If you're trying to learn Hindi or connect back with your roots, some of the best practice you'll ever get involves a couch, some popcorn and the remote. Hindi has one of the biggest film industries in the world - Bollywood - and India's first talking film, Alam Ara (1931), was made in Hindustani. Between the movies, the web series, the TV shows and the songs that play at every wedding and family function, there's no shortage of Hindi to listen to.
Here's a beginner-friendly guide to what to watch and listen to, plus a few tips to make sure you're actually picking up Hindi while you're at it.
Why Hindi movies and shows help you learn faster
- You hear real, everyday Hindi: Movies and shows use the Hindi people actually speak, not the stiff version in textbooks.
- Your ear gets used to the rhythm: Spoken Hindi squeezes words together, like "kar re ho" for "kar rahe ho". The more you listen, the easier it gets to hear where one word ends and the next begins.
- Context does half the work: When you can see what's happening on screen, it's much easier to guess what a word or phrase means.
- You pick up the culture too: Festivals, family dynamics, food and humour - it's all in there.
- It doesn't feel like studying: Which means you'll actually keep doing it.
Popular Hindi movies everyone should see
These are the big ones - the movies every Indian family has talked about, and several that took Bollywood far beyond India. They're fantastic to watch, and they'll give you plenty to talk about with Hindi-speaking friends and family. A few of the grand historical films use dramatic, poetic dialogue, so watch those for the fun rather than for everyday phrases.
- 3 Idiots (2009): Three engineering students, one unforgettable college, and a message about following your passion. Funny, emotional and full of everyday Hindi.
- Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara (2011): Three friends take a road trip across Spain before one of them gets married. Light, funny and very relatable.
- Queen (2014): A young woman from Delhi goes on her honeymoon alone after her wedding is called off. Kangana Ranaut's performance is a delight, and the Delhi Hindi is spot on.
- English Vinglish (2012): Sridevi plays a mother who quietly learns English in New York after being teased by her family. A perfect watch for anyone learning a language.
- Taare Zameen Par (2007): A moving story about a young boy with dyslexia and the art teacher who understands him.
- Dangal (2016): Aamir Khan plays a father who trains his daughters to become champion wrestlers. Packed with the Haryanvi flavour of Hindi.
- Lagaan (2001): Villagers under British rule take on their rulers in a cricket match. It was nominated for an Oscar.
- Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (1995): Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol's legendary love story, which ran in a Mumbai cinema for more than 25 years.
- Badhaai Ho (2018): A Delhi family is thrown into chaos when the middle-aged parents announce they're expecting a baby. Hilarious, and full of everyday Delhi Hindi.
- Laapataa Ladies (2024): Two brides get swapped on a crowded train in small-town India. Sweet, funny and easy to follow.
Classic Hindi movies generations grew up on
These are the films Indian families never get tired of rewatching. If you come from a Hindi-speaking family, watch them with your parents and you'll get a running commentary on the best scenes, plus a few stories from their childhood thrown in. Some of the older ones use slightly more formal, Urdu-flavoured Hindi than you'd hear today, but they're a lovely way into the culture.
- Mughal-e-Azam (1960): The grand love story of Prince Salim and the court dancer Anarkali, and one of the most celebrated Hindi films ever made.
- Anand (1971): Rajesh Khanna plays a terminally ill man who lives every day to the fullest. Bring tissues.
- Chupke Chupke (1975): A newlywed professor plays an elaborate prank on his wife's family by pretending to be their driver. A gentle, much-loved comedy.
- Sholay (1975): The ultimate Bollywood blockbuster: two small-time crooks are hired to take down the bandit Gabbar Singh. Every Indian can quote it.
- Golmaal (1979): A young man invents a twin brother to keep his job. Hrishikesh Mukherjee's comedy is still laugh-out-loud funny.
- Umrao Jaan (1981): Rekha plays a courtesan and poet in 19th-century Lucknow, with beautiful Urdu poetry and music.
- Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro (1983): A wild, satirical comedy about two photographers who stumble onto a scandal. A cult classic.
- Mr. India (1987): A kind-hearted man discovers a gadget that makes him invisible and takes on a villain. A family favourite.
- Hum Aapke Hain Koun..! (1994): A big, joyful family wedding film, with more songs than you can count. It shaped how a whole generation celebrated weddings.
Hindi TV shows and web series with everyday conversation
- Panchayat (2020 onwards): An engineering graduate takes a job as a government secretary in a tiny village in Uttar Pradesh. Gentle, funny and full of natural, everyday Hindi. Perfect for learners.
- Gullak: Short, warm stories about a middle-class family in a small north Indian town. Very relatable, and very easy to follow.
- Kota Factory: Students preparing for engineering entrance exams in the coaching town of Kota. Great for young, casual Hindi.
- Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah: A long-running family sitcom about a housing society full of colourful neighbours. Light, silly and perfect for picking up everyday expressions.
- Classic Doordarshan shows: Shows like Malgudi Days (in Hindi) and the 1987 Ramayan are nostalgic favourites, and many families still rewatch them together.
- YouTube: Channels like TVF, FilterCopy and Dice Media have short sketches and web series in casual, young Hindi - perfect for ten-minute practice sessions.
Hindi songs to get stuck in your head
Songs are a great way to tune your ear and pick up words, and you'll hear many of these at weddings, festivals and family functions. Just keep in mind that song lyrics can be more poetic than everyday speech.
- "Tujhe Dekha To": From Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (1995) - a romantic classic
- "Lag Ja Gale": From Woh Kaun Thi? (1964), sung by Lata Mangeshkar
- "Kal Ho Naa Ho": From the 2003 film of the same name
- "Ilahi": From Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani (2013) - a travel anthem
- "Kesariya": From Brahmastra (2022)
- "London Thumakda": From Queen (2014) - a dance floor favourite at every wedding
- "Gallan Goodiyaan": From Dil Dhadakne Do (2015) - expect your aunties to dance to this one
- Bhajans: Devotional songs like "Om Jai Jagdish Hare", sung at the end of pujas in many homes
- Ghazals: Slow, poetic songs by singers like Jagjit Singh, perfect for building your ear for Urdu words
Slower, melodic songs are the easiest to follow. The fast, high-energy dance numbers are great fun, but good luck catching every word the first time.
Get more Hindi out of every movie night
- Hindi audio, English subtitles: Start here. You'll follow the story while your ear soaks up the language. Later on, try switching off the subtitles and see how much you understand through context.
- Rewatch your favourite scenes: The second time, you'll catch words and phrases you missed the first time.
- Keep a phrase list: Whenever you hear a line you understand, or one that keeps coming up, write it down and try using it.
- Watch with family: If you're a diaspora learner with Hindi-speaking parents, pause and ask what something means. Your parents will probably love explaining it, and the inside jokes too.
- Mix blockbusters with everyday films: Watch the big movies for fun, and the slice-of-life ones and web series for learning.
Watch your favourite Hollywood movies in Hindi
Here's a handy trick: most streaming platforms offer Hindi dubbed audio for popular Hollywood movies and shows, and Hindi dubbing has been around in Indian cinemas for decades. Pick one you've already seen in English and switch the audio to Hindi. Since you already know the story, you can focus completely on the words, and it's surprisingly fun to hear your favourite characters speaking Hindi.
Know the legends of Hindi cinema
A few names come up again and again in Indian homes. Knowing them will make you sound like a true insider:
- Amitabh Bachchan: The biggest star in Bollywood history, lovingly called "Big B"
- Shah Rukh Khan: The "King of Romance", known to his fans simply as SRK or King Khan
- Rajesh Khanna: Bollywood's first superstar, famous for his romantic roles in the 1970s
- Dilip Kumar: The legendary actor known as the "Tragedy King"
- Lata Mangeshkar: The singer known as the "Nightingale of India", whose voice is heard in thousands of film songs
- Kishore Kumar and Mohammed Rafi: Two of the most loved playback singers of all time
You'll also hear a few film dialogues quoted all the time. Drop a "Kitne aadmi the?" (How many men were there? - from Sholay), a "Mogambo khush hua!" (Mogambo is pleased! - from Mr. India) or an "All is well" (from 3 Idiots) into a conversation with your Hindi-speaking friends and watch them light up.
Turn movie nights into real Hindi conversations
Watching Hindi movies and shows is one of the most fun ways to train your ear. But to go from understanding a few lines to actually holding a conversation, you need to know how sentences are put together.
If you want to progress from phrases and words to having real conversations in Hindi, a bit of structure makes a big difference. Start with Bhashafy's Complete Hindi Course for Beginners and see how far a little consistency can take you.
Bhashafy has over 20,000 satisfied learners across 100+ countries and millions of minutes of lessons taught. Bhashafy's courses are some of the most widely used, highly rated and bestselling courses for Indian languages across the world.
Thank you, or as we say in Hindi - Dhanyavaad!
