Anurag Basu didn’t have the best start in Bollywood when he directed the 2003 slasher Kucch To Hai. But since his largely-forgotten debut, Basu has established in multiple genres ranging from crime dramas to romantic comedies.
If you are intent on checking out the filmography of the Barfi, Life…in a Metro , and Ludo director, here’s a definitive ranking of his best movies and a guide to where to watch them all.
From Murder to Ludo: Which Anurag Basu movies should I watch first?
Anurag Basu’s directing career began in 2003 with the supernatural slasher Kuchh To Hai with the John Abraham-led fantasy romantic thriller Saaya. But it’s perhaps best that you watch them both in the end as they are far from his best works.
Basu’s career later progressed with the Mahesh Bhatt-produced thrillers Murder and Gangster. Both movies garnered cult fanbases in their time. A remake of the American erotic thriller Unfaithful, Murder explored infidelity with iconic performances by Emraan Hashmi and Mallika Sherawat. The 2004 hit went on to spawn the Murder franchise with many spiritual sequels.
Gangster reunited Basu with Hashmi and starred actress Kangana Ranaut (in her screen debut). The tragic love story revolved around a woman caught between a singer and a gangster ex-lover. But in terms of longevity, Basu’s next movie has enjoyed a better reputation.
Life…in a Metro is a 2007 romantic anthology that boasted an ensemble cast including the late Irffan Khan, Konkana Sen Sharma, Dharmendra, and many more. Basu could establish his penchant for exploring complicated love stories across different age groups, a trait he would go on to show in his future works.
But perhaps the most essential Anurag Basu movie to watch is his magnum opus (so far) Barfi. The heartwarming romantic comedy offered career-defining performances by Ranbir Kapoor and Priyanka Chopra, later being selected as India’s official Oscar submission for Best International Feature in 2012.
Barfi’s success gave way to another collaboration with Ranbir Kapoor in the form of the adventure thriller Jagga Jasoos. Featuring Kapoor as a teenage detective, the Disney production followed his thrilling Tintin-like adventures across different corners of the world. Largely shunned at the times of its release, Jagga Jasoos still entertains a limited but cult fanbase that is ready to appreciate Basu’s visual flair and narrative ambition. The same perhaps remains true for the Hrithik Roshan-led romantic thriller Kites, another imperfect but promising adventure directed by Basu.
The director’s most recent film found him revisiting the anthology formula with the Netflix original Ludo. With four stories playing out with the unpredictability of the titular board game, Ludo brought Basu back to form. With chuckle-worthy performances by Pankaj Tripathi and Rajkumar Rao, Ludo was a thrilling exploration of crime, love, heartbreak, and the ultimate futility of human life. Often making cameos in his own films, Basu himself had an extended special appearance in Ludo as Yama, the Hindu god of death.
Why is Barfi the best Anurag Basu movie to watch?
Starring Ranbir Kapoor as the titular character, Barfi followed a cheery deaf-mute young man as he accidentally strikes up a romance with the free-spirited autistic girl Jhilmil (Priyanka Chopra). But the entry of an elderly woman (Ileana D’Cruz) turns Barfi’s life upside down and an emotional love triangle follows. With Chaplin-esque comedy, adorable romances, and an unexpectedly tragic third act, Barfi endures as Anurag Basu’s best film to watch.
Where can you watch the best Anurag Basu movies?
The list below guides you to the latest streaming information for the best movies directed by Anurag Basu. This includes every offer for viewers in India today.
