MovieMad

The orange strip and the logo

A thin orange strip runs across the top of the page with the site's line in white capitals: HD Movies For Mobile, Tab And PC. Under it sits the logo, an orange rounded square with a white play symbol, then Movie in black and MAD in bright red, with a small blue line of letters underneath. The orange, the red and the blue come from the colours the site used on its own pages.

Below the logo, a row of small orange buttons leads to Home, Bollywood, Hollywood, South, Series, Categories, A-Z and My List. Each button turns blue as you point at it, just as the site's buttons did, and the page you are on is shown in blue. On phones the row folds into a single orange Menu button beside the logo.

The note box

The home page opens with a grey note box with a thin border, the way MovieMad always greeted its visitors. Inside sit three bold headline links, each in its own colour: New Bollywood Hindi Movies in black, Hollywood Movies in blue and South Movies in green. They are the three most visited shelves, and they are always the first thing you see.

Under the note box comes the page title, then a notice line with a red Notice label, a reminder that every Watch now button opens the official services for your country. The search box follows, a light grey field with a small green button, and a friendly line of thanks for using MovieMad.

Top Picks

The first orange bar reads Top Picks. Under it, a short list of the featured titles of the moment, each with a small orange arrow and the title and year in bold black. On the original site this list was called Top Downloads; here it holds the films and series everyone is talking about, such as Dhurandhar: The Revenge, Saiyaara and Panchayat. Tap a title to open its page.

Latest Updates

The second bar reads Latest Updates, and it is the heart of the page. Each row begins with a small blue arrow and the title and year, followed by the genres in bold green brackets and the runtime or number of seasons in steel blue square brackets, exactly the way the original listed its updates. Under each title sit two links: Go To Movie List, which opens the category the title belongs to, and Click Here, which opens the title page.

The rows alternate between white and pale grey, so the list is easy to follow with a thumb. Twenty-four titles appear here, the newest first, from films just released to series with new seasons.

Most Popular

After the updates, a Most Popular bar shows twelve posters in small grey frames, six across on a computer and three on a phone. It is the only place on the home page with pictures, a quick visual guide to the most watched titles on MovieMad.

The category table

The Movie Categories bar opens a table of every shelf, each row with a small yellow folder icon, the shelf name in bold red and its title count in brackets: Latest Bollywood Movies, Bollywood Movies 2005-2020, Bollywood Old Movies, Hollywood Movies, South Indian Movies, Punjabi Movies, Marathi and Gujarati Movies, Bengali Movies, Hindi Web Series, English Series and the genre shelves, followed by Series and A-Z. It follows the original's folder table closely.

The Have A Look table follows, with a row for each help guide, and this article completes the page. The footer sits in a grey band with an orange line along its top, with the main links separated by thin bars.

The title page

A title page on MovieMad keeps the same clean white look. It shows the poster, the backdrop, the story, the year, the runtime or seasons, the score, the genres, the cast and the director. Series pages list their seasons with every episode and its air date. The Watch now button opens the viewing panel, and Add to My List saves the title on the My List page for later.

The Watch now button

Press Watch now and a small panel opens with a list of countries. Pick yours and the title opens on JustWatch, which lists every subscription, rental, purchase and free service that carries it in that country, each with a direct link. The film then plays in the service's own app or website, in the best quality the service offers. MovieMad keeps your country for next time.

Choosing your country

India comes first in the country list, followed by the United States, the Philippines, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Nepal, Bangladesh, Singapore, Malaysia, New Zealand and South Africa. Services and catalogues change from country to country, so the list makes sure every Watch now leads to what is available where you are.

Latest Bollywood movies

New Bollywood Hindi Movies has always been the first link on MovieMad, and the Latest Bollywood Movies shelf holds the Hindi films of recent years. The Bollywood guide gives a short tour; here is the longer one.

Dhurandhar

Dhurandhar was one of the defining Hindi hits of its year, a sprawling spy saga led by Ranveer Singh with a large ensemble cast. Dhurandhar: The Revenge continues the story with bigger missions and higher stakes. Together they make a long, thrilling evening, and they are the most searched titles on the site.

Saiyaara

Saiyaara arrived quietly and became a phenomenon. A young singer with a quick temper and a gentle songwriter fall in love, and their story is told through music that filled playlists across India. It brought a new generation of young viewers back to cinemas, and it is a favourite for a romantic night in.

The spy films

War 2 brings back Hrithik Roshan as the agent Kabir, first seen in War, and pairs him with a formidable new opponent. Pathaan and Jawan marked Shah Rukh Khan's triumphant return to action, one as a secret agent coming back from exile and the other as a man leading a team on a mission for justice. They are loud, colourful and made for the big screen at home.

More new releases

Mardaani 3 brings Rani Mukerji back as a fearless police officer, and Kartavya follows a policeman torn between his duty and his family's safety. Border 2 returns to the war film that moved audiences decades ago, and Jewel Thief - The Heist Begins is a slick, stylish heist. Accused is a gripping drama, and KILL is a relentless action film set on a night train, admired by action fans worldwide.

For lighter evenings, Welcome To The Jungle continues the Welcome comedy series, Bhooth Bangla is a horror comedy, Cocktail 2 follows a couple on holiday in Sicily, and Tu Yaa Main is a romantic survival thriller. Sitaare Zameen Par follows a basketball coach and a team of players with learning differences, a warm and funny film for the whole family.

12th Fail

12th Fail is one of the most inspiring films of recent years. It tells the true story of Manoj Kumar Sharma, who grows up in a village in the Chambal region and, after failing his twelfth-grade exams, works his way to the country's toughest civil-service examination. Its honest performances and warm heart made it a word-of-mouth hit, and many students say it changed how they study.

Bollywood 2005 to 2020

The Bollywood Movies 2005-2020 shelf gathers the Hindi films that defined those fifteen years. 3 Idiots is one of the most loved Hindi comedies ever made, Dangal one of the most successful Indian films worldwide, and PK a playful story about a curious visitor from another planet. Like Stars on Earth follows a boy with dyslexia and the teacher who understands him.

Rang De Basanti follows a group of students who find their own voice while acting in a film about freedom fighters, and Chak De! India follows a hockey coach who turns a divided team into champions. Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara sends three friends on a road trip through Spain, Barfi! is a joyful love story about a young man who speaks with gestures and a huge smile, and The Lunchbox is a quiet, lovely tale of letters exchanged through a lunch delivery in Mumbai.

Bajrangi Bhaijaan follows a devoted man who takes a lost little girl home across the border, and My Name Is Khan follows a man with Asperger's on a journey across America. Andhadhun and Drishyam are twisty thrillers, Gangs of Wasseypur - Part 1 is an epic crime saga, and Uri: The Surgical Strike dramatizes a real military operation. Om Shanti Om, Chennai Express, Ra.One and Ghajini complete a shelf full of favourites.

Bollywood old movies

Bollywood Old Movies was one of MovieMad's busiest categories, because Indian families love their classics as much as any new release. The Bollywood Old Movies shelf holds twenty of the most loved Hindi films from 1975 to 2004, and the old Bollywood guide gives a quick tour.

Sholay

Sholay is the most famous Hindi film of all. Two small-time crooks, played by Amitabh Bachchan and Dharmendra, are hired by a retired police officer to capture the bandit Gabbar Singh, who terrorizes the village of Ramgarh. Its lines, its songs and its villain became part of everyday Indian speech, and it played in one Mumbai cinema for five years. Watching it with parents or grandparents is a rite of passage.

Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge

Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge is the great Bollywood romance. Raj and Simran meet on a train journey across Europe, fall in love, and Raj follows her to Punjab to win over her strict father with patience and charm. Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol became the most famous couple in Hindi cinema, and the film ran in Mumbai's Maratha Mandir cinema for more than twenty-five years.

The 1990s

Kuch Kuch Hota Hai is a story of college friendship and love found again years later, with some of the most famous songs of the decade. Dil To Pagal Hai follows a dance troupe and a love triangle, and Dil Se.. is a haunting love story set against a political backdrop, with A. R. Rahman's unforgettable music. Andaz Apna Apna is a cult comedy starring Aamir Khan and Salman Khan as two dreamers chasing the same heiress, and its jokes are still quoted today.

Lagaan

Lagaan: Once Upon a Time in India follows the villagers of Champaner, who accept a British officer's challenge to a cricket match to escape a crushing tax. Aamir Khan leads a team of farmers learning the game from scratch, and the final match is one of the most exciting sequences in Hindi cinema. It was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film.

The early 2000s

Dil Chahta Hai follows three friends after college, and it changed the way Hindi films talked about young urban life. Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham is a lavish family drama with a star-studded cast, and Kal Ho Naa Ho is set in New York, with a soundtrack loved to this day. Mohabbatein pairs Amitabh Bachchan as a strict headmaster with Shah Rukh Khan as a music teacher who believes in love.

Devdas is Sanjay Leela Bhansali's lavish retelling of a classic tragic romance, Swades follows an Indian scientist who returns from NASA to his village, and Munna Bhai M.B.B.S. follows a kind-hearted gangster who enrols in medical school. Hera Pheri is one of the funniest Hindi comedies ever made, Koi... Mil Gaya is India's own story of a friendly alien, and Main Hoon Na, Veer-Zaara, Dhoom and Monsoon Wedding complete the shelf.

The songs

Songs are part of the storytelling in almost every Bollywood classic, and many viewers know them by heart before they see the films. The songs of Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge, Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, Kal Ho Naa Ho and Dil Se.. are still played at weddings across India and around the world. Watching the films brings the songs to life in their proper place, and it is a lovely way to share them with younger family members.

Hollywood on MovieMad

Hollywood films have always been popular on MovieMad, especially with Hindi audio. The Hollywood Movies shelf holds twenty of the most watched Hollywood films of recent years, and the Hollywood guide gives a short tour.

Marvel and friends

Avengers: Endgame closes the great Infinity Saga, and it broke records in Indian cinemas. Spider-Man: Far From Home and Spider-Man: No Way Home follow Peter Parker through Europe and into the multiverse, Captain Marvel introduces Carol Danvers, and Black Widow finally tells Natasha Romanoff's own story. Venom: Let There Be Carnage and Joker add two very different takes on comic-book villains.

Epics and spectacles

Oppenheimer traces the life of the physicist behind the atomic bomb, and it won the Academy Award for Best Picture. Dune brings Frank Herbert's desert planet to life, Avatar: The Way of Water returns to Pandora's oceans, and Top Gun: Maverick puts Tom Cruise back in the cockpit. 1917 follows two soldiers across the battlefields of the First World War in what feels like one continuous shot, and Tenet plays with time itself.

More Hollywood favourites

Knives Out is a clever murder mystery in a grand old house, Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood is a love letter to 1960s Los Angeles, and Barbie became one of the biggest comedies of its year. Soul is a moving Pixar film about a jazz musician, The Batman follows a young detective Batman through a rain-soaked Gotham, John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum is thrilling from start to finish, and Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker closes the Skywalker saga.

South Indian movies

South Movies Hindi Dubbed was the third headline link on the original MovieMad, and South Indian films have only grown more popular since. The South Indian Movies shelf holds twenty of the biggest Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam and Kannada films of recent years, most of them offered in Hindi as well as their original language. The South guide gives a quick tour.

RRR

RRR is the film that carried Telugu cinema around the world. Two revolutionaries in 1920s India, played by N. T. Rama Rao Jr. and Ram Charan, form a deep friendship while each hides a secret mission, and the story builds to breathtaking action. Its song Naatu Naatu won the Academy Award for Best Original Song, and audiences everywhere danced in the aisles.

Pushpa

Pushpa: The Rise and Pushpa 2 - The Rule follow Pushpa Raj, a labourer who rises to the top of a red sandalwood smuggling syndicate, played by Allu Arjun with a famous swagger. The films' songs and dialogues spread across India, and the second film became one of the highest-earning Indian films ever made.

More Telugu hits

Kalki 2898-AD mixes Hindu mythology with a dazzling vision of the future, with Prabhas, Amitabh Bachchan and Deepika Padukone. Devara: Part 1 brings N. T. Rama Rao Jr. to a coastal village of fearless sailors. Both are spectacular, and both are offered in Hindi on the major services.

Tamil cinema

Tamil cinema has some of India's most devoted fans. Kaithi follows a newly released prisoner through one long night of action, Vikram brings Kamal Haasan back as a retired agent, and Leo stars Vijay as a café owner with a hidden past; the three belong to one connected universe. Master stars Vijay as an alcoholic professor sent to a juvenile home.

Amaran tells the true story of Major Mukund Varadarajan, and Maharaja is a clever revenge thriller with a twist audiences love. Jai Bhim is a powerful courtroom drama based on a real case, Soorarai Pottru follows a man who dreams of starting a low-cost airline, and Super Deluxe weaves several bold stories into one. The Elephant Whisperers, a short documentary about a couple who raise an orphaned elephant, won an Academy Award.

Malayalam and Kannada

Minnal Murali is a homegrown superhero story about a tailor struck by lightning, and Drishyam 2 continues the story of a father protecting his family. All We Imagine as Light follows two nurses in Mumbai, and it won the Grand Prix at Cannes. From Kannada cinema, K.G.F: Chapter 2 completes Rocky's rise to rule the Kolar Gold Fields, and Kantara tells a gripping tale of a village, a forest and a divine spirit.

Watching South films in Hindi

Most South Indian films on services in India list Hindi among their audio languages, and some are offered as separate Hindi titles. Open the audio menu in the player and choose Hindi, or watch in the original language with English subtitles to hear the actors' own voices. Many families enjoy both: the Hindi version for a family evening and the original for a second viewing.

Regional cinema

The original MovieMad had its own categories for Punjabi, Marathi, Gujarati and Bengali movies, and they return here. The regional guide gives a quick tour; here is the longer one.

Punjabi movies

Punjabi cinema is famous for its big-hearted comedies. Carry On Jatta started one of the most successful comedy series in Punjabi film, with a young man who pretends to be an orphan to win the girl he loves. Chal Mera Putt follows friends from Punjab and Pakistan living and working in Birmingham, and Super Singh is a playful superhero comedy with Diljit Dosanjh. Ni Main Sass Kuttni 2 is a family comedy about mothers-in-law and daughters-in-law, and Lahoriye is a romance across the border.

Qissa: The Tale of a Lonely Ghost is a very different Punjabi film, a haunting art-house drama set after Partition. The Punjabi Movies shelf gathers them all.

Marathi movies

Marathi cinema is admired across India for its storytelling. Sairat is the most successful Marathi film ever made: a love story between a politician's daughter and a fisherman's son, with songs that swept the country. Fandry, by the same director, is a sharp story of a boy's first love in a village. Court follows the trial of a folk singer in a quietly powerful courtroom drama, and The Disciple follows a young classical singer devoted to his art.

Natsamrat features a veteran actor in the role of a retired Shakespearean star, Killa follows a boy adjusting to a new town after his father's death, and Sunrise is a dark detective story. The Marathi and Gujarati Movies shelf gathers them with the Gujarati films.

Gujarati movies

Last Film Show, India's Academy Award entry, follows a village boy in Gujarat who falls in love with cinema while watching films from the projection booth. Hello is a thriller about three college friends whose prank call goes wrong, and Vash Level 2 is the chilling sequel to one of the most successful Gujarati horror films.

Bengali movies

The Bengali Movies shelf spans Kolkata and Dhaka. Baishe Srabon is a gripping thriller about a killer who leaves lines of poetry at every crime scene in Kolkata, and Praktan follows two strangers on a train journey who share a past. Bhooter Bhabishyat is a much-loved comedy about ghosts living in an old mansion, and Jaatishwar is a musical drama about a man who believes he lived before as a famous poet-singer.

From Bangladesh, Hawa follows fishermen who find a mysterious girl at sea, Debi follows a psychiatrist and a woman with strange powers, MR-9: Do or Die brings a famous spy to the screen, Mission Extreme 2: Black War continues a counter-terrorism thriller, and Mujib: The Making of a Nation is a biopic of the country's founding father. Utshob is a warm Eid comedy, Television a gentle village satire and My Friend Rashed a moving story of friendship in 1971.

The Japanese Wife is a tender love story told through letters between a Bengali teacher and a Japanese woman, Chotushkone weaves four stories into a clever mystery, and Mountains of the Moon, The Egyptian Mystery, Bojhena Shey Bojhena, Mirror Game, The Unnamed and Rooting for Roona complete a rich shelf.

Series on MovieMad

The original MovieMad had a Series Film Lists category and a shelf for Indian TV shows. The rebuilt site gathers twenty-eight series in the Series list, split into Hindi Web Series and English Series, each with its seasons and episodes. The series guide gives a quick tour.

Panchayat and Gullak

Panchayat follows Abhishek, an engineering graduate who takes a job as secretary of a village council in Uttar Pradesh while he prepares for a better career, and slowly comes to love the village and its people. Gullak follows the Mishra family, a middle-class household in a small town, through everyday quarrels, savings and small joys. Both are gentle, funny and full of real life, and both are perfect for a family evening.

The Family Man and Farzi

The Family Man follows Srikant Tiwari, a middle-class father who secretly works for an intelligence agency, balancing dangerous missions with school meetings and family dinners. Farzi, from the same creators, follows a talented artist who starts printing perfect counterfeit notes, chased by a determined task-force officer. Both mix tension and humour with great skill.

Crime and courtroom

Delhi Crime follows the Delhi police through difficult investigations with care and realism, and it won an International Emmy. Paatal Lok follows a weary inspector drawn into the hidden underworld of the city. Special Ops follows an intelligence officer and his team hunting one mastermind across nearly two decades, and Taskaree: The Smuggler's Web follows customs officers against a smuggling network. Maamla Legal Hai is a very funny courtroom comedy set in a busy district court in Delhi.

Music, youth and satire

Bandish Bandits is a love story between a young classical singer and a pop star, full of beautiful music, and Hostel Daze captures hostel life at an engineering college. The Ba***ds of Bollywood is a lively, affectionate satire of the Hindi film industry.

English series

Stranger Things mixes eighties adventure and supernatural mystery in a small American town, Wednesday follows Wednesday Addams at a school for outcasts, and The Umbrella Academy follows a family of adopted siblings with extraordinary powers. The Last of Us follows a smuggler and a teenage girl across a ruined America, Chernobyl retells the nuclear disaster in five gripping episodes, and House of the Dragon follows House Targaryen and its dragons.

From Marvel and Star Wars, Loki, WandaVision, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier and The Mandalorian continue favourite stories. Better Call Saul, Westworld, Lucifer, The Good Doctor, Riverdale and Cobra Kai complete the English list, from legal drama to karate rivalries.

Planning a binge

Hindi web series usually run for eight to ten episodes a season, which makes a season an easy weekend. English series vary more, from five episodes of Chernobyl to a long run of The Good Doctor. The runtime or season count in the Latest Updates rows helps you plan, and adding a series to My List keeps it close.

Made for phones

MovieMad was designed for phones before anything else, and it still is. The pages are light, the text is large and clear, and the lists work perfectly with a thumb, even on an older phone or a slow connection. Add MovieMad to your home screen for one-tap access, and it opens like an app. The devices guide explains how to move from MovieMad to the service's app on your television.

Saving mobile data

The original MovieMad listed its films in small and large sizes, because mobile data was precious for its visitors. On official services today, the same care is built in. Most apps offer a data-saver setting that uses a fraction of the data of full HD, and many let you download titles over Wi-Fi to watch later at no extra data cost. On a limited plan, choose the data saver for phone viewing and save the best quality for home Wi-Fi.

Services in India

In India, JioHotstar carries Disney, Marvel and a large library of Hindi and South titles. Prime Video and Netflix carry a wide mix of Bollywood, South, Hollywood and web series, ZEE5 and SonyLIV carry Hindi films and shows, and Sun NXT and Aha specialize in South Indian films. For regional cinema, Chaupal carries Punjabi films, Planet Marathi carries Marathi films, ShemarooMe carries Gujarati titles, and Hoichoi and Chorki carry Bengali films. The streaming services guide lists them all.

Watching from abroad

Indian films are watched by millions of people in the Gulf, in North America, in Britain and across Asia. Netflix and Prime Video carry many Indian films worldwide, and ZEE5, SonyLIV and Hoichoi offer international plans. Choose your country in the Watch now panel to see exactly what is available where you live.

Hindi audio and subtitles

Most services in India offer Hollywood and South films with Hindi audio, and many add Tamil and Telugu tracks too. Open the audio menu in the player to switch, and turn on subtitles in English or Hindi if you like. Regional films usually carry English subtitles, which makes Marathi, Bengali and Gujarati cinema easy to enjoy anywhere in India.

Free and legal viewing

Plenty of films are free and legal to watch. JioHotstar, ZEE5 and MX Player carry many free titles with adverts, and many studios post full films on their official YouTube channels, including old Bollywood classics and regional hits. Doordarshan and other broadcasters stream shows free. The free movies guide has the details.

Renting and buying

New releases often arrive first to rent on Prime Video, Apple TV, Google TV and YouTube Movies, then join a subscription service a few weeks later. Renting gives you a few days to finish a film once you start it. The Watch now panel shows prices side by side with subscription options.

My List

My List is the last orange button in the menu row. On every title page, Add to My List puts the title on the My List page, where it waits with its poster until you are ready. The list lives in the browser on your phone, so it is ready from the very first title. To carry it to another phone or computer, export it as one small file and import it on the new device.

More ways to find titles

The search box reads titles, original titles and cast names, so typing Shah Rukh, Allu Arjun or Diljit finds their films. The Movie Categories table opens every shelf, the A-Z page lists every title alphabetically, and the Series list gathers every series. The finding titles guide sums it up.

The official MovieMad

MovieMad has one fixed address, shown in your browser's address bar. Bookmark it or add it to your home screen, and it opens with your country and My List in place. The official site guide describes the real MovieMad: the orange strip, the Movie and MAD logo, the grey note box and the orange bars. The site status page explains a few quick checks if a page is slow.

Staying safe

Safe streaming is simple. Use official apps and websites, keep your phone and browser updated, use a strong password and two-step sign-in on your streaming accounts, and close any pop-up that asks you to install something. MovieMad has one button per title and sends you only to JustWatch and official services. The safety checklist has a few more tips.

How titles are chosen

MovieMad's catalogue follows the categories of the original site: new and old Bollywood, Hollywood, South Indian films, Punjabi, Marathi, Gujarati and Bengali cinema, and series. Every title is chosen by hand from TMDB's lists of popular and highly rated films and series, and each one is checked to suit a general audience, so every category suits a family evening.

Where the information comes from

Titles, posters, stories, cast, runtimes, seasons, episodes and scores come from TMDB, The Movie Database, through its official interface. The Watch now panel links to JustWatch, which tracks the services in each country. This guide and the help pages are written for MovieMad, an independent site with its own writing, and the look is rebuilt from the archived pages of the original. The About page says more.

Shah Rukh Khan on MovieMad

Shah Rukh Khan appears on more MovieMad shelves than any other star. The Bollywood Old Movies shelf holds his great romances: Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge, Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, Dil To Pagal Hai, Dil Se.., Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham, Mohabbatein, Devdas, Kal Ho Naa Ho, Veer-Zaara, Main Hoon Na and Swades. The middle years bring Chak De! India, Om Shanti Om, My Name Is Khan, Ra.One and Chennai Express, and the new shelf holds Pathaan and Jawan. Watching them in order is a journey through thirty years of Hindi cinema.

Aamir Khan on MovieMad

Aamir Khan is known for choosing his films carefully, and many of them are on the shelves. Andaz Apna Apna shows his comic side, Lagaan: Once Upon a Time in India and Dil Chahta Hai show the start of a new era, and Rang De Basanti, Like Stars on Earth, Ghajini, 3 Idiots, PK and Dangal are among the most loved Hindi films of the century. Sitaare Zameen Par, on the newest shelf, returns to the warmth of Like Stars on Earth.

Sport on screen

Indians love their sport films, and cricket and hockey lead the way. Lagaan: Once Upon a Time in India turns a village cricket match into an epic, and Chak De! India follows a women's hockey team to glory. Dangal follows two sisters who become wrestling champions, and Sitaare Zameen Par follows a basketball team full of heart. They are perfect choices for a family evening, and they are just as exciting on a second watch.

Films for the festivals

Festivals are the busiest time for movie nights in India. For Diwali, Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham and Om Shanti Om bring the glitter and the family feeling. For Holi, the colourful song sequences of Mohabbatein and Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara suit the mood. For Eid, a Salman Khan film is a long tradition, and Bajrangi Bhaijaan is one of his best. For Durga Puja, a Bengali classic such as Bhooter Bhabishyat brings laughter, and for Ganesh Chaturthi, Sairat is a Marathi favourite.

A week with MovieMad

Here is one way to enjoy a week of films from every shelf. On Monday, watch an old classic such as Sholay. On Tuesday, try a South hit such as Kaithi. On Wednesday, pick a Marathi film such as Court. On Thursday, watch two episodes of Gullak. On Friday, watch the newest Bollywood film from the Top Picks list. On Saturday, invite friends for a Hollywood spectacle such as Oppenheimer, and on Sunday share a family film such as 3 Idiots.

New to Indian cinema?

Friends from other countries often ask where to start. A good first choice is 3 Idiots for comedy and friendship, Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge for a classic romance, RRR for spectacle, Lagaan: Once Upon a Time in India for an unforgettable sports story, or The Lunchbox for something quiet and lovely. Songs are part of the storytelling, so enjoy them as you would a musical. English subtitles are available on the official services, and the Watch now panel shows where each film plays.

Worth watching again

Some films reward a second viewing. Andhadhun and Drishyam are full of clues you only notice the second time, Maharaja plays differently once you know its twist, and Tenet makes more sense with each watch. Sholay, Hera Pheri and Andaz Apna Apna are funnier every time, because you know the lines before they come.

Reading the scores

Each title page shows a score out of ten from the votes of TMDB's worldwide community of film fans. Regional films often have fewer votes than Hollywood titles, so their scores move more with each vote. The story, the cast and the genres on the title page help you decide the rest.

The music of the movies

Great music runs through every MovieMad shelf. A. R. Rahman wrote the songs of Dil Se.., Lagaan: Once Upon a Time in India, Swades and Rang De Basanti, and his work on those films is still loved across the world. Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy wrote the music of Dil Chahta Hai, Kal Ho Naa Ho and Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara, and Jatin-Lalit gave Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge and Kuch Kuch Hota Hai their famous songs. For many viewers, the soundtrack is the reason to watch a film again.

The newest shelf keeps the tradition alive: the songs of Saiyaara topped the charts for months, and RRR brought an Academy Award home for Naatu Naatu. Turn up the sound, and the films feel twice as big.

For the children

Children have plenty to enjoy on MovieMad. Koi... Mil Gaya and its friendly alien have delighted children for two decades, Like Stars on Earth and Sitaare Zameen Par teach kindness with humour, and Chak De! India and Dangal inspire young athletes. From Hollywood, Soul and the Spider-Man films are family favourites, and Minnal Murali is a homegrown superhero story children love. Most are offered in Hindi and several regional languages.

Bengal's film tradition

Bengali cinema has one of the richest traditions in India, from the classics of Satyajit Ray to the confident films of today. The films on MovieMad's Bengali shelf show that range: Baishe Srabon and Chotushkone are sharp, modern thrillers, Bhooter Bhabishyat is a playful comedy, Jaatishwar is a musical about memory and rebirth, and Praktan is a gentle drama on a long train journey. Across the border, Bangladeshi films such as Hawa and Debi have found large audiences too.

The Marathi wave

In the last fifteen years, Marathi cinema has produced some of India's most admired films, often made on modest budgets with fresh faces. Fandry and Sairat, both by Nagraj Manjule, brought village stories to the whole country, and Court and The Disciple, both by Chaitanya Tamhane, won prizes at the Venice Film Festival. They are proof that a great story needs only honest filming and real feeling.

Comedy night

For an evening of laughter, the MovieMad shelves have something for every taste. Hera Pheri follows three broke men who stumble into a kidnapping plot, and its jokes have been quoted for a quarter of a century. Andaz Apna Apna pairs two dreamers chasing an heiress, Munna Bhai M.B.B.S. sends a big-hearted gangster to medical school, and 3 Idiots turns engineering college into one long adventure. From the newest shelf, Welcome To The Jungle and Bhooth Bangla bring fresh laughs, and from Punjab, Carry On Jatta and Super Singh keep the fun going. Pair them with a big bowl of snacks, and the night takes care of itself.

Thriller night

For a night of suspense, start with Andhadhun, a darkly funny thriller about a pianist who claims to be blind, then move to Drishyam, in which a father outwits the police to protect his family, and finish with Maharaja from Tamil cinema or Baishe Srabon from Bengal. Knives Out is the Hollywood choice, a playful whodunit in a grand old house. Keep the lights low and your phone on silent.

Romance night

For a romantic evening, Hindi cinema has an endless supply of love stories. Start with a classic such as Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge or Veer-Zaara, move to the bittersweet Kal Ho Naa Ho, and end with the newest favourite, Saiyaara. For something from the regions, Sairat from Maharashtra and Praktan from Bengal are beautiful choices, and Lahoriye brings a love story across the Punjab border. Keep a few tissues nearby, because the best Bollywood romances always bring a tear or two, and let the songs carry the evening.

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