second look, with songs that still lift the spirits and stories that still raise a smile.

How Watch now works

Every title page on 9xMovies has a country menu and a Watch now button. Choose your country, press the button, and JustWatch opens in a new tab with the services that carry the film where you live: subscription services, rental and purchase stores, and free services with advertising. Hindi films of these years are carried by the large Indian streaming services and by many international services, almost always with English subtitles.

9xMovies keeps fifteen countries in the menu, from India, the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada and Australia to the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Malaysia, New Zealand, South Africa, Germany, France, the Netherlands and Nepal, the countries where Hindi audiences live, and your choice is remembered in your browser for the next title. The How to watch page explains every step.

A perfect first night

If you are new to Hindi cinema and want just one evening to begin, here is a simple plan. For a family evening, watch Iqbal: it is warm, funny and inspiring, and it suits every age. For an evening with friends, choose Queen or Band Baaja Baaraat. For a quiet evening for grown-ups, choose Piku. For a big, colourful comedy, choose Golmaal Returns or Hungama.

After the first evening, open the shelves and follow your taste. If you loved the comedy, go on to Khosla Ka Ghosla! and Welcome To Sajjanpur. If you loved the romance, go on to Socha Na Tha and 2 States. If you loved the music, go on to Rock On!! and Aaja Nachle.

Why these films matter

The Hindi films of 2000 to 2015 are a bridge between two eras. They kept the songs, the colour and the family warmth of classic Bollywood, while opening the door to smaller, more personal stories about ordinary people, young women, small towns and everyday dreams. Many of the stars and directors who lead Hindi cinema today began their careers in these years, and many of the films are still watched and quoted by the generation that grew up with them.

For families living abroad, these films are a link with home and a way to share the language with their children. For friends from other countries, they are a joyful introduction to one of the world's great film industries.

The help pages

9xMovies has fifteen short help pages, each linked from the 9XM Index panel on the home page. They cover how to watch, Hindi comedy, Hindi romance, wedding films, music and dance, sport and big dreams, Shoojit Sircar, Nagesh Kukunoor, films for children, dramas, family film nights, the years, learning Hindi, finding a title and My List.

Happy viewing

9xMovies is an independent English guide. Posters and production data come from TMDB, the services in the Watch now menu come from JustWatch, and the guide and the help pages are written for 9xMovies. We hope it helps you find a new favourite, whether it is a big wedding comedy, a road trip with a cranky father, a band reunion or a village boy with a cricket ball. Happy viewing.

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