Indian mythology movies draw upon ancient epics and stories of gods and goddesses to fuel our imagination. Be it tales of power struggles from the Mahabharata or lessons of righteousness from the Ramayana, they have often inspired some highly popular mythological movies based on Indian beliefs, even today.
Contemporary films like Raavan (2010), Raajneeti (2010), Brahmāstra (2022) and Kalki 2898 AD (2024) are proof that filmmakers of today do not shy away from drawing inspiration from our epics, myths and scriptures. And no, not all of them are entirely didactic. There’s romance, suspense, sci-fi and much more which prove that stories in Hindu mythology can be adapted to make them entertaining and enthralling according to modern likings.
Such is the popularity of this genre that there are quite a few noteworthy upcoming Indian mythological movies in the pipeline. One of them is Ashwatthama: The Saga Continues. Shahid Kapoor will front the project based on the Mahabharata epic. Directed by Sachin B Ravi, it will depict the journey of the titular character, who is the son of Dronacharya, set in the present era marked by rapid technological advancements and humanity’s remarkable capabilities. Here, Ashwatthama has to face formidable villains in action-packed scenes to reach his ultimate goal. However, the makers have yet to announce a definite release date.
Another upcoming Indian mythological movie is Nitish Tiwary’s Ramayana starring Ranbir Kapoor, who is expected to play a dual role. He will reportedly portray both Lord Ram and Maharishi Parshuram. The film also features a stellar cast with Sai Pallavi stepping in as Sita, Yash as Ravana and Sunny Deol as Lord Hanuman. Amitabh Bachchan is expected to be Jatayu’s voice. It is slated to hit the screens in mid-2025.
As we look forward to these releases in 2025, let us revisit some of the most popular Indian mythological movies that are a contemporary take on ancient stories.
Movies based on Indian mythology that are rooted in ancient beliefs
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Adipurush (2023)
IMDb rating: 2.7
Directed by: Om Raut
Cast: Prabhas, Kriti Sanon, Saif Ali Khan, Sunny Singh
Runtime: 2 hours 58 minutes
Synopsis: In this modern reimagining of the epic Ramayana, Ayodhya’s Prince Raghav (Prabhas), is sent to 14 years of exile with his wife Janaki (Sanon) and brother Shesh (Singh). Raghav sets on an arduous journey to retrieve Janaki after the evil demon king Lankesh (Khan) kidnaps her. Raghav builds a large army of monkeys to free her from his clutches.
About the film: The film created a lot of buzz, considering Prabhas was appearing in another historical period replete with advanced VFX and mind-boggling special effects after Baahubali 2. Although it failed to garner positive audience responses and was also embroiled in controversies, in July 2023, Business Times stated that the movie collected INR 287.97 crore in India and INR 392.70 crore at the global box office.
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Ram Setu (2022)
IMDb rating: 5.3
Directed by: Abhishek Sharma
Cast: Akshay Kumar, Jacqueline Fernandez, Nushrratt Bharuccha, Nassar, Pravessh Rana
Runtime: 2 hours 28 minutes
Synopsis: Dr Aryan Kulshreshta (Kumar), an atheist archaeologist, is tasked to verify the existence and authenticity of the Ram Setu — whether it is natural or manmade — as the government plans to demolish it to make way for infrastructure. His reports stir controversies about the Hindu faith that even risk his family’s safety. Aryan decides to clear his name from all this to get a chance to work with Indrakant (Nassar), the owner of Pushpak Shipping who is behind the infrastructure building. For this, he takes up the daunting task of visiting Ram Setu and inspecting the stones. As Aryan teams up with Dr Sandra Rebello (Fernandez) and project manager Bali (Rana), he discovers a grave conspiracy that can shake their beliefs.
About the film: Ram Setu takes cues from the controversy around the Sethusamudram Project and Pushkar Bhatnagar’s little-known 2003 book where he tried to chronicle the era of Lord Ram based on planetary positions described in Valmiki’s Ramayan. The makers tried to bridge the gap between faith and science, and religion and culture, in a persuasive manner with this film.
Raavan (2010)
IMDb rating: 5.4
Directed by: Mani Ratnam
Cast: Abhishek Bachchan, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Vikram, Govinda, Priyamani, Ravi Kishan
Runtime: 2 hours 16 minutes
Synopsis: Set in the lush forests of South India, the film revolves around Beera (Abhishek Bachchan), a Naxalite, and Dev (Vikram), an additional superintendent of police. Their destinies are intertwined in a gripping narrative of revenge and redemption. Ragini (Aishwarya) shifts to a distant place called Laal Matti due to her husband’s job. Dev is tasked to take down Beera, but their lives change when Beera kidnaps Ragini to avenge his sister Jamuniya (Priyamani). Determined not to get killed at Beera’s hands and confident Dev will rescue her, Ragini jumps off the cliffs into a mighty waterfall.
About the film: The neo-mythological film is a modern interpretation of the epic Ramayana. Abhishek Bachchan’s performance deserves special mention. Beera, inspired by Raavan, is noted for his depth and complexity. The film blurs the line between good and evil and compels you to ponder upon the grey areas.
Image: Courtesy Raavan/ IMDb
IMDb rating: 5.6
Directed by: Ayan Mukerji
Cast: Ranbir Kapoor, Alia Bhatt, Amitabh Bachchan, Shah Rukh Khan, Mouni Roy, Gurfate Pirzada, Sourav Gurjar, Nagarjuna Akkineni, Rohollah Ghazi
Runtime: 2 hours 16 minutes
Synopsis: Shiva (Kapoor) is a simple DJ who figures he has a special ability with agniastra, aka the weapon of fire used by Lord Shiva in Hindu mythology. When he meets Isha (Bhatt) by chance, the two fall in love. Meanwhile, scientist Mohan Bhargav (Khan), a member of the ancient Brahmansh community, and artist Ashish Shetty (Akkineni) become the target of evil queen Junoon (Roy) who wants to steal the Brahmastra. Now, Shiva and Isha must embark on a journey and visit Guruji’s (Bachchan) ashram to learn more about Brahmansh and its elements.
About the film: This is the first instalment of the Brahmāstra trilogy, a part of a cinematic universe titled Āstraverse. Outstanding VFX and special effects are the highlights of the film.
Monkey Man (2024)
IMDb rating: 6.9
Directed by: Dev Patel
Cast: Dev Patel, Sharlto Copley, Pitobash, Makrand Deshpande
Runtime: 2 hours 2 minutes
Synopsis: An anonymous young man, called Kid (Patel), works at a fighting club where he is incentivised to lose. Every night, he wears a monkey mask and is beaten bloody by other fighters for cash. As his childhood trauma reaches its peak, Kid decides to seek revenge on Baba Shakti (Deshpande), who killed his mother in their native village in India. Kid is inspired by the legends of Lord Hanuman that his mother used to tell and his strangely scarred hands unleash unimagined powers against his foes.
About the film: This action thriller film marks Patel’s directorial debut.
Kalki 2898 AD (2024)
IMDb rating: 7
Directed by: Nag Ashwin
Cast: Amitabh Bachchan, Prabhas, Kamal Haasan, Deepika Padukone, Disha Patani, Saswata Chatterjee, Anil George
Duration: 2 hours 56 minutes
Synopsis: In a dystopian future, Kashi, the last remaining city is ruled by Supreme Yaskin (Haasan) who is working on a secret mission called Project K. Commander Manas (Chatterjee) and Counsellor Bani (George) are tasked to find a woman who can survive more than 120 days of pregnancy in a world where infertility is rampant. When one of the lab subjects SUM-80 (Padukone) is found pregnant, she escapes to protect her baby. A mysterious elderly man, Ashwatthama (Bachchan), the only person who knows the prophecy of the baby and its mother, comes to her rescue. On the other hand, Bhairava (Prabhas), a mercenary will do anything to gain units to enter the “Complex”, an inverted pyramidal megastructure that hovers above the city.
About the film: This is one of the most successful movies based on Indian mythology. Kalki is the 10th reincarnation of Lord Vishnu who heralds mass destruction. Kalki 2898 AD set major box-office records. According to Koimoi, the movie missed the INR 300 crore mark from the theatrical collection by a whisker and closed at around INR 295 crores.
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Raajneeti (2010)
IMDb rating: 7.1
Directed by: Prakash Jha
Cast: Ajay Devgn, Ranbir Kapoor, Katrina Kaif, Nana Patekar, Arjun Rampal
Duration: 2 hours 41 minutes
Synopsis: Samar Pratap (Kapoor), the American-educated heir, belongs to a ruthless family of politicians from Uttar Pradesh. His plans to return to the US after a short visit home are thwarted when his father is shot dead. Soon, he is drawn into the murky world of politics where brothers are pitted against each other in a game of thrones.
About the film: Raajneeti draws inspiration from Hindu mythology and the characters of the Mahabharata in terms of themes and overall story arc. Just as the Pandavas and Kauravas fought the battle of Kurukshetra for the throne, here the seat of the party ruler is at stake. Also influenced by The Godfather films, it was a big box office hit.
Awards won: Received four Filmfare Awards in 2011. Rampal won Best Actor in a Supporting Role at the 2011 Zee Cine Awards and IIFA Awards.
Karthikeya 2 (2022)
IMDb rating: 7.9
Directed by: Chandoo Mondeti
Cast: Nikhil Siddharth, Anupama Parameswaran, Srinivasa Reddy
Duration: 2 hours 18 minutes
Synopsis: Indian mythology states that before the advent of the Kalyug, Lord Krishna handed over his anklet. Centuries later, Dr Karthikeya (Siddharth) finds himself in the middle of a daring quest to find the lost anklet. In the process of finding the truth, he goes on a journey of self-discovery.
About the film: This is the sequel to Karthikeya (2014) which deals with Dr Karthikeya’s personal issues.
Awards won: Won the 2023 National Award for Best Feature Film in Telugu
Image: Courtesy Karthikeya 2/ IMDb
Kantara (2022)
IMDb rating: 8.2
Directed by: Rishab Shetty
Cast: Rishab Shetty, Kishore Kumar, G.Achyuth Kumar
Duration: 2 hours 27 minutes
Synopsis: Shiva (Shetty) is the son of the forest who will do anything to protect the people of his village. Here, the tribal community are devoted to Lord Vishnu’s third incarnation Varaha. They believe that the Bhootha Kola (divine dance of coastal Karnataka) performer is their gatekeeper and will protect every devotee of Lord Varaha from evil spirits. Meanwhile, Shiva is at an impasse with an upright forest officer, Murali (Kumar) who wants to control the sacred land and wants material gain. As the thirst for power and greed rises, lores and myths from local mythology become the reigning force.
About the film: The legend of Panjurli Daiva, a forest deity, is the central theme of Kantara, an extremely critically acclaimed movie based on Indian mythology. A gripping story, brilliant performances and superlative cinematography make it a must-watch.
Awards won: Shetty won the 2024 National Awards for Best Actor and Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment. He also got the 2023 Dadasaheb Phalke Award for Most Promising Actor. The movie bagged six Filmfare Awards South.
Tumbbad (2018)
IMDb rating: 8.2
Directed by: Rahi Anil Barve
Cast: Sohum Shah, Jyoti Malshe, Anita Date-Kelkar
Duration: 2 hours 27 minutes
Synopsis: The forlorn village of Tumbbad is under the curse of the goddess of plenty. Legend has it that the goddess’ elder son Hastar stole all her gold but was attacked by the other gods before he could take all the grains. Since then Hastar was cursed to never escape the goddess’ womb, implying he would never be worshipped or be spoken of. However, the folks at Tumbbad built a temple for him and since then have been facing the wrath of the goddess. Vinayak Rao (Shah) is after the gold and is ready to risk his life and his son to get all the riches that he has only heard of in the mythological stories.
About the film: When Tumbbad was re-released in theatres in 2024, it became one of the highest-grossing movies, with the makers announcing a sequel. The sheer depth of storytelling, the plot and the acting make it a cinematic gem.
Awards won: Won three Filmfare Awards, two IIFA Awards and three Critic’s Choice Film Awards in 2019.
Mayabazar (1957)
IMDb rating: 9.1
Directed by: Kadiri Venkata Reddy
Cast: N.T. Rama Rao, S.V. Ranga Rao, Savitri, Balasubramaniam D., Rushyendramani
Duration: 3 hours 21 minutes
Synopsis: Set in Dwaraka, the hometown of Lord Krishna (NTR). Arjuna’s son Abhimanyu (ANR) falls in love with Balarama’s(Balasubramaniam D.) daughter Sasirekha (Savitri). When the Pandavas lose their kingdom in the infamous dice game to the Kauravas, Balarama promises his daughter’s hand to Duryodhana’s son, thereby breaking the promise made to Subhadra (Rushyendramani), Balarama’s sister.
Image: Courtesy Mayabazar/ IMDb
(Hero and featured image: Courtesy Brahmastra Part one: Shiva)
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Hindi movies like ‘Raavan’, ‘Brahmastra’ and ‘Raajneeti’ and are based on Hindu mythology.
‘Raja Harishchandra’, released in 1913, is the first mythological movie in India.
Movies like ‘Mayabazar’, ‘Kantara’ and ‘Karnan’ are some popular South Indian movies based on tales of Gods and demons.
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Trinetra is an ardent foodie and bibliophile who writes about films, travel, food and lifestyle. As a writer and literature student, slam poetry and storytelling are her go to jam. When not working, Trinetra is busy looking for her next place to visit or binge-watching Instagram videos for travel inspiration.
