Bollywood enthusiasts may differ greatly in many areas. Who is the superior Don? Amitabh Bachchan, Shah Rukh Khan, or Ranveer Singh? Or if Tina, who used her daughter as a pawn to curse Rahul and Anjali to a life of mediocre domesticity, was the true antagonist in Kuch Kuch Hota Hai. If there’s one thing, though, we can all agree on, it’s that one of the best directors working today is Sriram Raghavan, the man behind films like Badlapur and Andhadhun.
The brilliant filmmaker is a master at crafting sly and thrilling thrillers that honour his favourite films and novels. Numerous other filmmakers have been influenced by his work, and his small but outstanding body of work is already a mainstay in the library of any Hindi-speaking film enthusiast. His latest work with Katrina Kaid and Vijay Sethupati is a bilingual film Merry Christmas, which is also his Tamil-language feature debut.
The film, which stars Katrina Kaif and Vijay Sethupathi, has excited fans who have been waiting for the director to make another movie following Andhadhun, which starred Ayushmann Khurrana. We made the decision to rewatch Sriram Raghavan’s filmography as we cannot get over his latest thriller. Now put these on your list of things to binge-watch!
Best thrillers of Sriram Raghavan:
5. Badlapur (2015):
Varun Dhawan gave a performance in Badlapur that was the best of his career, and Sriram Raghavan deserves the credit for that. The film centres on a man who resolves to exact revenge on the criminals responsible for his family’s murders. Huma Qureshi, Radhika Apte, and Nawazuddin Siddiqui also starred.
4. Johnny Gaddaar (2007):
This neo-noir thriller is a delightful suspense-filled caper that might not have performed well at the box office but gained widespread critical acclaim. It centres on five men who become embroiled in a drug trade orchestrated by a dishonest policeman. When one of them chooses to betray the others and take off with the money, things take a bad turn. It was Neil Nitin Mukesh’s first time in the business.
3. Andhadhun (2018):
Raghavan’s Andhadhun accomplished the incredible feat of uniting moviegoers of all stripes in an incessant discussion about the film. The intense discussion on the internet made sure that the film became a cultural phenomenon of the year. The narrative centres on a blind pianist who inadvertently contributes to the death of a retired actor. Ayushmann Khurrana, Tabu, and Radhika Apte starred in the film.
2. Ek Hasina Thi (2004):
With this film, Raghavan made his directing debut. Similar to Badlapur, this revenge thriller encourages us to support Sarika, the lead character, rather than thinking deeply about the ethical ambiguities surrounding retaliation. In the film, Sarika (Urmila Matondkar), having been found guilty of a crime she did not commit, resolves to exact revenge for the wrongs done to her. Saif Ali Khan starred in the film as well.
1. Agent Vinod (2012):
The screenplay of this international spy action thriller was a bit lacking, but it still had some amazing action scenes and a gorgeous look. It centres on Agent Vinod, the title character, as he embarks on a covert mission to foil a cunning plot that threatens the entire world. Kareena Kapoor starred in it as well.