15 iconic Hindi Films that redefined new-age cinema in the first quarter of the 21st Century

Mumbai: The first quarter of the new century reshaped Bollywood in remarkable ways. From introducing fresh stories, new concepts, emerging faces, and a renewed sense of grandeur to relatable friendships and different portrayals of love, romance, and heartbreak, this phase witnessed Hindi cinema explore it all. From power-packed, heroic masala entertainers to meaningful conversations around mental health, social issues, and emotional well-being, layered relationships from 2000 to 2025 marked a fine shift in storytelling and sensibilities. Here is the list of the top 15 Bollywood movies that went on to become iconic for a reason!

Kaho Naa… Pyaar Hai (2000) Bollywood superstar Hrithik Roshan and Ameesha Patel’s debut, directed by Rakesh Roshan, went on to become a rage with the youth right at the start of the 21st century. It became a wave, launching Hrithik into superstardom with his double role and chartbuster songs.

Lesser-known fact: The movie was supposed to star Kareena Kapoor opposite Hrithik Roshan,, and the actress had even shot for the same, but she quit midway, after which Amessha Patel was roped in to essay the character of Sonia.

Mohabbatein (2000) The megastar Shah Rukh Khan and superstar Aishwarya Rai starrer musical romance was directed by Aditya Chopra. It brought together Bollywood megastar Amitabh Bachchan and SRK for the first time on screen. The movie showcased a clash between discipline and free-spirited love. Parampara! Pratishtha! Anushasan!

Lesser-known fact: This was Aditya Chopra’s second directorial after Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge, and he took four years to develop the script.

Lagaan (2001) The Oscar-nominated movie was directed by Ashutosh Gowariker and starred superstar Aamir Khan and Gracy Singh. The period drama used cricket as a rebellion against colonial rule and showcased how it played a vital role in attaining independence.

Lesser-known fact: The British actors playing the colonial officers underwent special dialect training to ensure historically accurate accents.

Gadar: Ek Prem Katha (2001) Starring Sunny Deol and Ameesha Patel, the movie was directed by Anil Sharma. The saga, based around a partition-era love story, became a mass phenomenon, with Tara Singh emerging as an iconic patriotic character.

Lesser-known fact: The iconic hand-pump scene was not part of the original script and was added during filming.

Dil Chahta Hai (2001) The story redefined urban Indian cinema through the lives of three friends Aakash, Sid, and Sameer, making modern friendships and their genuine ups and downs relatable to the audience. This movie was touted to be way ahead of its time. Farhan Akhtar’s debut film also kickstarted the trend of friends’ trips to Goa.

Lesser-known fact: Initially, Preity Zinta was offered to essay the role of Pooja, which was later offered to Sonali Kulkarni

Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham (2001) Karan Johar’s larger-than-life family drama, became a pop culture mark, with Kareena Kapoor’s Poo turning into one of Bollywood’s most iconic characters. The movie starred SRK, Kajol, Hrithik Roshan, Amitabh Bachchan and Jaya Bachchan in important roles and revolved around family ties, values and love.

Lesser-known fact: The movie also had cameos from Abhishek Bachchan and Jugal Hansraj, but they were cut in the final edit.

Kal Ho Na Ho (2002) The movie starring SRK, Preity Zinta and Saif Ali Khan revolved around the story of Naina, Aman and Rohit. The saga of love, romance and heartbreaks with an emotional ending moved the audience to tears. Directed by Nikhil Advani, the movie is still also remembered for its songs.

Lesser-known fact: Shah Rukh Khan shot the film while undergoing treatment for a serious spinal injury.

Devdas (2002) Starring SRK, Madhuri Dixit and Aishwarya Rai, Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s opulent adaptation to date is celebrated for its visual grandeur, emotional intensity, dialogues and songs.

Lesser-known fact: The film was screened at the Cannes Film Festival, where it received a standing ovation.

Munna Bhai M.B.B.S (2003) Rajkumar Hirani’s comedy-drama blended humour with humanity and introduced ‘Gandhigiri’ and unforgettable characters like Munna Bhai and Circuit, who gave major friendship goals.

Lage Raho Munna Bhai (2005) It was one of those rarest instances when a sequel to the film was as successful as the first part.

Lesser-known fact: The character of Circuit was originally written as a minor role but expanded due to Arshad Warsi’s performance.

Rang De Basanti (2006) Starring Aamir Khan in the lead, this film by Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra linked revolutionary history with contemporary youth angst. Back then, it had turned cinema into a voice of political awakening.

Lesser-known fact: Several scenes were inspired by real-life student activism and contemporary political movements.

Taare Zameen Par (2007) Aamir Khan’s directorial debut delicately revolved around the sensitive topic of dyslexia and childhood pressure. It played a vital role in changing conversations around education and empathy. It also highlighted the beautiful bond between a teacher and student.

Lesser-known fact: Aamir Khan took over direction midway after Amole Gupte stepped down due to creative differences.

3 Idiots (2009) Aamir Khan, R Madhavan, and Sharman Joshi’s blockbuster movie used humour to critique the education system. The Rajkumar Hirani directorial had Aamir Khan’s Rancho become a generational icon.

Lesser-known fact: The film is loosely inspired by Chetan Bhagat’s novel Five Point Someone, though the author was not credited initially.

Dabangg (2010) Abhinav Kashyap’s masala blockbuster introduced Salman Khan’s iconic character as Chulbul Pandey. The swaggering cop who redefined commercial cinema and spawned a successful franchise is touted as one of Bollywood’s finest characters. The movie also marked the debut of Shatrughan Sinha’s actress daughter, Sonakshi Sinha.

Lesser-known fact: Salman Khan was actively involved in shaping Chulbul Pandey’s distinctive body language and dialogue delivery.

Dangal (2016) The real-life inspiring story of wrestling stalwarts the Phogat sisters went on to become one of India’s highest-grossing films worldwide. Directed by Nitesh Tiwari, the sports biopic starred Aamir Khan, Fatima Sana Sheikh, and Sanya Malhotra in the lead. It also starred actress Sakshi Tanwar opposite Aamir Khan.

Lesser-known fact: Aamir Khan underwent extreme weight fluctuations, gaining nearly 30 kg and then losing it during filming.

IANS