An adman-turned-filmmaker, Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra stood out in the 2000s and the 2010s with cult favourites like the revolutionary coming-of-age drama Rang De Basanti and the sports biopic Bhaag Milkha Bhaag.
If you wish to get a closer look at the best movies directed by Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra, we have got you covered with a definitive ranking of his filmography and a guide that tells you where to stream them all.
Which Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra movie should I watch first?
Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra’s first movie makes for a worthy watch but it didn’t mark his breakthrough. His directorial debut Aks starred Amitabh Bachchan and Manoj Bajpayee and played out as an exciting supernatural action thriller. While Bachchan played a morally righteous cop and Bajpayee a deranged terrorist, the film found the two characters’ swapping souls and taking each other’s personality. The concept was perhaps too bold at its time and despite a few good reviews, the movie flopped at the box office.
A more quintessential Mehra film was his second project Rang De Basanti. The 2006 blockbuster featured an ensemble led by Aamir Khan, and revolved around a group of drifters who plan to act in a film recounting the struggles of Indian freedom fighters in the era of British colonialism. But with political chaos unfurling in modern India, the past and present collide in unprecedented ways.
The heavily acclaimed drama revealed Mehra’s potential to direct socially conscious storylines. Continuing this trend, his forays into satirical social comedy are some of his most underrated works. These include Delhi-6 and Mere Pyare Prime Minister. While Delhi 6 explored the urban chaos of the Indian capital city, the latter is a heartwarming tale of a young boy making the journey from his Mumbai slum to the Prime Minister’s residence in Delhi to help the living conditions of his mother.
Mehra has experimented with multiple genres in his career so far, ranging from a tragic period romance like Mirzya and sports dramas like Bhaag Milkha Bhaag and Toofan. Bhaag Milkha Bhaag marked a major moment in his career with Mehra recreating the life and times of the Indian Olympian athlete Milkha Singh. Farhan Akhtar, who played the late runner, reunited with Mehra for his Prime Video boxing drama Toofan. An underdog story on the rise and fall and comeback of a fictional boxer, Toofan proved Mehra’s ability to play around with sports movies.
Why is Rang De Basanti Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra’s best movie to watch?
Rang De Basanti’s interesting blend of the past and present highlights the struggles of Indian freedom fighters and the modern-day state of the nation. The movie also explores the morals of an armed revolution. It’s for such reasons that Mehra’s second directorial project is still as bold, debate-worthy, and socially relevant to this day.
Where can I watch the best Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra movies online?
Below you can find the latest streaming information for Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra's best movies. This includes every offer for viewers in India today.
