Ashutosh Gowariker enjoys the rare distinction of directing one of the three Indian movies that went to the Oscars as a Best International Feature nominee. While he achieved this feat with the cricket-centric period epic Lagaan: Once Upon A Time in India, he has also delivered critically acclaimed picks like Swades and Jodhaa Akbar. Here’s the definitive look at all the movies directed by Ashutosh Gowariker as we show you how and where to stream them all in India.
From Lagaan to Swades: Which Ashutosh Gowariker movies should you watch first?
Initially starting out as an actor in side roles, Ashutosh Gowariker took to directing with the 1993 thriller Pehla Nasha (a remake of Brian De Palma’s Body Double) and the 1995 action flick Baazi (strongly inspired by Zanjeer and Die Hard). Given the derivative influences of these two movies, they didn’t help Gowariker stand out much. You can mostly watch them in the end because his best movies only came later in the 2000s.
An unbroken creative streak in the early 2000s came with the big three in Gowariker’s filmography: Lagaan (2001), Swades (2004) and Jodhaa Akbar (2008). Lagaan was set in the times of colonial India and revolved around a cricket match between the British officials and Indian villagers. The freedom struggle and economic exploitation added further drama in this Aamir Khan-led drama. Its eventual nomination at the Oscars went on to establish Gowariker’s career.
But an even more emotional and dramatic work was his Lagaan follow-up Swades. Starring Shah Rukh Khan in one of his more controlled performances, Swades covered the journey of a NASA scientist who returns to India after a long stint in America. Rediscovering his roots and advocating social reform in his homeland, Khan’s Mohan Bhargav becomes a changed man.
Gowariker’s next project Jodhaa Akbar found him revisiting his Lagaan roots as a director of period epics. With sprawling set pieces to recreate the grandeur of the Mughal Empire, Gowariker directed Hrithik Roshan as the powerful emperor Akbar and Aishwarya Rai as his wife, the Rajput princess Jodha Bai. Fictionalising their turbulent love affair alongside ambitious battle sequences, the director delivered a full-fledged blockbuster.
His next film Khelein Hum Jee Jaan Sey was another historical drama, this time focusing on the 1930 raid of a British armory in Chittagong led by the freedom fighter Surya Sen. Abhishek Bachchan starred as Sen while Deepika Padukone played fellow activist Kalpana Datta. The movie couldn’t break even commercially but remains one of Govariker’s most underrated works.
Not all of Gowariker’s period pieces have fared equally well though. Examples include Mohen Jodaro (a fictional tale set in the times of the ancient Indus Valley Civilization) and the war drama Panipat (recounting the Third Battle of Panipat). Both movies didn’t carry the same depth as Lagaan or Jodha Akbar but they still are worth a watch for their visual ambitions alone.
Why is Swades the best Ashutosh Gowariker movie to watch?
Despite flopping at the box office, Swades endures as a cult classic. Critics and audiences alike refer to this moving drama as Gowariker’s magnum opus (and one of Shah Rukh Khan’s best performances). AR Rahman’s rousing score only adds more emotion to this subtle and nuanced take on love for one’s country.
Where can you watch the best Ashutosh Gowariker movies?
Below you can find the latest streaming information for the best movies directed by Ashutosh Gowariker. This includes every offer for viewers in India. We also show you if any of his best movies are available to watch online for free.
